Seed treatment with Eclipta alba plant extract and application of fertilizer confers a combined effect on the yield of sorghum
Paper Details
Seed treatment with Eclipta alba plant extract and application of fertilizer confers a combined effect on the yield of sorghum
Abstract
A potential to improve yield of sorghum has previously been demonstrated using seed treatment with an antifungal extract from the plant, Eclipta alba. The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of the extract when applied with and without the use of fertilizer (NPK and urea). Over two years, seventeen field tests were carried out on nine farms in South-Eastern Burkina Faso. The farms were characterized by a low baseline yield of sorghum (<400kg/ha) and an annual precipitation of 800-900 mm. The seeds used for testing carried a natural inoculum of fungal pathogens including Epicoccum sorghinum and Curvularia spp. as commonly observed in the region. The plant extract alone provided a yield increase of +21% as a field average (p<0.05). Fertilizer alone provided a mean yield increase of + 23% (p<0.02). The combined use of plant extract and fertilizer resulted in a mean yield increase of 66% indicating at least an additive effect (p<0.0003) and a possible, positive interaction (synergism; p<0.11). With respect to emergence, an additive effect was observed but it was not significant. Compared to the treatment with plant extract, hydropriming only provided moderate effects. In conclusion, the use of plant extract and fertilizer in combination showed a superior effect on yield. Additional field data supporting the choice of extract concentration (2.5% w/v) and the effect on formal and informal sources of seeds are provided.
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