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Drumstick /Annual Moringa
Botanical Name – Moringa oleifera L.
Family – Moringaceae

Importance & Variety

PKM 1 and PKM 2.

3.ODC 3-

  • Moringa Seeds ODC verity Hybrid (Drumstick Seeds), Moringa oleifera seeds are pure and has a special varient of growth.
  • Moringa seeds is suitable for moringa cultivation and so we are best among all the moringa traits. our moringa seeds goes across a separate quality control team to ensure best quality seeds.
  • Moringa trees were once a native to northern India but now it is common all over the world. moringa seeds are known to purify bacterial laced water .
  • Moringa trees produces seeds within 2 to 3 years after plantation.
  • The seeds of the Moringa oleifera plant are among the most nutritious and useful botanical products available.
  • These versatile seeds can be used in a variety of ways including as medicinal and herbal remedies, as nutritional supplements and for industrial and agricultural purposes.
  • Moringa seeds are loaded with nutrients, making them as famous as Moringa Powder in many household meals and recipes.
  • The Moringa tree is not only famous to grow on limited water, but its seeds are known to purify bacterial laced water.
  • If you live in a cold environment, you can still grow the Moringa indoors with attentive care.
  • The Moringa seeds will germinate in a room temperature environment, only if the tree is given a lot of sunlight.

Soil and Climate

Soil –

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

Climate-

  • The plant can tolerate drought but performs best with regular irrigation.
  • Temperature of 30 to 40 degree is optimal.

Season

Planting is done during July – October

Seed Rate

  • 500 g/ha
  • Sow one seed per pit at a depth of 2.5-3.0 cm.
  • The seeds can also be sown in polybags 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 2.5 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 of 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.

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.

Planting

  • Plant the seeds (e.g. ODC variety, PKM1, PKM2) or cuttings in well-prepared soil at a spacing of around 5 ft between plants.
  • Seeds should be treated with sulpher or neem oil before sowing.
  • Spacing between rows should be 12 ft. If using cuttings, ensure they are from healthy and disease-free plants.
  • Once planted, it will last until 10-12 years.
  • In 1 acre, we can plant around 800 plants.

Manuring

  • A fertilizer dose of 45:15:30 g of NPK/pit may be applied 3 months after sowing.
  • Apply 45 g of N/pit after 6 months when the crop is in bearing.

Irrigation

Irrigate before sowing, on 3rd day after sowing and subsequently at 10 to 15 days interval according to soil type.

Plant Protection

1.Bud worm: Noorda moringae

Symptoms of damage:

  • Larva bores into flower buds and causes shedding

Management:

  • Collect and destroy the flower and buds
  • Spray malathion 1 litre/hectare

2.Leaf caterpillar: Noorda blitealis

Symptoms of damage:

  • Larva feeds on the leaflets reducing them into papery structures

Management:

  • Plough around trees to expose and kill pupae
  • Collect and destroy damaged buds along with caterpillar
  • Set up light trap @ 1/ha
  • Spray insecticides like carbaryl 50 WP@ 1gm/lit or malathion 50 EC 2 ml/lit of water

3.Hairy caterpillar – Eupterote mollifera

Symptoms of damage:

  • Larva seen in groups in tree trunks
  • Feed gregariously
  • Scraping the bark and gnawing foliage
  • Severe infestation leads to defoliation of the tree

Management:

  • Collect and destroy egg masses and caterpillars
  • Set up light trap @ 1/ha to attract and kill adults immediately after rain
  • Use burning torch to kill congregating larvae on the trunk
  • Spray FORS @ 25g/lit or carbaryl 50 WP @ 2g/lit

4.Pod fly: Gitona distigma

Symptoms of damage:

  • Drying and splitting of fruits from tip
  • Oozing of gummy exudate from fruit  

Management:

  • Collect and destroy all the fallen and damaged fruits
  • Use attractants like citronella oil, eucalyptus oil, vinegar  (Acetic acid), dextrose or lactic acid
  • Rake up the soil under the trees or plough the infested field to destroy puparia
  • Spray insecticides like Nimbecidine 3ml/lit during 50 % fruit set and 35 days later

5.Bark caterpillar: Indarbela tetraonis

Symptoms of damage:

  • Zig-zag galleries and silken webbed masses comprising of chewed material and excreta of larva

Management:

  • Clean all webbed material, plug the holes with cotton wool soaked in fumigants like chloroform, formalin or petrol and seal it with mud

Harvest and Yield

Harvesting starts 4th month after transplanting.
Yield: 50 – 55 tonnes of pods/ha (220 pods/tree/year)

Market Information

Crop growing districts                                                           Dindigul, Thoothukudi, Theni, Karur, Tiruppur
Major markets in Tamil Nadu                                              Dindigul, Periyar Vegetable Market, Koyambedu, Chennai Gandhi Market,
                                                                                                     Oddanchathiram, Natchipalayam vegetable market, Coimbatore
Preferred Varieties and hybrids                                        PKM 1, PKM 2