Moringa oleifera is a highly valued plant, distributed in many countries of the tropics and subtropics. It has an impressive range of medicinal uses and high nutritional value. Accordingly, rocket (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa) plants were foliar sprayed with the aqueous extracts of leaves and twigs of M. oleifera at rates of 1, 2 and 3%. Among these concentrations, fertilization of rocket plants with 2% leaf and 3% twig extracts potentially increased all measured growth criteria (plant height, fresh and dry herb weight), photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, the amounts of each of chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, total sugars, total protein, phenols, ascorbic acid, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe as well as growth promoting hormones (auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins). Besides, bio-organic manuring with both kinds of Moringa extracts at all concentrations applied negatively reduced the levels of each of lipid peroxidation and abscisic acid as well as the activities of the antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase). Thus, it is concluded that M. oleifera leaf and twig extracts can be recommended to be used effectively by farmers as a bio-organic fertilizer for various crops due to its high productivity, high nutritive value, antioxidant effect, easy preparation, low cost and environmentally friendly nature.

	 

	Key words: Moringa oleifera, growth, gas exchange, antioxidants, metabolites, phytohormones, photosynthetic pigments.

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The potential of Moringa oleifera extract as a biostimulant in enhancing the growth, biochemical and hormonal contents in rocket (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa) plants

Sorghum [(Sorghum bicolor L.) Moench] is a highly productive crop plant, which can be used for alternative energy resource, human food, livestock feed or industrial purposes. The biomass of sorghum can be utilized as solid fuel via thermochemical routes or as a carbohydrate substrate via fermentation processes. The plant has a great adaptation potential to drought, high salinity and high temperature, which are important characteristics of genotypes growing in extreme environments. However, the climate change in the 21st century may bring about new challenges in the cultivated areas. In this review, we summarize the most recent literature about the responses of sorghum to the most important abiotic stresses: nutrient deficiency, aluminium stress, drought, high salinity, waterlogging or temperature stress the plants have to cope with during cultivation. The advanced molecular and system biological tools provide new opportunities for breeders to select stress-tolerant and high-yielding cultivars.

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Response of Sorghum to Abiotic Stresses: A Review

Effect of N fertilizer source and timing on yield and N use efficiency of rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) in Kashmir–Pakistan

Closing the food waste loop: Food waste anaerobic digestate as fertilizer for the cultivation of the leafy vegetable, xiao bai cai (Brassica rapa)

Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Rainfed Maize Response to Splitting and Nitrogen Rates in Kashmir, Pakistan

The effects of amending soil with organic (poultry manure) and inorganic fertilizer on yield and chlorophyll content of maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolour (L) Moench) was carried out at the Teaching and Research (TR was highest under control plots in both crops.  The implication of CSI% on drought tolerance of maize and sorghum was discussed.

EFFECT OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FERTILIZER ON YIELD AND CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT OF MAIZE (Zea mays (L.) AND SORGHUM Sorghum bicolour (L) Moench)

The effects of amending soil with organic (poultry manure) and inorganic fertilizer on yield and chlorophyll content of maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolour (L.) Moench) was carried out at the Teaching and Research (T&R) Farm of the Obafemi Awolowo University, (O.A.U.) Ile - Ife, Nigeria. The experiment was a randomised complete block design (RCBD), laid out in a split-plot arrangement in the second cropping season of year 2001 and 2002. There were four sources of fertilizer for soil amendment: inorganic fertilizer (IF), mixture of inorganic fertilizer and poultry manure (IFPM), poultry manure (PM) and control (C) (no fertilizer or manure treatment). Each fertilizer source supplied 54 kg N plus 25 kg P2O5 and 25 kg K2O5/ha. There were significant variability and diversity observed on the two crops due to treatments. Grain yield was highest in sorghum (3.55 kg/ha) and maize (2.89 kg/ha) under IFPM followed by IF treatment for maize (2.33 kg/ha) and PM treatment for sorghum ((3.37 kg/ha). Sorghum and maize had the highest dry matter of 72.3 g/plant and 71.0 g/plant under IFPM at harvest. The effects of PM on the dry matter of sorghum (68.1 g/plant) and maize (61.7 g/plant) were not significantly different (p = 0.05) from that of IF (sorghum 66.1 g/plant, maize 58.7 g/plant). Sorghum also had the highest leaf area (LA) (2752.9 cm2/plant) and total chlorophyll content of 3.28 mg/g under PM while maize on the other hand had the highest LA (1969.5 cm2/plant) and total chlorophyll content of 2.63 mg/g under IFPM. In both maize and sorghum, the lowest chlorophyll content occurred in control plot. Drought tolerance measured as percentage chlorophyll stability index (CSI%) was highest under control plots in both crops.

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J. T. Opabode

Papers

EFFECT OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FERTILIZER ON YIELD AND CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT OF MAIZE (Zea mays (L.) AND SORGHUM Sorghum bicolour (L) Moench)

Effect of organic and inorganic fertilizer on yield and chlorophyll content of maize ( Zea mays L.) and sorghum Sorghum bicolour (L.) Moench)