What are the prospects for moringa cultivation? Analysis of its development potential

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

The cultivation prospects of moringa

Moringa is the most nutritious tree in the world. Every part of the moringa tree is valuable, and it has a history of consumption spanning thousands of years. It contains about 20 amino acids and 46 antioxidants, and is rich in the trace elements potassium, manganese, and chromium, as well as arginine, lysine, leucine, phenylalanine, and others. It 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 food and medicinal ingredient for longevity.

The cultivation value of moringa

1. The whole moringa plant can be used. The roots and bark are raw materials for traditional medicine, the tender leaves and young seed pods are delicious and nutritious vegetables, and the seeds are rich in vegetable oil. After the oil is pressed, the remaining cake 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 various 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 a variety of trace elements essential to the human body, and can supplement many amino acids and minerals necessary for the human body, regulate nutritional balance, enhance human immunity, improve the quality of life and diet, promote physical and mental health, and more effectively prevent and fight against various “diseases of affluence”.

4. Moringa seeds contain all the nutrients needed by the human body 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. They are used to treat diseases of special parts such as the liver, spleen, and meridians, and also have good effects on hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, gout, and so on. In addition, they also have effects such as improving sexual function, treating bad breath, and sobering up after drinking.

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

The cultivation techniques of moringa

1. Seedbed preparation: For the moringa seedbed, choose land close to the planting site, sheltered from wind, and with convenient water sources. Remove weeds, stones, and other debris, level the land well, and use red bricks to build a sprouting bed about 600×80×40 cm in length, width, and height, then put in river sand at a thickness of 20-25 cm. Set up a shade net with about 40% shading above the seedbed; the shade shed is 1.7 m high, and its length and width depend on 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 medicinal agent, fungicides such as 800-1200 times dilution of carbendazim, Luheng No. 2, and baijunqing can be used. When sowing, use a straight wooden stick to level the sand bed, and manually press the seeds into the sand at a spacing of about 2 cm. The sowing depth should preferably be 1.5-2 cm; too deep or too shallow will reduce the emergence 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, apply a fungicide such as 800 times dilution of Luheng No. 2 once every 15 days, and constantly observe for insect 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 net can be removed to harden the seedlings. After about 4 weeks, the plant height can reach more than 40 cm, and they can then 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 require much water. During the seedling stage, it is enough to maintain appropriate moisture. In the dry season, appropriate irrigation is needed to facilitate growth. Moringa is tolerant of poor soil, and generally fertilization can be omitted, but in order to promote growth and increase yield, fertilization helps restore tree vigor after production and helps the tree overwinter. Before picking pods, a 0.3-0.5% compound fertilizer water solution can be applied every 15-30 days, or trenches can be dug around the plant to apply organic fertilizer or stove ash. For young trees, shallow application and rotational application are suitable; for mature trees, appropriately deep application is suitable, and methods such as spot application, strip trench application, and radial trench application can be used.

5. Tree management: Moringa grows rapidly, generally growing to 3-4 m tall in the first year, so in order to increase branching and facilitate harvesting, the plant is generally topped at a height of about 0.5 m. After that, 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 include minor damage from butterfly larvae, red spider mites, leafminers, and inchworms, which can be controlled by handpicking, removing diseased leaves, or applying pesticide.