Effect of spacing and harvest duration of moringa leaves in Arid Region

Abstract

Moringa oleifera Lam, a member of the Moringaceae family, is highly prized and grows in many tropical and subtropical countries. It has a broad spectrum of medicinal uses and is highly nutritious. An experiment was conducted to investigate how spacing and harvest duration impact the growth, leaf yield, and quality of Moringa oleifera Lam at the College of Agriculture, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The study involved spacing treatments of 60 x 60 cm, 60 x 45 cm, and 45 x 45 cm as well as harvest durations of 30, 45, and 60 days. Randomly selected individual plants from each harvest plot were analyzed to record the fresh leaves and air-dried weights. Additionally, the plant's average stem diameter, height, and branches were recorded. According to the results, over a 60-day period after sowing, there was a steady increase in plant height. The 60 x 60 cm, 60 x 45 cm, and 45 x 45 cm spacings resulted in plant heights of 92 cm, 96 cm, and 102 cm, respectively. The number of branches produced per plant also increased with time, reaching 10 and 12 for medium and wide spacings, respectively. Although the wider spacing produced a more significant number of branches and higher yield per plant compared to the medium and close spacings, the total shoot yield per hectare was higher in the close spacing than in the medium and wide spacings. According to the study, the growth and yield of Moringa were significantly influenced by spacing, with leaf production, branches, and overall yield being particularly affected.