Revista de Producción Animal (Sep 2018)

Forage Yields and Structure of Moringa oleifera cv Nicaragua at Different Cutting Frequencies

  • José Leonardo Ledea Rodríguez ,
  • Giselle Rosell Alonso ,
  • Diocles Guillermo Benítez Jiménez ,
  • Ramón Crucito Arias Pérez ,
  • Yordanis Nuviola Pérez

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 30, no. 3
pp. 14 – 22

Abstract

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The effect of the cutting frequency (45 and 60 days) on the morphological and productive behavior of Moringa oleifera Lam vc Nicaragua with irrigation and organic fertilization, on little differentiated fluvisols in Cauto Valley, in 2012. A randomized block design with four repetitions was applied. The cutting frequency affected the morphological variables (P≤ 0.001), but not DM from leaves, stems, and total yields (P≥ 0.05). The cutting times for both frequencies predisposed great variability between the first (February-March) and the third (June-July) cuts. The best plant height values were achieved in 60 days (P≤0.001), in comparison to 45 days, whereas the number and thickness of leaves per shoots varied (P≤ 0.001) at different cutting times based on innate plant features, not on the cutting frequency. Leaf proportion was higher (P≤0.001) in the 45-day frequency, and the DM yields ha-1 from leaves and DM ha-1 only differed in the first 45-day cut, in comparison to the other averages within the same cutting frequency, and the 60-day cut. The structure and productive behavior of Moringa were influenced by the cutting frequencies and times, whereas the cutting frequency alone just modified the structural variables.