EFFECT OF MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAVES EXTRACT ON THE GROWTH OF VACHELLIA NILOTICA (KIKAR) AT SEEDLING LEVEL

Abstract

Vachellia nilotica is one of the most valuable timber species in Pakistan. This medium-sized thorny tree is evergreen. A semiarid subtropical environment is ideal for it. Nevertheless, it is able to thrive in driest regions. It has dual medicinal and forage uses. For furniture making, its wood is one of the top tree species in Pakistan. After Dalbergia sissooo, furniture of this species is best in terms of quality and durability. It is a slow growing tree. For its faster growth, artificial and organic fertilizers are used at nursery level. In the present study, four treatments were given to the plants excluding the control to evaluate the response of plants. There were eight plants in each treatment and number of replications was three. Thus total number of seedlings in the experiment was 120.  A relatively unique method was used in this study for improving its growth rate. Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MLE) was applied to the seedlings of Vachellia nilotica at concentrations of 0% (control) 2% (T₁), 4% (T₂), 6% (T₃) and 8% (T₄).  Data analysis revealed that MLE application significantly enhanced most growth parameters compared to the control. Among the Treatments, 6% MLE (T3) produced the highest shoot and root biomass in Vachellia nilotica. The highest leaves fresh weight was observed in T1 (2% MLE) followed by T₀ (Control), T4 (8% MLE) and T3 (6% MLE). Highest root mass allocation was noted in T₂. This study clearly indicates that all concentrations of MLE increased the overall growth of the plants. However, the best performance was recorded under T3 (6% MLE) and T4 (8% MLE). So it is recommended to apply 6% or 8% MLE for best growth of seedlings of Vachellia nilotica.