IMPROVING GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF CAULIFLOWER THROUGH FOLIAR APPLICATION OF MORINGA LEAF EXTRACT AS A BIO-STIMULANT

Abstract

Plant bio-stimulants play a significant role in triggering growth and boosting economic yield of crops. Even so, little information is found on the use of moringa leaf extract (MLE) as a natural bio-stimulant to improve growth and yield of vegetable crops in Bangladesh. Therefore, a field study was conducted at the Soil Science Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh, during rabi season in order to investigate the effect of MLE on growth and yield of cauliflower. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four treatments and three replications. The treatments were T1 (control) and T2 (MLE sprayed at 2 weeks after transplanting only), T3 (MLE sprayed at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after transplanting), T4 (MLE sprayed at 2 weeks after transplanting and after every two weeks thereafter). The rate of MLE application was 25 mL plant 1. All the treatments received recommended dose of N, P, K, S, Zn and B fertilizers. Application of MLE significantly improved the growth and yield attributes as well as gross yield and marketable yield of cauliflower. Among the parameters plant height (34.10 cm), length of the largest leaf (29.50 cm in length), fresh weight of root (9.50 g), fresh weight of stem (19.13 g), curd thickness (5.37 cm), curd diameter (16.03 cm), curd weight (0.48 kg), total weight of plant (0.76 kg), gross yield (12.81 t ha-1) and marketable yield (5.52 t ha-1) were the highest in T4 where MLE was sprayed at 2 weeks after transplanting and after every two weeks thereafter. The lowest values of all these parameters were found in T1 where no MLE was sprayed. This study suggests that MLE should be applied in cauliflower crop as a foliar spray at growth stages for obtaining higher growth and yield.

Keywords

• Growth
• Yield
• Cauliflower
• Foliar application
• Moringa leaf extract