International Journal of Agriculture and Crop Sciences.

Available online at www.ijagcs.com

IJACS/2014/7-14/1431-1433
ISSN 2227-670X 2014 IJACS Journal

Response of canola to foliar application of moringa

(Moringaolifera L.) and brassica (Brassica napus L.)
water extracts
Muhammad AamirIqbal, AsifIqbal, NadeemAkbar, RanaNadeem Abbas, HaroonZaman
Khan and Qaiser Maqsood
Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faiasalabad Pakistan
Corresponding author email: aamir1801@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT: A field study was conducted to investigate the response of canola (Brassica napus L.)to
foliar application of moringa and brassica water extracts at the Agronomic Research Area, University of
Agriculture Faisalabad, during autumn 2010. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete block
design (RCBD) with thirteen treatments that were replicated thrice. Foliar sprays of moringa (2%) and
brassica (2%) water extracts were applied alone and in combination at 30, 60 and 90 days after sowing
(DAS). All the treatments increased the yield of canola as compared to control. Highest canola yield
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(3142 kg ha ) was recorded in plots treated with three sprays of moringa and brassica water extracts
mixture (T12) which was 35% more as compared to control and it was followed by plots treated with two
sprays of moringa and brassica water extracts mixture (T 11).One spray of moringa and brassica water
extracts combination also significantly affected the canola yield over the control (T 0), but it was less
effective as compared to treatment (T 12) in which three foliar sprays of moringa and brassica water
extracts were applied .Three sprays of moringa and brassica water extracts combination significantly
affected the plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per
pod, seed weight, seed yield as well as biological yield of canola as compared to their sole application.
Key Words: Allelochemicals, Foliar spray,Extract combinations, Growth hormones, Yield
INTRODUCTION
Canola (the name was derived from "Canadian oil low in acid" in 1978) is an oil seed cropandits oil is
considered to be the best for human health because of lowerucic acid andglucosinolates. But its production is low
as compared to other oil seed crops.By utilizing allelochemicals, crops yield can be increased to many folds and
simlar is the case of oil seed crops including canola.According to International Alloelopathy Society, allelopathy is
the name of interaction between two or more species in which one is influenced by the other due to the release of
certain chemicals that are secondary metabolites (Torres et al., 1996).The results of allelochemical action can be
traced at various levels of plant vital processes. Enzyme activation, enhanced cell division, more membrane
permeability, increased ion uptake and increased plant growth and development are direct actions allelochemicals
(Gniazdowska, 2005). Some plants leaves contain plant growth regulators that in low concentration promote, inhibit
or modifygrowth.Moringa(MoringaoleiferaL.) is the sole genus of Moringaceae family and is widely distributed in the
Pacific region,sub- tropical regions (Aregheore, 2002) and in West Africa (Freiberger et al., 1998; Lockett et al.,
2000). Its leaf extract has been reported to increase the yield of many crops(Akinbode et al. 2008, andFoidle,
2001)The charisma of moringa leaf juice is a substance called zeatin. Zeatin is one of the phytohormoneswhich are
major component of oiland protein structure (Mir et al., 2009). This substance can be used as a source of cytokinin.
(Fugile, 2000). While Brassica (Brassica napus L.) water extracts contain a substance known as brassinolidewhich
is natural plant steroid. The brassinosteroids are included in a unique class of natural plant growth regulators
having the potential to enhance yieldof number of agronomic crops (Anjum, 2011, Jeyakumar et al. 2008).The
objective of this study was to determine the response of canola to water extracts of moringa and brassica when
applied as a foliar spray as well as the effect of foliar application of water on the growth and yield of canola.

Intl J Agri Crop Sci. Vol., 7 (14), 1431-1433, 2014

MATERIALS & METHODS

Present research was conducted at agronomic research area University of Agriculture Faisalabad during
th
2010-11. Canola variety Punjab Sarsoon was sown on 15 of October 2010. Experiment was laid out in
randomized complete block design. There were thirteen treatments that were replicated thrice. Canola seed(cv.
Punjab Sarsoon) was sown in a plot of net size 1.8m 5m. Canola hybrid was sown in 45cm apart rows, while15
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cm, plant to plant distance was maintained and 5 kg ha seed rate of canola was used. Urea fertilizer was applied
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-1
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@ 90 kg ha in two splits. First split (45 kg ha ) was applied at the time of sowing and the remaining (45 kg ha )
was applied when first irrigation was applied. At the time of sowing, all the DAP was applied. DAP was applied @
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60 kg ha . DAP and urea ware used as a source of phosphorous and nitrogen. Insecticide methamidophos @ 1
-1
liter ha was sprayed once for the aphid control. Water was applied as a foliar spray after calibration at 30, 60 and
90 days after sowing with the help of knap sack sprayer. Allelopathic water extracts of Brassica (Brassica napus L.)
were prepared by following the method of Cheema and Khaliq (2000). Herbage (stem and leaves) of Brassica were
harvested at maturity and then were dried for few days under shade. After that herbage were chopped down into 2
cm pieces with the help of electric fodder cutter. This chopped material was then soaked in the water in 1: 10 (w/v)
ratio for 24 hours. Water extract was collected by passing through sieves. Filtrate was boiled at 100 C in order to
reduce the volume up to 20 times. While Moringa leaf extracts (MLE) was prepared by collecting young leaves from
Moringa tree. Those leaves were frozen for two days. After that leaves were ground in a manual juicer. The juice
was collected and filtered by passing through a muslin cloth to remove all the green matter. After that extract was
stored at room temperature.
Low concentration solutions of Brassica water extract and Moringaleaf extract (2%) were then applied as
foliar spray alone and combined at 30, 60, 90 days after sowing. All the treatments were applied by knap sack hand
sprayer fitted with flat fan nozzle after calibration. A control treatment was kept for comparison. All the agronomic
practices were kept same and normal for all the treatments. Crop was harvested on 25 March 2011. The crop was
harvested manually and retained in the field for sun drying. Later on crop was threshed manually.Data collected
were analyzed statistically by using Fishers analysis of variance technique and least significant difference (LSD)
test at 0.05 probability to compare the differences among the treatments means. (Steel, et al. 1997)
RESULTS and DISCUSSION
As table 1 shows that significantly taller plants (176.37 cm) were recorded in plots which were treated with
three sprays of moringa and brassica water extractsmixture (T12) and it was followed by the plots that were treated
with two sprays of moringa and brassica water extractsmixture (T 11). Maximum number of branches (17.41) was
observed in plots which were treated with three sprays of moringa and brassica water extractsmixture (T12) These
findings are comparable with the findings of Mandal and Sinha (2004), who reported that number of branches per
plant increased with the foliar application of different micronutrients. Maximum number of pods per plant (402.67)
were in T12(Three sprays of moringa and brassica combination) that were statistically at per with T 8(Two sprays of
brassica),T9 (Three sprays of brassica) as well as T 10 (One spray of moringa and brassica combination) and T 11
(Two sprays of moringa and brassica combination).Maximum number of seeds per pod (27) was observed in
T12(Three sprays of moringa and brassica water extracts combination) which was statistically at par T 11(Two sprays
of moringa and brassica water extracts combination) and T 10 (One spray of moringa and brassica water extracts
combination). These results are in agreement with Kato et al. (2002) who reported more growth and number of
seeds due to application of zeatin. T12(Three sprays of moringa and brassica water extracts combination) gave
more 1000 seed weight (4.65g), followed by T 11 (Two sprays of moringa and brassica water extracts
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combination).Maximum seed yield (3142 kg ha ) was obtained in T12 (Three sprays of moringa + brassica)
followed by the T11 (Two sprays of moriga + brassica). These results are in accordance with the results
demonstrated byTerakado et al. (2005), who reported more yield with application of plant growth hormones.
T12 (Three sprays of moringa + brassica) significantly affected the biological yield followed by the T 11 (Two
-1
-1
sprays of moriga + brassica) which gave 15200 kg ha and 14267 kg ha respectively.Three foliar sprays of a
mixture of moringa and brassica water extracts (T 12) showed the maximum harvest index (20.66) and this remained
statistically at par with T11 (Two sprays of moriga + brassica) as well as T 10 (One sprays of moriga + brassica)
followed by T9 (Three sprays of brassica) which also significantly affected the harvest index.As table 2 illustrates
the fact that growth parameters were also significantly affected by moringa and brassica water extracts and gave
even higher results when these were applied in combination as compared to their sole application as shown in
table 2. Highest plant fresh weight (1070 g) was produced by three foliar sprays of a mixture of moringa and
brassica water extracts (T 12) followed by two foliar sprays of a mixture of moringa and brassica water extracts (T 11).
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Intl J Agri Crop Sci. Vol., 7 (14), 1431-1433, 2014

Similarly highest dry weights as well leaf area indexes were given by three foliar sprays of a mixture of moringa and
brassica water extracts (T12) followed by two foliar sprays of a mixture of moringa and brassica water extracts
(T11).These findings are in line with the results of Mayumi et al. (1995), who reported that foliar application of
brassinolide enhanced the dry matter accumulation. Thus results indicate that there is certainly a synergetic
relationship between moringa and brassica water extracts due to which one, two and three sprays of moringa and
brassica significantly affected the yield and all yield parameters as compared to their sole application.
In the light of these findings, it can be suggested that foliar application of allelopathic crop water extracts
such as moringa and brassica in very low concentration can be used as growth promoter and yield enhancer. In
future these economically cheap and environment friendly growth enhancer can be developed commercially in
order to cater the rapidly growing demand for food.
Table1. Effect of moringa and brassica water extracts on yield and yield components of canola

Treatments

Plant
height
cm
163.67 f

No. of
branches/plant
11.69 d

No. of pods
/ plant
373.00 e

No. of
seeds/ pod
21.66 g

1000 seed
weight g
3.06 f

Seed yield
kg ha-1
2322.9 j

Biological
yield kg ha-

H.I

13811 e

16.79 f

164.00 f

12.20 cd

373.00 e

22.00fg

3.13 f

2395.9 i

14172 d

16.90 f

164.3 f

12.73 cd

376.33 e

22.66efg

3.26 e

2414.6 i

14186 d

17.017 f

166.3 e

13.93 bc

385.00 d

23.33 def

3.29 e

2496.8 h

14189 d

17.58 e

169.6 cd

15.76 ab

395.33 bc

24.00cde

3.43 d

2601.9 fg

14192 d

18.32 d

171.6 b

15.53ab

395.67 bc

24.66 cd

3.49 cd

2687.7 e

14191 d

18.93 c

175

15.82ab

397.67 ab

25.33bc

3.52 cd

2533.1 gh

14297 d

17.71 e

169d

13.93 bc

390.67 cd

23.33 def

3.45 cd

2570.6 g

14228 d

18.04 de

170.3bcd

13.9 bc

395.00 bc

24.00cde

3.48 cd

2671.0ef

14240 d

18.92 c

171.0bc

15.60 ab

397.33 ab

24.33 cd

3.49 cd

2823.8 d

14267 d

19.78 b

172.0 b

15.55ab

397.00 ab

26.66ab

3.54 c

2956.1 c

14563 c

20.29 a

175.33 a

16.73 a

398.67 ab

27.33 a

3.72 b

3028.4 b

14924 b

20.27ab

176.34
a

17.41 a

402.67 a

27.33 a

4.65 a

3142.0 a

15200 a

20.66 a

T0= Control
T1= One water spray
T2=Two water sprays
T3= Three water
sprays
T4= One moringa
spray
T5= Two moringa
sprays
T6= Three moringa
sprays
T7=one brassica spray
T8= Two brassica
sprays
T9= Three brassica
sprays
T10= One moringa and
brassica spray
T11=Two moringa and
brassica sprays
T12=Three moringa
and brassica sprays

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Intl J Agri Crop Sci. Vol., 7 (14), 1431-1433, 2014

Table 2 . Effect of moringa and brassica water extracts on growth parameters of canola

Treatments

Plant fresh
weight(g) 30
DAS
1052.0 d

Plant fresh
weight(g) 60
DAS
1086.0 c

Plant dry
weight(g) 30
DAS
102.23 ef

Plant dry
weight(g)
60DAS
106.84 f

LAI 30 DAS
0.78 f

LAI 60 DAS
2.67 b

1052.3 d

1088.7 c

102.22 ef

106.93 ef

1.04 e

3.49 ab

1053.3 cd

1088.7 c

101.75 f

107.74 def

1.04 e

3.62 a

1055.0 cd

1096.0 c

103.15 de

108.25 cde

1.19 e

3.66 a

1057.0 c

1094.0 c

103.33 cde

108.40 bcd

1.56 cd

3.80 a

1057.0 c

1396.7 bc

103.85 abcd

109.74 ab

1.47 d

3.76 a

1055.7 cd

1703.3 ab

102.42 ef

109.63 abc

1.61 bcd

3.73 a

1061.0 b

2011.7 a

104.13 abcd

110.14 a

1.46 d

3.51 ab

1061.0 b

1398.0 bc

104.51 ab

110.55 a

1.48 d

3.55 a

1062.3 b

1401.3 bc

103.77 bcd

110.69 a

1.95 a

3.94 a

1063.3 b

1702.0 ab

104.34 abc

110.53 a

1.79 ab

3.45 ab

1067.3 a

2015.3 a

104.64 ab

110.56 a

1.68 bc

3.81 a

1070.0 a

2026.0 a

104.96 a

110.78 a

1.74 bc

3.96 a

T0= Control
T1= One water spray
T2=Two water sprays
T3= Three water sprays
T4= One moringa spray
T5= Two moringa sprays
T6= Three moringa sprays
T7=one brassica spray
T8= Two brassica sprays
T9= Three brassica sprays
T10= One moringa and
brassica spray
T11=Two moringa and
brassica sprays
T12=Three moringa and
brassica sprays

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