Production technology of moringa / drumstick

Scientific name: Moringa oleifera

Family: Moringaceae

Common name: drumstick tree

Chromosome number: 28

• Moringa is a fast-growing, drought- resistant tree, mainly native to the Indian subcontinent.
• It is also known as Drumstick tree,Horseradish tree, Boil tree or Benzolive tree.

Health Benefits of Moringa 

• Consists of a large amount of Vitamins.
• Can Lower Cholesterol level
• Lower Blood Sugar Levels
• Protect Against Arsenic Toxicity
• Prevents inflammation
• Good for your bone
• Help to prevent cancer
• Antibacterial properties
• Good for your brain
• Helps to protect the liver
• Helps to improve body immunity
• Reduces symptoms of diabetes
• Helps prevent kidney problems
• Prevents respiratory problems

Varieties

• PKM : wide and dark green leaves, long and tender pods, bushy habit and rapid growth after cropping. Moringa plant flowering starts within 12 to 15 weeks of planting
• PKM2 : High yielding, more fleshy with capacity to average production of 98 tonnes per hectare.Both are developed by TNAU
• Rohit 1
• Coimbatore 2

Climate

• Moringa is basically a tropical crop.
• It grows best between 25 to 35°C Temperature.
• Moringa is a drought-tolerant tree grows well in areas receiving annual rainfall amounts that range from 250 to 1500 mm. 

Soil 

• Grow well in wide range of soils.
• A deep sandy loam soil with a pH of 6.5 – 8 is ideal.

Season : July – October

Seed Rate : 500 g/ha of seeds.

Nursery

• Sow two seeds per pit at a depth of 2.5-3.0 cm.
• The seeds can also be sown in the poly bags containing pot mixture and transplanted after 35 -40 days of sowing.

Preparatory cultivation 

• Dig pits of size 45 cm x 45 cm x 45 cm with a spacing of 2.0 - 2.5 m either way.
• Apply 15 kg of compost or FYM/pit after mixing with top soil.
• High density planting and fertigation in moringa PKM 1
• High density planting at 1.5 X 1.0 m spacing with two plants/hill and plant population 13,333 / ha along with the application of fertilizer dose of 135: 23 :45 g of NPK/pit (150%) through drip increases the yield of moringa.
• In this phosphorus should be applied basally as soil application. N and K can be applied in the form of urea and muriate of potash through drip.
• For PKM-2, the closest spacing of 1.2 x 1.2 m is ideal to obtain the highest yield of 138 t/ha. The pinching of main shoots on 80th day after sowing will also help register the highest yield of fruits.

Irrigation

• Moringa plant does not need much watering.
• The crop is quite hardy and during dry season requires irrigation once in two weeks.
• In dry conditions, water regularly for the first two months after planting

Manures & Fertilizers

• Moringa trees do not usually need fertilizer of any kind, but for extra production, phosphorus will aid root development; nitrogen will help with leaf growth.Ammonium sulphate can also help your tree grow

After cultivation 

• Gap filling may be done within a month.
• Pinch off the seedlings when they are about 75 cm in height to facilitate more branching.
• Short duration vegetables like Cowpea, Bhendi and Tomato can be grown as intercrop.
• For perennial moringa, medium pruning of shoots at 70 cm from the tip has to be followed to regulate flowering and obtain the highest yield of 37 kg/ tree.

Plant protection

Pests

Moringa pod fly 

• Soil application of Thiamethoxam 25 WG @ 200g a.i. / ha on 150, 180 and 210 days after planting;
• placement of fermented tomato fruit trap @ 25 / ha.
• Foliar spray of Spinosad 45 SC @ 56g a.i. / ha followed by Profenophos 50 EC@ 250g a.i. / ha.

Bud worm, leaf caterpillar and leaf webber

• Dust Carbaryl 10 D @ 25 kg/ha or spray Carbaryl 50 WP @ 2 g/l.

Hairy caterpillar

• Use flame torch when the caterpillars settle on the tree trunk.

Ratoon crop

• Cut back the trees at 90 cm from ground level after the harvest is over.
• In another 4 – 5 months, plants will again come for harvest. Ratoon crops can be taken for 3 years.
• Apply the fertilizer dose of 45:15:30 g NPK/plant, within a week after cutting back along with 25 kg of FYM or compost every year.

Harvest 

• At the time of Harvesting, pods should be in immature (1 cm diameter).4 to 6 months after plantation.
• The flowering starts after 50-60 days of planting Leaves of drumstick can be harvested when plant grows 150-200 cm tall, which take 3-4 months in fertile soil.

Yield 

• 18 to 20 tonnes of pods per acre per year.
• 25 to 32 tonnes of fresh leaves per acre in a year.

Storage 

• The immature fruits after harvesting can be stored at room temperature for about a week.

Reference

Textbook of vegetable crops by Prem nath k.R.M.swamy

Vegetable science by D.singh