Moringa- Nature's Blessing To Mankind

Moringa, which is also known as drumstick, horse-radish-tree, ben-oil-tree is fast growing deciduous & drought tolerant tree native to southern sub-Himalayan region. It is also known as sahjan/ sahanjana in folk language. Moringa is widely cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical parts of India.
Moringa has many species but Moringa oleracia is most widely cultivated and studied species. This is originally an Indian tree but whole world is falling in love with this wonderful tree for various reasons including climate-resilience, food and nutritional security, inherited hardiness of it. It is being one of well documented and researched tree and to be found powerhouse of all kinds of essential amino-acids, vitamins and minerals. Even Fidel Castro fell in love with the magical beauty of moringa. He procured some of moringa trees from Kerala and planted in his kitchen-garden back home in Cuba. Now numerous countries in all the continents including Cuba is heavily focusing on cultivation of moringa plantation. Castro when fell sick and recovered, gave all the credit to moringa for his recovery and well-being.

“Moringa, originally from India, is the only plant that has every kind of amino acid. With proper planting and management, its green-leaf production can exceed 300 tons per hectare in a year. It has dozens of medicinal properties,” Fidel said.

Growing Habit
Moringa is fast growing deciduous, drought tolerant tree which can reach up-to height of 10-12 meter but generally it is being kept as shrub in commercial cultivation. Normal pH and well drained sandy soils are best for moringa cultivation. Pruning, training and managing tree is common cultural practice to be performed. Moringa flourishes in poor fertile soil without any amendment in soils with synthetic fertilization that is why it is gaining popularity through out the world where desertification and drought is commonly found. It poorly responses to fertilizers, so natural farming of moringa is advisable.
Flowers start bearing after six-months of planting the tree. In cool regions it flowers once in a year between April to June. In southern India or tropical parts flowering happens twice or even all the year around. Fruits are hanging pods with tree-sided brown capsules of 20-45 cm in size filled with papery winged seeds.

Use
Every single part from roots to fruit pods, from flowers to leaves have been consumed in one or another form hence is 'Kalpa-vriksaha'. Roots are taste like horse-radish (root condiment vegetable) hence name coined horse-radish tree. Leaves of moringa is being used for animal fodder, green-manuring, human concoction/tea preparation. Leaves are being dried and used in many culinary and medicinal treatments. Leaves are very rich in protein and to be cure for more than 300 diseases, and rich in vitamin-C, calcium, anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory components etc. Immature pods of moringa are consumed in soups, sauted vegetable mix and with rice in many parts of India. Pods are super-food to take care the bone-health. Pods of moringa  have been widely used in joint-pain relief medicines as these improve bone marrow density. White flowers of moringa are also used as vegetable mix in many parts of India. Seeds of moringa is used to extract oil for cooking and medicinal purposes. Moringa-seed-cake has unique properties of water purification so moringa-seed-cake is getting popularity through-out the world for its unique properties. Dry leaves powder is also being used as hand-washing and herbal soap.
Moringa is also grown as green fodder crop exclusively in some parts of India and world-wide. National Diary Development Borad (NDDB) promoting moringa among diary farmers because of its nutritional and climate resilience value.



International Significance
Moringa is widely grown as wind-breaks and helps in prevention of soil erosion/desertification and provide nutritional security in context to climate change so this tree is included in many world-bank, World Economic Forum and international projects to mitigate food and nutritional security and for sustainability of degrading soils and agriculture health.

Multiplication
Moringa is very easy to multiply and propagate. It can be multiplied through seeds or through cuttings vegetatively. Seeds can be planted anytime of year. Seeds need to soak in water for 12-24 hours and can be germinated ex-situ by wrapping in jute-bag, then transplanting or soaked seeds can be transplanted in grow-bags to raise nursery. 45-60 days plant becomes ready for transplanting. Generally in northern India spring (March-April) and monsoon season (July-September) remains best season to transplant 45-60 days old plant. During transplanting top of plant needs to prune to promote side branching.

It can also multiply through cuttings. As it is deciduous in nature, winters are best season to raise nursery of moringa. Pencil thickness 50-100 cm sticks can be used to raise nursery.

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(Views are personal and written in personal capacity)