ENHANCING EARLY GROWTH AND ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF Faidherbia albida (DELILE) A.CHEV. SEEDLINGS USING moringa oleifera LAM. LEAF EXTRACT IN A SEMI-ARID NURSERY ENVIRONMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/jaat.2025.1104.09Keywords:
Faidherbia albida;, Moringa oleifera;, leaf extract;, biostimulant;, seedling growth;, dryland restorationAbstract
Natural biostimulants are gaining attention as sustainable alternatives to synthetic growth regulators, particularly for dryland tree species. Faidherbia albida is a keystone species in semi-arid Africa, but early nursery establishment is often limited by slow growth and poor root development. This study evaluated Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MLE) as a natural biostimulant to enhance early seedling growth of F. albida compared with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and an untreated control. A nursery experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with three treatments and five replicates over eight weeks. Plant height and leaf number were recorded at Weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8, while biomass, root length, and root–shoot ratio were measured at Week 8. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Although treatment effects were not statistically significant (P > 0.05), consistent biological trends were observed. MLE-treated seedlings exhibited greater mean height (13.06 ± 1.56 cm), leaf number (23.00 ± 4.87), dry biomass (0.40 ± 0.05 g), root length (14.96 ± 2.81 cm), and a more balanced root–shoot ratio (0.94 ± 0.23) compared with IAA and control. IAA treatments showed high variability and partial seedling mortality. These coherent trends indicate a stable growth-promoting effect of MLE, highlighting its potential as a low-cost, environmentally friendly biostimulant for improving early seedling quality of F. albida in semi-arid nurseries and dryland restoration programs.
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