Enhancing growth, yield and nutritional quality of pepper using mineral fertilizer together with moringa leaf powder (MLP)

In this study the combined effects of moringa leaf powder (MLP) and synthetic fertilizers, applied directly to the growing medium, on improving growth, yield and quality of sweet peppers was evaluated.
The treatments were applied individually or in combinations to the 5-L pots and mixed with the growing medium.
Our study indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between the chemical-based treatments (T2 and T3) and the treatment that included MLP, particularly T6 (3:1:3, 5 g CaMgNO₃ (lowest dose) and MLP) in almost all the tested parameters except the number of branches and yield.
More noticeably, reducing the quantity of chemical fertilizers while adding MLP outperformed the chemical-based fertilizers when applied alone, even though the differences were not significant in some parameters assessed.
This study, therefore, demonstrates that the integration of MLP with 3:1:3 and CaMgNO₃ can serve as an effective and alternative approach to minimize the use of chemical-based fertilizers for sustainable production of peppers.

XXXI International Horticultural Congress (IHC2022): International Symposium on Plant Nutrition, Fertilization, Soil Management

B.L. Ngcobo, I. Bertling

biostimulants, cost-effective, food security, moringa leaf powder, sustainable agriculture

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2023.1375.33