Malunggay [Moringa oleifera] foliage production technology
2010
In the Philippines, 'malunggay' is commonly grown in home gardens. As more and more people become aware of its nutritional value, the demands for malunggay is increasing rapidly. However, there is at present no formal systems for its commercial production technology at the Central Luzon Integrated Agricultural Research Center (CLIARC) in San Miguel, Tarlac [Philippines] from 2007-2009. The study evaluated the effect of planting distance growth characteristics of malunggay for fresh herbage and tea herbage production. Fresh herbages are used as vegetables while the herbages are processed into tea or powder. The three treatments evaluated were: T1-10cm x 10cm, T2-10cm x 20cm, T3-20cm x 20cm. Pre-germinated seeds were transplanted on previously prepared plots at a depth of 2cm. In terms of agronomic characteristics, T3 significantly produced the tallest plants (99.69cm) and widest leaves (28.28cm) at 60 days after transplanting (DAT). There were no significant differences among the treatments in terms of plant leaf length, stem girth, number of leaves and grown out shoots, and total fresh herbages. In terms of herbage tea production, T1 significantly produced the highest volume of production (3,308 kg) over a 1-year period followed by T2 (3,077 kg), and T3 (2,937 kg). Red mites were the most destructive arthropod pests observed in the field, while cercospora leaf spot and stem rot were the major diseases noted. Based on the cost benefit analysis for 1 year production of malunggay foliage, T3 gave the highest net income of Php. 124,533/ha. The highest ROI [return of investment] was noted in T3 (40%) followed by T2 (11%). T1 gave a negative ROI despite having the highest volume of production. This can be attributed to higher labor cost and farm inputs compared with other treatments. Based on the results, the optimum planting distance for the commercial production of malunggay foliage in sandy soil is 20cm x 20cm. The researchers recommend sowing the seeds 2-3 months before the rainy season.
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