Influence of Moringa Seed Powder and Liquid Gold on Available Phosphorus and Potassium Pools of a P-deficient Alfisol at Samaru, Nigeria

Abstract

The low fertility constraint of the soils in the northern Guinea savannah of Nigeria necessitates the application of external nutrient supplements for sustainable crop production. An incubation study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of Moringa Seed Powder (MSP) and Liquid Gold (LG) on available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) pools of a P-deficient soil. Treatments consisted of four rates at 0, 5, 10 and 20 tons per hectare (tha-1) of the MSP and four (0, 10, 15 and 20 tha-1) of the LG. The treatments were laid out in a completely randomized design in a screen house. Significant (P˂.0001) increase in the available P and K was observed. Treatment L1M4 had significantly improved P and K pools of the soil. Treatments L1M4 (0 ml LG+20 tha-1 MSP), L2M4 (10 ml LG+20 tha-1 MSP) and L3M4 (15 ml LG+20 tha-1 MSP) can, however, be used as fertilizer for leguminous crops as they contain substantial levels of P and K. Treatment L1M1 (0 ml LG+0 tha-1 MSP), however, recorded the least levels of the P and K in its nutrients pool, probably be due to absence of organic amendments. All the parameters, however, recorded significant (P˂.0001) correlation with one another. This study, therefore, revealed that MSP and LG have substantial amount of nutrients and high residue quality that can be used as organic nutrient source. More research work on the impact of the treatments on other nutrients and soil properties will contribute to a sustainable soil fertility management program.