Growth, yield and chemical composition of moringa as affected by some mineral fertilizers, amino acids and active dry yeast

Abstract EN

Due to the importance of Moringa as a medicinal plant and for the sake of increasing its growth and yield, this investigation was conducted during two successive seasons of 2017 and 2018 in the Experimental Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture (Saba- Basha), Alexandria University, Egypt, to study the effect of some mineral fertilizers, amino acids and active dry yeast on the growth and yield of moringa (Moringa oleifera, L.).

Each replicate contained 13 treatments namely (100%) NPK [control], 100% NPK+3g active dry yeast, 100% NPK + 250 mg/l AA1 (tryptophan), 100% NPK + 250 mg/l AA2(glutamic), 100% NPK + 250 mg/lAA1 (tryptophan)+ 250 mg/l AA2(Glutamic) + 3 g active dry yeast, 75% NPK + 3 g active dry yeast, 75 % NPK+ 25 mg/l AA1(tryptophan), 75% NPK+ 250mg/l AA2(glutamic), 75% NPK+ 250 mg/l AA1 (tryptophan) )+ 250mg/l AA2(glutamic) + 3 g active dry yeast, 50% NPK+ 3 g active dry yeast, 50% NPK+ 250 mg/lAA1(tryptophan),½NPK+ 250 mg/lAA2(glutamic) and 50%NPK+ 250 mg/lAA1 (tryptophan)+250 mg/l AA2 (glutamic) + 3 g active dry yeast.

The gained results revealed that, 100% NPK + 250 mg/lAA1 (tryptophan)+ 250 mg/l AA2(glutamic)+ 3 g active dry yeast followed by 75 % NPK + 250mg/l AA1(tryptophan)+ 250 mg/lAA2(glutamic) + 3 g active dry yeast gave the highest mean values of vegetative growth as (plant height [cm], number of branches/ plant, dry weight of shoot/ plant [g] and leaf green color degree using SPAD units, compared to the other treatments and control.

Also, the given traits treatment gave the higher chemical composition such as percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, protein, calcium and magnesium compared with the other treatments during both seasons under this study.