Effect of different spacing on biomass yield of moringa in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

To ensure that moringa plant is used as a leaf vegetable crop or fodder crop to feed livestock appropriate spacing is required to  optimize the crop performance. Studies were conducted in the experimental field of Teaching and Research Farm Ladoke Akintola University Ogbomoso in 2012 and 2013, to determine the effect of spacing on the biomass yield of moringa. In each year seeds were planted at different spacing to give nine treatments and these were laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with 3 replicates. The spacings were 20 x 20cm, 20 x 30cm, 20 x 40cm, 30 x 30cm, 30 x 40cm, 30 x 50cm, 40 x 40cm, 40 x 50cm and 50 x 50cm. The experimental plot was ploughed and harrowed and seeds were sown at different spacing. The following were assessed until the first harvest, plant height and number of leaves/plant. The following data were taken at harvest, fresh shoot yield, fresh leaf yield, dry shoot yield and dry leaf yield. Thereafter, the leaves were used for estimation of dry matter, proximate and nutritional compositions. 50 x 50cm produced the tallest plant and number of leaves/plant. However, 30 x 40cm and 30 x 50cm spacing produced the highest biomass yield while 50 x 50cm had the least. In conclusion, 30 x 40 cm and 30 x 50cm spacing gave the highest leaf yield and are recommended for farmers in Ogbomoso growing moringa as a vegetable crop or fodder crop.

Keywords: Biomass, Fodder Crop, Moringa, Spacing, Vegetable.