Organic farming of drumstick; a brief description

Organic farming is an ancient technique of farming which is adopted by the farmers nowadays. This technique does not harm any living organisms, including micro-organisms as they do not use any type of chemicals while cultivating the crops. They purely depend on natural products for the development of the crops as well as to prevent pest and diseases. Organically cultivated products are good for health and improve the life span of people. Almost 60% of the farmers have now turned to organic cultivation. Compared to conventional style of farming, they are more profitable.

Let us now look at the cultivation techniques of drumstick.

Drumstick falls under that category of plants whose parts, except roots are consumed. The seeds, flowers, leaves and stems are edible and are highly nutritious. Drumstick is also known as ‘Moringa’. The roots of moringa tree are set to have high medicinal value and used as a main ingredient in Ayurvedic medicines. Drumstick is a largely cultivated crop in most of the Asian and African countries. Drumstick is a very common vegetable of South India and they are largely consumed.

Drumstick is mainly cultivated for their fleshy nutrient rich pods. On an average, these trees grow up to a height of 10-12 meters and will acquire a maximum diameter of 45 cm. the flowering process starts after 6 months of planting the crop. The flowering period is mainly between April to June. These crops have high resistance power to droughts and dry weathers.

Moringa plants grow efficiently in the semi-arid and subtropical climates. The soil requirement for these crops is well-drained loamy soil or clay loam. The pH level of the soil should be between 6.2-7. Proper drainage system should be planned because water logging can cause damages to the crop. They should be planted in areas where there is plenty of sunlight.

The moringa plants can tolerate temperature up to 48 degree Celsius and above that can dry out the crops. They have tap root system and the long tap helps the crops to withstand dry weathers. When the rainfall is recorded below 800 mm then periodic irrigation should be carried out.

The apt time to sow moringa seeds are during the months of June and July on the peak of monsoon. These crops can be propagated either through seeds or by stem cutting. Stem cut crops will poses deep reaching roots and they are resistant to dryness and wind. The advantage of this method is that they are prone to termites attack.

Moringa seeds are planted and raised in grow bags and they are transferred to the farmland once they attain maturity. Seeds are sown making small pits with 2 cm depth. The germination period of moringa seeds are 2 weeks. Before sowing them, ensure they are disease resistant and can provide quality yields.

Moringa are less irrigated crops. During the dry seasons, they are irrigated regularly and when the crops need them. Common irrigation practices adopted for moringa crops are flood, drip or sprinkler irrigation. During the time of water scarcity, mulching of crops are done to retain the moisture content.

After the 4^th month, manuring can be done. Organic manures and fertilizers are applied to the soil at required amounts. To increase the yield and for the better growth of leaves, fertilizers rich with Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium are applied. Other than these, farmyard manure, vermicompost and panchagavya are also applied to improve efficiency.

During monsoon seasons, trenches are created 10cm around the tree and they are filled with green leaves, manures and ash. After that they are covered with soil. This is one way to fertilize the crops.

Moringa trees are mainly infected by the hairy caterpillar and leaf eating caterpillar during the monsoon seasons. To manage these pests, pheromone traps are commonly used.

Apart from these bark eating caterpillar as well as insects poses threat to moringa crops.

These crops can be affected by fungal infections which can be identified by the brown spots on the leaves. If left uncleared, they will spread throughout the plant making the leaves turn yellow and destroying them finally. To avoid these, neem extract spray is applied to the crops.

Harvesting of moringa is done after 9 months of planting. Tender moringa pods are light green in colour and will have a diameter of 1 cm. when it becomes more mature, it will develop a hard texture outside.