What are the prospects for moringa cultivation? Latest analysis

Moringa is a perennial tropical deciduous tree in the order Brassicales, family Moringaceae, genus Moringa, native to northern India. There are about 14 varieties worldwide, and it is now also widely cultivated in China. The varieties most commonly consumed at present are three: traditional Indian moringa, improved Indian moringa, and African moringa. Its nutritional value is extremely high. Let us take a look below at what the prospects for moringa cultivation are like!

Prospects for moringa cultivation

Moringa is the most nutritious tree in the world. The moringa tree is valuable from top to bottom and has a history of consumption spanning thousands of years. It contains about 20 amino acids and 46 antioxidants, is rich in the trace elements potassium, manganese, and chromium as well as arginine, lysine, leucine, phenylalanine, and others, and also contains high-quality protein and dietary fiber. The calcium contained in moringa leaves is 4 times that of milk, the protein is 2 times that of milk, the potassium is 3 times that of bananas, the iron is 3 times that of spinach, the vitamin C is 7 times that of citrus, the vitamin A (β carotene) is 4 times that of carrots, and the vitamin E is 70 times and 40 times that of spirulina and soybean flour respectively. In Africa it is called the poor man's milk, and in India it is a longevity food and medicinal ingredient.

The cultivation value of moringa

1. Every part of the moringa plant can be used. The roots and bark are traditional medicinal raw materials, the tender leaves and young seed pods are delicious and nutritious vegetables, and the seeds are rich in vegetable oil; the cake left after pressing the oil is a flocculant recommended by international environmental organizations for purifying drinking water for humans and livestock.

2. In traditional Indian medicine, moringa is believed to effectively prevent and treat many diseases, with multiple effects such as strengthening the heart, promoting blood circulation, diuresis, aiding digestion, aiding sleep, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and removing waste from the body.

3. Moringa is rich in many trace elements essential to the human body, can supplement many amino acids and minerals necessary for the human body, regulate nutritional balance, enhance immunity, improve the quality of life and diet, promote physical and mental health, and can more effectively prevent and combat various “diseases of affluence”.

4. Moringa seeds contain all the nutritional elements the human body needs and can replace multivitamins, calcium tablets, cod liver oil, and so on. They are very helpful for preventing disease, improving sleep, enhancing memory, and delaying aging, are used to treat diseases of special areas such as the liver, spleen, and meridians, and also have good effects on high blood pressure, high blood lipids, diabetes, and gout. In addition, they also have effects such as improving sexual function, treating bad breath, and sobering one up.

5. Moringa not only has relatively high medicinal and food value, but also has broad development prospects and relatively high value potential in the fields of health products, cosmetics, medicine, and industry.

Cultivation techniques for moringa

1. Seedbed preparation: For the moringa seedbed, choose land close to the planting site, sheltered from wind, and with convenient water access. Remove weeds, stones, and other debris, level the land, and build a germination bed of about 600×80×40 cm in length, width, and height with red bricks, then put in river sand to a thickness of 20-25 cm. Set up about 40% shade netting above the seedbed for shade, with the shade shed 1.7 m high, and its length and width determined by the actual terrain and scale of the seedbed.

2. Sowing method: Before sowing moringa seeds, first remove defective seeds, immature seeds, and moldy, rotten seeds. Pour the selected seeds into prepared medicinal solution and soak for 15-17 hours before sowing. For the agent, fungicides such as 800-1200 times diluted carbendazim, Luheng No. 2, or Bai Jun Qing can be used. When sowing, use a straight wooden stick to level the sand bed, press the seeds into the sand by hand at a spacing of about 2 cm, and a sowing depth of 1.5-2 cm is suitable; too deep or too shallow will reduce the germination rate. After sowing, water thoroughly, then cover with agricultural film. Seeds from the current year generally sprout in 5-7 days, while seeds from the second and third years sprout 3-5 days later.

3. Seedling management: After moringa is transplanted and survives, water with 800 times diluted fungicides such as Luheng No. 2 once every 15 days, and always pay attention to observing pests, spraying pesticide at the appropriate time. Water frequently to keep the soil in the bag moist, but do not use too much water, to prevent root rot. When the seedlings grow to 5-6 leaves, the shade netting can be removed for hardening off. After about 4 weeks, when the plant height can reach more than 40 cm, they can be planted in the field at the appropriate time. If planting is too late, the main root of the seedling will penetrate the bag and affect the survival rate.

4. Fertilizer and water management: Moringa does not have a high water requirement. During the seedling stage, it is enough to keep appropriate moisture. In dry seasons, irrigate appropriately to favor growth. Moringa tolerates poor soil, and generally no fertilizer is needed, but to promote growth and increase yield, fertilization helps restore tree vigor after production and helps the tree overwinter. Before picking pods, apply 0.3-0.5% compound fertilizer water solution every 15-30 days, or dig trenches around the plant and apply organic fertilizer or stove ash. For young trees, shallow application and rotational application are suitable; for mature trees, appropriately deep application can be used, and methods such as spot application, trench application, and radial trench application can be adopted.

5. Tree management: Moringa grows rapidly and generally grows to 3-4 m tall in the first year, so to increase branching and facilitate harvesting, pruning is generally carried out when the plant is about 0.5 m tall, and thereafter the plant is cut back to below 1 m in height every winter. Tender leaves can be harvested once every 15-20 days.

6. Pest and disease control: Moringa has strong resistance to various pests and diseases. From domestic cultivation, the main pests and diseases are minor damage from butterfly larvae, red spider mites, leaf miners, and inchworms, which can be controlled by hand-picking, removing diseased leaves, or applying pesticide.