moringa cultivation and its uses

8/2/2019 Moringa Cultivation and Its Uses

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MORINGA:

CULTIVATIONAND USAGE

Peace Corps Senegal

2009

POCKET GUIDE


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MORINGA: MIRACLE?

Moringa oleifera is one of the most talked-about plants in development

circles, but its value has been recognized for millennia. It can purify

water, enrich food, nourish livestock, and replenish soils. Native to India,

M. oleifera grows readily in Senegal, so much that its local name reflects

its tendency to never die. While volunteers will probably not have

problems growing Moringa, this booklet is intended to guide PCV efforts

with this non-native tree in such a way that the seeds their communities

plant will grow into trees that will benefit Senegal for generations. M.oleifera is an ideal tree to work with for even those PCVs unfamiliar with

forestry practices.

Unless otherwise noted, technical recommendations come from The

Miracle Tree, by Lowell Fuglie (CWS, Dakar, 1999).

Cover images from http://www.traderscity.com/ and http://blog.agriculture.ph/`v

Nursery Techniques: Poly-Pots 3

Nursery Techniques: Bare-Root Beds 4

Direct-Seeding Methods 5

Planting Moringa 6Intensive Cultivation 7

Planning Calendar 8

Use of Moringa 10

Moringa Recipes 12

Moringa Nutrition Information 14


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NURSERY TECHNIQUESPoly-Pot Nursery Production

PlantingM. oleifera in plastic sacks, called poly-pots, is a method that

requiries certain materials (the plastic sacks), but keeping the plants in

sacks enables the grower to raise large, healthy seedlings before the onset

of the rainy season, and also allows for easy transport to distant sites at

planting time.

To prepare a poly-pot nursery, sift and mix two parts sand and one part

manure or compost and fill sacks, making sure to pinch the bottom cor-ners so as to have a stable flat bottom. Place sacks in rows in a recessed

bed, in an area with reliable protection from goats and other animals.

Start watering the sacks one to two weeks before planting to allow for

weed germination. Remove any weeds that sprout and plant 1-2 seeds

per sack at a depth of 1-2 cm. To encourage germination, keep sacks

in partial shade and water twice daily, keeping the soil moist but not

waterlogged. After allowing 5-12 days for germination, thin seedlings

to one per sack, and replant sacks whose seeds did not sprout. After

seeds sprout, shade is no longer necessary; keep sacks free of weeds..

Seedlings should spend 10-12 weeks in the nursery; to prepare the plants

for stress, reduce water for a week before transplanting; if seedlings

are large from spending too long in the nursery, strip the leaves from

lower branches.

Before transplanting, dig holes deep enough for the entire sack to fit.

Be sure to remove the plastic sack carefully, loosening the root ball

gently without breaking it, and place the seedling and root ball into the

transplant hole. Collect the sacks after use so as to avoid littering fields

with plastic, and re-use them if possible (to line improved garden beds,

for example).


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NURSERY TECHNIQUESBare-Root Bed Nursery Production

This method requires less materials than the poly-pot method, and creates

less waste, but yields seedlings that are more cumbersome to transplant.

To prepare a bare-root bed, choose a site that is well protected from

goats and other animals. Plan on meter-wide nursery beds, in an area

with sandy soil. Loosen the soil to a depth of 50 cmmoistening it be-

forehand can help if soils are dry and hard and mix in manure or com-

post and crushed Neem leaves (Azadirachta indica) to protect againstinsect attack.

Start watering one to two weeks prior to seeding to allow for weed ger-

mination. Remove weeds and plant seeds in rows 30 cm apart (for easy

removal), with 10 cm between each seed pocket. The bed should be in

partial shade for optimum germination, and be watered twice daily,

neither getting dried-out nor flooded. Allow 5-12 days for germination,

and then re-plant in the gaps where seeds did not sprout. After seeds

sprout, shade is no longer necessary; beds should be kept weed-free.

12-15 weeks in the nursery is an appropriate time, but reduce watering

for a week before transplanting in order to prepare seedlings for stress.

For easy removal of seedlings, soak the nursery beds. To keep the seed-

lings protected after being removed, pack roots with moist mud until

seedlings are placed in the transplant hole. Strip the seedling of lowerbranches to reduce transplanting stress.


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OTHER PLANTING METHODSDirect-Seeding and Cuttings

Direct-Seeding

M. oleifera seeds may be sown directly during the rainy season, ideally

in the month of July. If irrigation is available, direct-seeding is possible

year-round. It is best to prepare the planting hole with manure or com-

post before planting, but M. oleifera has been successfully grown with

no such preparation. Remove weeds within 50 cm of the planting site,

plant two seeds per hole, and water. After seeds sprout, thin to one

plant per pocket.

Cuttings

In addition to direct-seeding, M. oleifera can be grown from cuttings

from adult trees. Cut hardwood branches from a healthy, year-old

tree that are 45-150 cm in length and 4-16 cm in diameter. Cuttings

can be placed in poly-pots and cared for as with a poly-pot nursery, or

planted directly in holes prepared as described above. When planting,

bury at least one third of the cutting in the ground. Be sure not to

overwater after planting the cutting, as this can lead to rotting before

roots can develop. Light, sandy soil works best, as it allows for good

drainage. 2-3 months in the nursery is an appropriate time.


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PLANTING MORINGAIntegrating Moringa into Agroforestry Systems

Moringa oleifera, when included in agroforestry planting, can comple-

ment surrounding fields and gardens in a number of ways.

Alley-Cropping

In an alley-cropping system,M. oleifera can replenish soil nutrients, and

protect fields from erosion by slowing down destructive winds, but care

needs to be taken to make sure that trees do not compete with crops. Plant

trees in rows 10 m apart, with 3 m between each tree. Rows should beoriented east-west to ensure that the crops between the tree rows receive

adequate sunlight. The leaves and seed pods may be harvested for human

or animal consumption, or the leaves may be cut and incorporated into

the soil. M. oleifera has few lateral roots, but if competition with crops is

feared, deep plowing along each row will cut any such roots.

Live Fencing

With its fast growth, M. oleifera is a great choice for live fence posts.

Trees should be spaced at intervals of 20 cm to 2 m according to the plan

for the rest of the fence. The closer the spacing, the less productive the

individual trees will be, butM. oleifera generally performs well even at

close spacing.

Compound and Garden Planting

When planted in households, seedlings require good protection as theyare highly palatable to livestock. Space as desired, considering the shade

that will come from the future canopy; prune trees to control canopy den-

sity, and to prevent lanky growth.

Orchard Planting

Plant the trees 3 m apart from one another and prune them as described

for compound and garden planting. Pruning is essential to encourage

optimum pod growth for seed production.


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INTENSIVE CULTIVATIONMaximizing Leaf Production

Moringa oleifera can be grown in a garden bed, planted closely together

so as to maximize leaf yield. To plant an intensive bed ofM. oleifera,

choose a protected site with sandy soil and loosen the soil to a depth of 50

cm, incorporating a minimum of6 kg manure or compost per square

meter. Beds should be a meter wide and no longer than 10 m.

Water for two weeks and pull out the weeds that sprout, then plant seeds

in rows 10 cm apart, with 10 cm between each plant. Water needs arequite high to sustain high leaf production: for every square meter, figure

10.8 L water per day (7.2 L/day in the rainy season). Use fertilizer if

possible (see below), but do not apply in the first few weeks or seedlings

may die. If leaves turn yellow, manure, compost, or fertilizer.

Once the plants reach a height of 120 cm, harvest the leaves and cut

plants down to a height of 20 cm; repeat this pattern of growth and har-

vest. Keep leaves in the shade to conserve nutrients. After three years,

consider replanting to sustain high yield levels. Note that other sources

recommend harvesting when plants are only 40 cm high, and since per-

formance may vary according to soil type and climate, experimentation

is recommended to obtain maximum yields.

Maximum leaf yields are obtained with the following inputs:

NPK Fertilizer (21-7-20 best) - 16-48 kg/ha every week, with the amountdepending on the visible condition of the plants

Urea - 8 kg/ha a month after planting, and every two weeks thereafter.

Unless using soluble fertilizers and a drip irrigation system, apply fertil-

izer in a band parallel to the rows of plants, a few cm deep in the soil.

Source: Intensive Moringa Oleifera Cultivation in the North of Sen-

egal by Caroline Oliver, Church World Service, at www.moringanews.

org/documents/Leafproduction.doc.


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CALENDARMonth-by-Month Planning

January

Leaf harvesting

Water trees to encourage leaf

production

September

Water and weed plants for con-

tinuous leaf production

Weed out-planting sites

May


production

Harvest pods

Water and weed nurseries

February

Leaf harvesting


production

Young pod harvest (for consump-tion)

October



Weed out-planting sites

June

Water and weed nurseries

Prepare out-planting site

Incorporate leaves into fields be-

fore planting to enrich soil


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CALENDARMonth-by-Month Planning

March

Leaf harvesting


production

Young pod harvest (for consump-tion)

November



July

Direct seeding

Begin transplanting if rains are

consistent

April


production

Harvest pods

Prepare and plant nurseries

December



Cut branches and cover fields for

dry season protection

August

Finish transplanting

Weed planting sites


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USING MORINGAFood Uses

Leaves: Fresh and Dried

The leaves of theM. oleifera tree are extremely nutritious and can be in-

cluded in many food preparations. In an intensive plantation, leaf yields

can reach 78 T/ha. The most familiar use for leaves in Senegal is to pre-

pare haako or mboum, but dried leaf powder may be easily incorporated

into many dishes (rice, millet, sauces, porridges, omelettes, beignets) to

add nutritional value. To make leaf powder, first dry washed leaves in

a shaded, well-ventilated area. Next pound the leaves, then refine thepowder by rubbing it through wire mesh.

Leaf Juice

The juice from the leavesextracted by crushing the leaves then filtering

and diluting the juicecan be made into a drink that confers many of the

nutritional benefits of the leaves alone.

Pods

The pods, when harvested very young (less than 1 cm thick)), can be

cooked as green beans and incorporated into many common dishes. The

pods can also be used for making soups, or fried (just the inner flesh and

beans).

Flowers and Unripe Seed Kernels

Flowers and unripe seeds can be mixed into leaf sauces, but they can alsobe steamed for salad or other dishes, or fried and salted for a snack.

Seed for Oil

Ripe seed kernels contain up to 40% oil by mass, and may be pressed to

extract a fine oil that may then be used for cooking as well as soap mak-

ing, and lamp fuel. With potential seed yields of 5 T/ha, a well-main-

tained orchard can yield a couple thousand liters of oil per hectare. See

page 61 of The Moringa Tree for information on building an oil press.


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USING MORINGAOther Uses

Livestock Feed

Pressed seed cake can be used as livestock feed. Before giving the seed

cake to livestock, mix with water and then strain out the liquid with a

cloth. Stems, leaves, flowers, and pods can be fed to animals as well.

Soil Amelioration

Pressed seed cake can be used as fertilizer, as well as cut leaves/stems;

mixing these into soil can raise nutrient levels and improve soil texture.

Seed for Water Purification

When pounded into a powder, mature seeds also serve as a water pu-

rification agent; 10 L of water requires a teaspoon of powder. Make a

paste of seed powder and a small amount of water, then dilute this paste

in a bottle of water. Close the bottle and shake for 5 minutes, then strain

through cloth to remove the solids, letting the liquid fall into the vessel of

water to be treated. Stir quickly for a few minutes, and then slowly for 15

minutes more, and then let the water sit for an hour or more. After solids

settle to the buckets bottom, the clean water can be decanted. Boiling or

bleach treatment will finally render the water fully safe to drink.

Plant Growth Hormone

Young shoots of M. oleifera (less than 40 days old) contain a hormone

that stimulates growth of other crops when sprayed on directly. Pulverize10 kg shoots, mix with a liter of water, strain out the remaining solids,

and spray the resulting liquid on plants (25 ml per plant or so).

Almost every part of the tree can be used for something; for more infor-

mation consult The Moringa Tree.


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COOKING WITH MORINGARecipes

Moringa Haako

3 1/3 c. Moringa leaves

1/4 c. ground peanuts

3 dried fish

2 medium onions, minced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

SaltPepper

Red Pepper

Dried oysters (optional)

Boil leaves for 10 minutes, then remove leaves from water and set aside.

Reheat water to boiling and stir in the other ingredients. Boil for 15

minutes, then reduce heat, add leaves again and simmer for ten minutes.

Serve over a simple grain (millet couscous, rice, etc.) or eat as soup.

Moringa Porridge

1 1/2 c. water

1 1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. millet flour

1/4 c. ground roasted cowpeas

3 T. ground peanuts2 T. Moringa powder

2 T. sugar

1 pinch iodized salt

Butter or cream (if youre lucky enough to live near Pulaars)

Boil water and mix dry ingredients. Add these to the water and stir vig-

orously. Reduce heat and add milk. Cook for 10 minutes while stirring

constantly to prevent scorching. Serve with butter or cream.


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COOKING WITH MORINGARecipes

Moringa Fataya

Wheat flour

Onions, minced

Fish or beef, ground

Red pepper, crushed

Moringa leaf powder

Cooking oil

Mix flour and water into a dough, and knead until smooth. Roll onto a

flat surface and cut into triangles. Mix the fish/beef, onions, red pepper

and leaf powder, and put a spoonful of this mixture in the center of each

triangle. Fold the corners of the triangles together to a point, and pinch

the edges (the finished piece should look like a squat pyramid). Fry these

in hot oil until golden brown.

Adding Moringa to...Ceeb u Jen

Cut up young Moringa pods (1 cm thick) and add with other vegetables.

...Kaldu

Add Moringa powder to the water when adding onions

...Maafe

Stir in Moringa powder to the sauce just before serving.

...Ndambe

Boil Moringa leaves for 10 minutes, remove from water, and use this

water to cook the beans; once beans are done, combine with leaves.

...Soupe au Kanja

Add young Moringa pods, powder, or leaves when adding okra.


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NUTRITION INFORMATIONFresh Leaves and Dried Leaf Powder

Component 100 g Leaves 100 g Powder Childs RDA

Moisture Content (%) 75.0 7.5 -

Calories 92 205 -

Protein (g) 6.7 27.1 16

Fat (g) 1.7 2.3 -

Carbohydrate (g) 13.4 38.2 -

Fiber (g) 0,9 19.2 -

Minerals (g) 2.3 - -

Calcium (mg) 440 2,003 400

Copper (mg) 1.1 0.57 0.8

Iron (mg) 7 28.2 10

Potassium (mg) 259 1,324 800

Magnesium (mg) 24 368 150Phosphorous (mg) 70 204 800

Sulfur (mg) 137 870 -

Selenium (mg) - 0.09 0.01

Zinc (mg) - 3.29 3.9

Oxalic acid (mg) 101 1,600 -

Vitamin A (mg) 6.8 18.9 1.5

Vitamin B (mg) 423 - -

Vitamin B1

(mg) 0.21 2.64 0.5

Vitamin B2

(mg) 0.05 20.5 0.8

Vitamin B3

(mg) 0.8 8.2 9

Vitamin C (mg) 220 17.3 20

Vitamin E (mg) - 113 -


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NOTES


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Corps de la Paix Amricain

Almadies Lot N/1 TF 23231

B.P. 2534, Dakar RP

moringa cultivation and its uses

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