Known by nearly 100 different names, it belongs to the Moringaceae family, which consists solely of the Moringa genus. Of its at least 13 recognised species, Oleifera is the most notable.
What makes Moringa Oleifera particularly remarkable is its minimal soil and environmental requirements including it's ability to grow on marginal land, coupled with its ability to produce high-value biomass. This unique combination of traits and application potential has led to its designation as a "the miracle tree." The tree's beneficial properties and a broad spectrum of applications are continuously expanding, capturing the interest of researchers globally and which are core to our vision at Farmrbright.
We believe that Moringa Oleifera will emerge as a critical and indispensable resource capable of providing wide ranging and much needed benefit to a growing global population. It has the potential to significantly address many of our global challenges that are faced today.
Moringa Oleifera’s main botanical characteristics and cultivation
Depending on the environment and plantation management, Moringa Oleifera could be either a deciduous or perennial tree providing seasonal or an all-year-round crop respectively.
Naturally it can reach a height of 10 to 12 meters or more, although it is normally pruned to heights of between 1-4 m for intensive cultivation as it could increase yield and facilitate the harvesting process.
Botanical description
Leaf and tree structure
The tree has a straight trunk with a relatively open crown of branches producing compound leaves that are small, ovate to elliptical in shape, and dark green arranged into multiple leaflets on both sides of a central axis (tripinnate). Each leaf typically has 3 to 9 pairs of primary leaflets, with each primary leaflet having 10 to 16 pairs of smaller leaflets.
Flowers
Moringa Oleifera produces white, fragrant, bisexual flowers with five petal-like segments. They are hermaphrodite and self-pollinating, so they only depend on insects for cross-pollination which are not strictly needed for generating fruits.
Fruits and seeds
The fruit produce large, slender, triangle shaped, 30-60 cm long pods often referred to as "drumsticks” due to their shape. Fruit production is abundant from 6 months to 1 year after germination and depends on the environment and growing conditions. When maturing the pods turn from green and tender to brown and woody and enclose several seeds.
Like the pods the seeds have a triangular shape surrounded by a thin papery wing that allows dispersal by wind.
The tree normally develops a well-structured root system that allows for significant resistance to winds and droughts. The roots are very sensitive to rot when exposed to excessive amounts of water for extended periods and do not tolerate frost.
The best conditions for growing moringa are in warm temperate, subtropical to tropical environments with plenty of exposure to sunlight, temperatures averages over 20oC in summer and 15oC in winter and average rainfalls in the range of 250-1000 mm per year. The plant tolerates a wide range of soils as long as it is well drained and does not accumulate water, preferably in sandy, loam-sandy soils with low levels of clay. Optimal growing conditions occur at soil pH from 6.3 to 7, however the plant grows well in a large range pH ranging from 5 to 9. The more important factors to consider however are sunlight exposition, temperature, and adequate soil drainage.
Marginal land potential
The botanical characteristics of Moringa Oleifera contribute to its adaptability and resilience making it suitable for cultivation in a variety of environmental conditions. This versatility of the plant allows it cultivation in regions where no other crop is possible to grow without heavily modifying the soil with fertilizers and irrigation. A substantial growth is observed even in semi-desert conditions. This makes it possible to utilise marginal land for planting moringa which extends the usability of the land without affecting other produce. Furthermore, because of the well-developed root system and the ability to speed up nutrient recycling, planting Moringa Oleifera in poor quality soil could improve its structure and composition, potentially regenerating and recovering the soil for future rotating crops.
Intensive cultivation
Extensive experience has been accumulated on the intensive cultivation of Moringa Oleifera, although optimal settings need to be adapted depending on the region conditions, available infrastructure, and resources. The planting density and management also depends on the purpose of the plantation. In any case, adequate planning is required for optimal cropping and efficiency.
Plantations dedicated to intensive leave biomass production are usually planted at high to very high density of trees per Ha to allow high leave production and shorter harvesting time whereas seed and pod production is more practical and efficient at lower planting densities to allow the plants to fully develop the crown, flowering, and generation of pods.
Uses and applications of Moringa Oleifera
All parts of the Moringa tree have more than one application comprising multiple targeted areas including nutrition, health, agri, water filtration, energy and carbon sequestration. The following are just a few examples to illustrate the versatility of this “miracle” tree:
Food and Nutrition
The applications for food and nutrition are probably the most widely used thanks to the impressive capability of Moringa to concentrate nutrients, especially micronutrients and minerals, on the leaves. Furthermore, the use of the nutritional properties of moringa as food, supplements, and food additives, could become an extremely valuable solution of fight malnutrition and hunger with a broader impact on the health since insufficient intake of essential nutrients is the underlying cause of many diseases affecting not only developing countries but also some considered as global epidemics. Moringa leaves are exceptionally rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, and proteins; accounting for several times higher quantities per gram than most the other available food sources as has been extensively described.
Health and Biotech
In addition to nutrients, Moringa Oleifera is rich in a variety of bioactive compounds with important beneficial biological effects that contribute to its many medicinal properties. The therapeutic properties of Moringa Oleifera are highly valued in many ancient systems of traditional medicine where it holds a significant place for the treatment of a wide range of conditions. As an example, in Ayurvedic medicine in India, Moringa Oleifera holds an important role in treating over 100 different conditions in addition to the nutritional and general health improvement properties. Several compounds present in Moringa Oleifera have been reported to have strong biological activity that contribute to the potential for the plant to be used for treatments as well. Among those properties is worth mentioning the strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Moringa oleifera seeds are rich in oil (30 to 40%) that is valued for its high-quality and high nutrient composition. The oil is very light and contains high quantities of oleic acid, other monounsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals, beta-carotene, and other bio compounds. These properties make the oil usable for culinary uses, cosmetic products, and medicinal uses. In addition, the oil has exceptional physical properties and stability (due to the presence of high levels of antioxidants) that make it very valuable as lubricant for high precision mechanisms.
Water purification
One of the major challenges faced by developing nations and those in impoverished regions is the scarcity of fresh water and the poor quality of the limited sources available. This issue significantly impacts health and hinders development. Improving water quality to safe, drinkable standards is a critical solution that could profoundly alter the lives of millions.
The seeds from Moringa Oleifera could provide cost-effective alternatives to conventional water treatment methods. Water extracts from the seeds are rich in natural flocculating and coagulating agents with the ability to bind to particles, impurities, metals, and pathogens in the water and form large aggregates. These aggregates gradually settle to the bottom carrying most of the water contaminants, making it easier to separate, clarifying the water to a drinkable quality.
Energy and Biomass
Given its rapid growth rate and efficient biomass production, Moringa Oleifera presents a promising option for biofuel and biodiesel production. Moringa Oleifera leaves can be effectively utilised in producing ethanol and methane via a fermentation process, characterised by low costs and high yields.
Additionally, Moringa Oleifera's dried biomass is being explored as a direct fuel source for domestic heating and electricity generation, similar to how coal is used in power plants. From an energy perspective, Moringa Oleifera can be likened to a green solar panel, effectively transforming sunlight into renewable fuels.
Livestock Feed
Moringa Oleifera has been also extensively studied as a feed for livestock and poultry with results that demonstrate a significant increase in meat, milk, eggs, and birth rates. In this case, the leaves are the part of the plant used although the stems after leaves removal have been used successfully as well. The dry leaf powder can be combined into pellets with other fodders for better consumption by the livestock. The benefits of supplementing the diet of livestock with Moringa Oleifera have been described elsewhere with numbers ranging from 1.5 to 2 times increments in the production.
Agri / Fertiliser
Moringa Oleifera leaves and plant residues can be used as a natural fertilizer or as a green manure to enrich the soil with organic matter and other nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, and others. Similarly, the seed cake after oil extraction is used as a natural fertiliser. Both parts of the plant are excellent feed for compost production which due to the fermentation process lead to easier nutrient delivery and availability.
The powder from the leaves, branches and seed can be spread over crops or mixed with soil during land preparation and constitute an excellent biofertilizer.
In addition, it has been described that Moringa Oleifera leaves aqueous extracts could enhance crop yields, growth, flowering, and fruit production thanks to the presence of several plant hormones and nutrients. Furthermore, Moringa Oleifera extracts could decrease the susceptibility to diseases and negatively affect the growth of competing plants.
Carbon Sequestration
Considering the fast-growing rate and the exceptional capacity of converting carbon dioxide into biomass, Moringa Oleifera could be considered as a very efficient alternative of capturing carbon. The added advantage of its multiple uses and applications across different fields, means that the carbon captured could also be used effectively for further positive impact.
The way forward
The incredible characteristics, versatility, and wide spectrum of applications that Moringa Oleifera provides, makes this miracle tree truly transformational and a tool for enabling significant positive impact. Moringa Oleifera has been chosen as Farmbright’s first breakthrough crop that will form the basis of our initial focus as we seek to grow a brighter future for billions of people around the world.
