Global Journal of Science Frontier Research, D: Agriculture and Veterinary, Volume 22 Issue 1

The persistent exorbitant cost of fertilizer, over dependency on the use of inorganic fertilizers as a source of plant nutrients by farmers, land and soil degradation and environmental pollution have necessitateda serious demand for sustainable soil nutrient replenishment options in Africa which will be inexpensive, environment friendly and improves crops yield.This research was therefore, initiated in order to explore the potentials of the moringa/ banana/ maize technology- a natural organic fertilizerto serve as the best alternative to the expensive, scarce and hazardous chemical fertilizers. Moringa/banana/ maize technology is a low-cost bio-fertilizer which combines moringa leaves, banana peel and maize stalk in different ratios and different forms(solid or liquid) to replenish soil nutrients b) Justification for the Study The current study is a continuation of a baseline study on Moringa Technology carried out in 2016/17 by the author and team members. The moringa Technology a biofertilizer that emanated from the felt needs study carried out by the author’s department (Agricultural Economics and Extension services) in 2013 where the community farmers lamented seriously on lack of access (in terms of cost and availability) to chemical fertilizers. The baseline study ran a trial on the use of Moringa leaves, poultry manure and NPK 15-15-15 individually and their combinations at various levels. It was discovered that Moringa leaves alone could not support maize production 100% except when combined with NPK inorganic fertilizer. This was because Moringa leaves have high content of N (2.56%) and relatively low content of P (0.22%) and K (1.13%)(Moringa leave analysis in 2016).The relatively low level of other essential plant nutrients P and K in moringa leaves necessitated the inclusion of maize stalks and banana peels in the current study since the aim is to use only organic sources. Banana peels and maize stalks have been discovered to have large quantities of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) but do not have usable Nitrogen (N) which makes the combination more perfect. The current study is therefore, combining the three organic sources of soil nutrients to replace the use of inorganic fertilizer. So as to reduce cost of producing maize through complete removal of the cost of inorganic fertilizer which is the most expensive farm input on maize farms (Urassa, 2015). The outcome of this study will not only reduce cost of maize production in Africa, it will also produce maize cobs with acceptable taste and enhance sustainable income among maize farmers. II. O bjective of the S tudy The general objective of the study is to explore the possibility of using MO, MS and BP mix to optimize maize crop production for increased sustainable income of small-scale farmers. Specifically, to; 1. Investigate the effect of the different combinations of MO - MS -BP mix on the growth and yield of maize 2. Estimate the cost and benefit of the different combinations of MO- MS-BP technology 3. Determine the optimum combination of MO-MS-BP that will maximize net farm income. 4. Determine the best mode of application of MO + BP +MS mix that produces the highest yield. III. C omponents of the M oringa T echnology a) Moringa oleifera leaves Moringa oleifera Lam (family: Moringaceae) christened ‘Miracle tree’, is a prestigious multipurpose tree found in the tropics and subtropics (Morton, 1991) with highly abundant uses (Adebayo et al., 2011; Moyo et al., 2011). It is considered as one of the world’s most useful trees, as almost every part of the tree has an impressive effect in food, medication and industrial purposes (Adebayo et al., 2011., Mishra et al., 2011). M. oleifera has remarkably great potential as organic fertilizer (Jahn 1988). It is a renewable, biodegradable, sustainable and environmentally friendly organic fertilizer that thrive on marginal lands (Adebayo et al., 2011) M. oleifera used in its natural form as organic fertilizer performs two functions, it releases nutrient just as required by plant for uptake thus preventing buildup of acidity in the soil. It also improves soil health, structure, pores for air and water retention and micro and macro- organism activities hence, promoting a balanced and sustainable ecosystem at the long run (Jahn 1988). Moringa leaves as organic fertilizer is unparalleled as it does not only contain macro and micro nutrients, but also contain growth hormones such as cytokinin and antioxidants (Abdalla and El-Khoshiban, 2012; Su and Chen, 2020). Empirical evidence abound on use of moringa leaves either in liquid or solid organic fertilizer with favorable and significant results in vegetable crops like rape, cabbage and tomato, and field crops like maize and common beans. Andrew (2011) demonstrated that the liquid spray of M . oleifera increased the crop production by 20-35%. Also, it’s fast-growing nature makes it a good green manure especially when ploughs into the soil during land preparation. Thus, enriching depleted soils, saving farmers funds ought to be expended in buying inorganic fertilizer and increase quality and yield of food crops that will command higher market price and consequently increase in farmers’ income. b) Banana peels Banana ( Musa spp ) is a tropical large herbaceous plant belonging to the family Musaceae with Potential of Bio-Organic Mix as an Alternative to Inorganic Fertilizer in Maize Production in Africa © 2022 Global Journals 1 Year 2022 10 Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXII Issue ersion I VI ( D )