Articles
The response of Solanum nigrum to foliar application of moringa leaf extract and zinc oxide nanoparticles
Article number
1460_31
Pages
263 – 270
Language
English
Abstract
Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) is a nutrient-dense leafy vegetable valued for its health-promoting properties.
However, its production is constrained by low yields and limited information on optimal agronomic practices.
Identifying sustainable growth-promoting strategies is therefore essential to enhance its productivity and contribution to food security.
Natural biostimulants such as moringa leaf extract (MLE) have shown potential to stimulate plant growth, while the integration of nanoparticles as carriers may further enhance their efficacy.
This study therefore investigated the effects of foliar-applied MLE and MLE enriched with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on the growth of S. nigrum. Five treatments were applied weekly from two weeks after transplanting until fruit set.
These included the control, 100% MLE, 50% MLE, 100% MLE + 0.1 g ZnO, and 100% MLE + 0.34 g ZnO, with five plants per treatment.
Growth parameters, including plant height, leaf breadth, leaf length and fresh root mass, were recorded.
Application of 100% MLE significantly (p≤0.05) enhanced vegetative growth compared with the control, increasing plant height, leaf breadth, and root mass by approximately 29, 6, and 36%, respectively.
Similarly, 50% MLE improved these traits by 16-20%. In contrast, the addition of ZnO nanoparticles to MLE did not improve growth and, in some cases, reduced performance relative to MLE alone.
These findings highlight the potential of MLE as an effective and environmentally friendly biostimulant for improving black nightshade production.
Further research is recommended to optimize application strategies and explore potential synergies with other nanomaterials.
However, its production is constrained by low yields and limited information on optimal agronomic practices.
Identifying sustainable growth-promoting strategies is therefore essential to enhance its productivity and contribution to food security.
Natural biostimulants such as moringa leaf extract (MLE) have shown potential to stimulate plant growth, while the integration of nanoparticles as carriers may further enhance their efficacy.
This study therefore investigated the effects of foliar-applied MLE and MLE enriched with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on the growth of S. nigrum. Five treatments were applied weekly from two weeks after transplanting until fruit set.
These included the control, 100% MLE, 50% MLE, 100% MLE + 0.1 g ZnO, and 100% MLE + 0.34 g ZnO, with five plants per treatment.
Growth parameters, including plant height, leaf breadth, leaf length and fresh root mass, were recorded.
Application of 100% MLE significantly (p≤0.05) enhanced vegetative growth compared with the control, increasing plant height, leaf breadth, and root mass by approximately 29, 6, and 36%, respectively.
Similarly, 50% MLE improved these traits by 16-20%. In contrast, the addition of ZnO nanoparticles to MLE did not improve growth and, in some cases, reduced performance relative to MLE alone.
These findings highlight the potential of MLE as an effective and environmentally friendly biostimulant for improving black nightshade production.
Further research is recommended to optimize application strategies and explore potential synergies with other nanomaterials.
Authors
S.N. Ndimande, B.L. Ngcobo, C.V. Mashamaite, K. Ncama, S. Mwelase, T.H. Mokhothu
Keywords
biostimulants, nanotechnology, plant extracts, sustainable agriculture, underutilized crops
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