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1 Introduction
Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) belongs to the family ‘Moringaceae’ is a fast growing multipurpose medicinal tree extensively grown in tropics and subtropics of India and Africa. It is also widely distributed in India, Egypt, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Burma, Pakistan, Singapore, West Indies, Cuba, Jamaica and Nigeria. In eastern and southern regions of India, Moringa is widely used as vegetable and grown commercially for its edible pods and leaves. Moringa oleifera is an important food commodity which has had enormous attention as the ‘Natural Nutrition of the Tropics’. Almost all the parts of this plant: root, bark, gum, leaf, fruit (pods), flowers, seed and seed oil have been used for various ailments in the indigenous medicine of South Asia, including the treatment of inflammation and infectious diseases along with cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, haematological and hepatorenal disorders. Its popularity is increasing steadily because of its nutritional, medicinal value and for its sweetness in curry and slurry preparation along with red gram dhal. From that one could understand the importance of Moringa (D’Souza and Kulkarni, 1993; Anwar and Bhanger, 2003; Anwar et al., 2005).
2 Moringa in India
India is the prime producer of Moringa (Drumstick) with an annual production of 2.2 to 2.4 million tonnes of tender fruits from an area of 43600 ha leading to the productivity of around 50 tonnes per ha. Among the different states, Andhra Pradesh leads in both area and production (15,665 ha) followed by Karnataka (10,280 ha) and Tamil Nadu (13250 ha). In other states, it occupies an area of 4,613 ha. Tamil Nadu is the pioneering state as it has varied genotypes from diversified geographical areas, as well as introductions from Sri Lanka.
3 Moringa Cultivation in Tamil Nadu
3.1 The perennial Eco-types of Moringa
The cultivation of Moringa in India occurs mainly in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh. Principally perennial types have been known for cultivation for a very long time. However, perennial types are beset with many production constraints, such as a relatively long pre-fruit bearing period, non availability of planting materials (stem cuttings), requirement of a greater number of rainy days in regions where water is scarce, and vulnerability to pests and diseases. Important varieties of Moringa are...