Effect of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> leaf powder and NPK fertilizer on soil properties and growth of pearl millet in Sudan savannah

The soils of the savannah region are characterized by low soil fertility which poses a challenge for crop production. Farmers in this region rely on chemical fertilizers which are expensive and sometimes may have negative environmental consequences on soil fertility and crop yield. However, combining the Moringa leaf powder and chemical fertilizer can serve as the better alternative. A field experiment was carried out during the 2023 rainy season at the Dryland Teaching and Research farm of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria to evaluate the effect of moringa leaf powder and NPK fertilizer on selected soil properties and growth of Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.). The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four treatments, namely Control (0 rate), NPK (60Kg N, 30 Kg P2O5, 30Kg K2O ha-1), Moringa leaf powder (5.0 Kgha-1), and NPK (30Kg N, 15Kg P2O5, 15Kg K2O ha-1) + Moringa leaf powder (2.5 Kgha-1). Soil samples were collected for laboratory analyses before and after the experiment to determine soil pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable bases (calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Plant growth parameters were evaluated. The results showed that the NPK+MLP treatment had the highest mean values for most of these soils and plant growth parameters (tiller count, plant height, and number of leaves), indicating a synergistic effect between these inputs compared to control, NPK and MLP alone. Therefore, the combined application of NPK and Moringa leaf powder can improve soil fertility and enhance millet growth in the study area.