Effects of different poultry manure fertilization levels and cutting times on Moringa oleifera production

Abstract

Pérez. 2019. Effects of different poultry manure fertilization levels and cutting times on Moringa oleifera production. Cien. Inv. Agr. 46(3): 310-318. The effects of different poultry manure fertilization levels and cutting times on the growth of Moringa oleifera were evaluated. A factorial design comparing six levels of poultry manure (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 kg N ha -1 ) and three cutting times (4, 6 and 8 months) with four replicates was used. One month after sowing, fertilization was performed. At each cutting time, 20 plants were collected per treatment for height and diameter measurements. Stem, leaf and whole plant biomass values were assessed for each plot based on the rate of fertilization with poultry manure and the cutting time. The results showed that irrespective of the cutting time, the largest plant height and diameter were obtained with 200 kg N ha -1 (160.37 ± 6.33 cm and 2.37 ± 0.33 cm, respectively). The biomass of stems, leaves and whole plants increased with the level of N fertilization. The highest biomass was obtained with cutting at 6 months and a fertilization rate of 200 kg N ha -1 (1.51 ± 0.01, 0.90 ± 0.01 and 2.41 ± 0.05 t MS/ ha, respectively, for leaves, stems and whole plants). In conclusion, the application of poultry manure at a rate of 200 kg N ha -1 at the vegetative growth stage is optimal for Moringa oleífera production.

Moringa oleifera (drumstick tree)—nutraceutical, cosmetological and medicinal importance: a review

“…M. oleifera is currently intensively cultivated on almost all continents in the equatorial area of Asia, Central America, South America, from Mexico to Peru, in Paraguay, Brazil and South Florida. The production of M. oleifera is of particular importance in tropical developing countries as it is an efficient source of food for both humans and animals (Mouchili et al, 2019).…”

“…Depending on the M. oleifera ecotype, the number of germinating seeds per kilogram is from 3 to 9 thousand. Ideal conditions for seed storage are around 3 °C with a humidity of 5%-8% (Mouchili et al, 2019).…”

“…Ecotypes Puna Murungai, Palmurungai, Kodikkal Murungai are characterized by a high yield of pods. Unfortunately, despite the high variability in breeding databases, there is a lack of precise information on the genetic variability of the plant (Mouchili et al, 2019).…”

“…For clay soils and high altitudes, it is necessary to use chemical (urea and nitrates) and organic (cattle, poultry, rabbit manure) fertilizers. Such intensification of production takes place, for example, in Western Cameroon (Mouchili et al, 2019).…”

Effect of Feeding Lactating Ewes with Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract on Milk Yield, Milk Composition and Preweaning Performance of Ewe/Lamb Pair

“…Recently, interest focused on Moringa oleifera (MO), a highly versatile and sustainable tree mostly cultivated in the tropics and subtropics [ 12 ]. MO is very useful as a feed supplement for animals [ 10 , 13 , 14 ] and is an important source of protein (up to 35% of dry matter, DM) and fibre (up to 28% DM) [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. In addition to its nutritional properties, MO leaves are sources of bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants, vitamins, phenolic acids and flavonoids, and are available at relatively low cost in resource-limited areas, making it a promising source of bioactive compounds for functional food production and nutraceutical product development [ 12 , 14 ].…”