EFFECT OF MORINGA LEAF EXTRACT ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF TOMATO (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

The experiment was carried out at Agroforestry Field Laboratory, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207 during the period from January 2021 to April 2021 to find out “Effect of Moringa leaf extract on growth and yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)”. The pot experiment consisted of six treatments viz., T0, T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 (control, 10 ml, 20ml, 30 ml, 40 ml, and 50 ml concentrations of Moringa leaf extract respectively). This experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. In the case of growth parameters, the highest plant height (62.00 cm) and the number of leaf plant-1 (52) were observed in T5 whereas the lowest result was observed from T0 treatment with plant height (38.50 cm) and the number of leaf plant-1 (27). In terms of yield contributing parameters with Moringa leaf extract, T5 showed the lowest days (39 days) to 1st flowering whereas the highest days to 1st flowering were achieved from T0 treatment at 50 days. The highest fruit number plant-1 (24), individual fruit weight (65 g), and fruit yield ha-1 (70.2 t) was found in the treatment T5 while the lowest number of fruits per plant (8), individual fruit weight (44.78 g), fruit yield ha-1 (31.5 t) was obtained from T0 treatment. Different concentrations of Moringa leaf extract with Tomato plant had a strong positive relation with around all parameters. To base on observed data points, predicted that 50 ml concentrations of Moringa leaf extract will supply the optimum Tomato yield ha-1(70.2 t). This study indicates that the Moringa leaf extract used significantly increased the growth and yield of tomato plants in all the trials with fresh leaves, regular branching, healthy fruits, and regular flowering.