Moringa

Moringa oleifera Lam. belonging to the family Moringaceae is a handsome softwood tree, native of India, occurring wild in the sub Himalayan regions of Northern India and now grown worldwide in the tropics and sub-tropics. In India it is grown all over the subcontinent for its tender pods and also for its leaves and flowers. The pod of moringa is a very popular vegetable in South Indian cuisine and valued for their distinctly inviting flavour. The cultivation of moringa in India occurs mainly in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh as well as in central India also.

This fast-growing tree is grown for human food, livestock forage, medicine, dye, composting, and water purification. Moringa is one of the world’s most nutritious crops. The leaves of Moringa have more beta-carotene than carrots, more protein than peas, more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more potassium than bananas, and more iron than spinach.

Moringa represents an available source of essential nutrients and proteins during the all year. It’s a strong immune booster. It is a mean to cure and prevent malnutrition in infants, pregnant and lactating women. Moringa produces more leaves during the rainy season which correspond to the hunger period. Moringa is easy to grow process and add into the meal (tea, relish, soup).

USES

• It’s nutrient-packed. Moringa is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
• It fights free radicals.
• It fights inflammation.
• It helps reduce some diabetes symptoms.
• It protects the cardiovascular system.
• It supports brain health.
• It protects the liver.
• It contains antimicrobial and antibacterial proper

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

• Require temp of about 5-50°C with Moderate humidity.

LAND PREPARATION

·         Plantation is done by seeds or directly by plants. Trees can be seeded directly and grown any time during the year.

·         Prepare planting pit first, water, and then fill in the pit with soil with manure or fertilizers before planting a seed.

IRRIGATION

• Use drip irrigation system
• Moringa plant does not need much watering.
• In dry conditions, water regularly for the first two months.
• If rainfall is continuous throughout the year, Moringa trees will have a nearly continuous yield.
• The crop is quite hardy and during dry season requires irrigation once in two weeks and for commercial cultivation drip irrigation can be adopted.

HARVESTING

• Leaves from high density moringa fields can be harvested after plant grow 3.0-5.0, which usually takes 60-75 days in well drained fertile soil.
• Harvesting is done by cutting leaves stems with a sharp knife.
• Harvesting in this manner will promote the development of new shoots.
• Subsequent harvesting is done by every 50-70 days.
• Moringa leaves can easily lose moisture, harvest early in the morning.

PRUNING

• After the initial pruning to shape the trees maintenance pruning is required.
• This can be done at each harvest, if the leaves are removed by cutting all the stems above a certain height.
• If leaves are harvested by plucking, or if the trees are left unharvested during the dry season,
• The bushy shape can be lost and a good pruning must be done at the onset of the rainy season. If the main stem is too thick, terminal branches can be cut down as in the initial pruning.

DRYING OF MORINGA LEAVES

·        Moringa leaves should be dried in an area protected from light to prevent the loss of vitamins.

·        The drying process should be completed as quickly as possible to prevent the growth of Moulds.

PRODUCTION

After four harvests in a year, yield of dry leaves is 2400 kg per acre.