Abstract
Moringa oleifera is native to northern India and planted in many parts of the world. In Ethiopia, little is known about the management and silvicultural practices of the plant. The present study was conducted to determine whether different cutting/pollarding heights affect the yield and growth of Moringa oleifera at Arba Minch Zuriya Woreda, Southern Ethiopia from November 2016 and September 2019. Two months old hardened twenty-five seedlings of the tree were planted at 5m x 5m plot at a spacing of 1mx1m. Four pollarding treatments/cutting heights (0.5m, 1.0m, 1.5m and 2.0m) and one control (un-pollarded) were imposed after 12 months of planting using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected from 6 inner row individual Moringa trees from each plot. Data on the fresh and dry weight of leaf biomass per tree was taken at the age of 15, 18, 22, 26, 29 months after planting. Fresh wood biomass and the number of shoots rejuvenated after pollarding were also recorded. ANOVA was employed to analyze the collected data. Cutting height affected shoot number and height significantly (P < 0.05). A maximum number of shoots per plant was recorded on un-pollarded treatment (control). Cutting height affected fresh and dry biomass of leaf significantly (P< 0.05). Maximum fresh leaf biomass (823g/tree) was recorded at a lower pollarding height (0.5 meters) followed by 1.5 meters (729g/tree). The lowest fresh leaf biomass was recorded on un-pollarded treatment (268g/tree). Maximum and minimum dry leaf biomass was also obtained at 0.5-meter cutting height (222g/tree) and control (73g/tree) respectively indicating pollarding importance to the tree planted for foliar biomass production. Future research is recommended focusing on long-term growth and management trial of the species. Keywords: Cutting height, Fresh Leaf Biomass, Moringa oleifera DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/11-18-01 Publication date: September 30 th 2021
Highlights
Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam) is a tropical plant belonging to the family Moringacea
The maximum shoot height per tree was recorded from the plants at 0.5-meter cutting height
The results of the study showed that cutting height had a significant effect on the biomass growth and leaf yield of Moringaolifera
Summary
Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam) is a tropical plant belonging to the family Moringacea. It is native to India (Panga, 2002) and planted in many parts of the world (morthon, 2021) (Morton 1991; Makkar and Becke, 1996).It is adapted to a wide range of soil types and can tolerate dry season reasonably well but grows best in well-drained soils and cannot withstand prolonged waterlogging (Orwaet al., 2009). Moringa can be propagated either by using seeds or cuttings (Morton, 1991). M. oleifera is a multipurpose tree of significant economic importance. It is considered as one of the World’s most useful trees, as almost every part of the Moringa tree can be used for food, medication and industrial purposes (Khalafallaet al., 2000). M.oleifera was found to contain many essential nutrients, for instance, high sources of vitamins, calcium, potassium, and protein (Fahey 2005; Hsu et al, 2006; Kasoloet al., 2010)
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