Effect of fertilization with Vermicompost and spraying with Moringa leaf extract on some vegetative and root growth traits of Citrus aurantifolia saplings.

Abstract

The study was conducted in one of the private nurseries in Babylon province for the period from 1/9/2020 to 6/1/2021 to study the effect of fertilization with Vermicompost and spraying with Moringa leaf extract and the interaction between them on the growth of lemon saplings. The 144 saplings of homogeneous growth were selected as much as possible and at the one-year age, a factorial experiment was conducted according to the randomized complete blocks design R.C.B.D and with three replications. The experiment included the addition of Vermicompost fertilizer with four concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30 g. saplings^-1), and four levels of spraying with Moringa leaf extract (0, 50, 100, 150 ml .L^-1),. The results can be summarized as follows:

The treatment of the addition of (V3) of Vermicompost fertilizer was excelled and gave the highest averages in the studied traits (the rate of increase in plant height, the average of increase in stem diameter, main root length, main root diameter, and the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in the leaves) which reached (16.48 cm, 3.45 mm, 42.10 cm, 11.34 mm, 1.69%, 0.31%, 2.62%) respectively, The Spraying treatment (B2) with Moringa leaf extract was excelled and gave the highest averages in the studied traits which (14.47 cm, 3.30 mm, 42.92 cm, 11.08 mm, 1.62%, 0.30%, 2.52%) respectively, but in terms of the best interaction treatment between them, the (V3B2) combination excelled in giving the highest averages for the above-mentioned traits.