Effects of Water Extracts of Neem (Azadirachta indica L.) Leaf, Wood Ash and Their Mixture on Soil Chemical Composition and Growth and Yield of Plantain (Musa sapientum L.)

Aims: To evaluate the efficiency of water extracts of neem [Azadirachta indica L] leaf, wood ash and their 1;1 mixtures on soil chemical composition, growth and yield parameters of plantain (Musa sapientum L.).

Place and Duration: the experiment took place at Akure in the rainforet zone of Nigeria between 2006 and 2009 cropping seasons.

Study Design: The field was laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times.

Methodology: There were treatments with water extracts of neem leaf, wood ash and their mixtures applied at 833.3 Lha-., NPK15-15-15 fertilizer and a control [without any fertilizer or extract].Hybrid plantain suckers were planted at a spacing 2m x 2m and five plants of sprouted plantain suckers were randomly selected from each treatment plot for data collection on growth, yield and soil chemical composition. The data were subjected to analysis of variance F- test and the means separated by Duncan Multiple Range Test at 5%

Result: The results showed that there were significant (P=0.05) increases in plantain growth, yield parameters and soil chemical composition under different treatments. The mixtures of neem and wood ash extracts increased significantly [P= 0.05], the leaf area and stem girth of plantain by 49.24% and12% respectively compared to neem leaf extract. Also, the mixtures of the two extracts increased plantain bunch weight, finger weight, diameter, length and finger population by 39%, 41%, 3%, 36% and 41.6% compared to neem leaf extract. When compared with NPK15-15-15, the treatment increased plantain bunch weight, fingers weight, diameter, length and finger population by 29.7%, 31%, 6%, 8%, and 25% .Besides, the mixture of the water extracts of neem leaf and wood ash increased soil pH, organic matter , K, Ca, and Mg by 14%, 78%, 31%, 95.5% and 94% compared to NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer except N and P. The soil K/Ca, K/Mg and P/Mg ratios were higher under NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer than the liquid extracts signifying nutrient imbalance.

Conclusion: Mixture of water extracts of neem leaf and wood ash gave the best growth and yield parameters of plantain and this was due to its nutrients superiority compared to the other treatments.