EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PLANT DENSITY ON THE FORAGE YIELD AND SOME FORAGE QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF MORINGA (Moringa oleifera Lam.)

Abstract

In recent years, sustainable animal husbandry has increasingly emphasized the use of highly adaptable shrub and tree species as alternative forage crops. Among these, Moringa oleifera Lam., commonly known as Moringa, has emerged as a promising feed source due to its exceptional nutritional value. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of Moringa as a forage crop suitable for the Mediterranean climate. The research was conducted during the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons in the experimental fields of the Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University, Türkiye. The study investigated the effects of four different plant densities (20x60 cm, 30x60 cm, 40x60 cm, and 60x60 cm) on various forage quality traits. The Moringa cultivar "PKM-1" served as the plant material, and parameters such as plant height, stem diameter, biomass yield, dry matter, crude ash, crude protein, crude fat, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and hemicellulose were determined across two consecutive vegetation periods. Results indicated that, under Mediterranean ecological conditions, Moringa exhibited average plant heights ranging from 159.2 to 170.3 cm, with total biomass yields between 33.10 and 69.70 t ha-1. The crude protein content varied from 17.12% to 18.15%, while ADF and NDF ratios ranged from 35.31% to 37.85% and 45.66% to 49.71%, respectively. Higher planting densities led to increased biomass yield, with the highest values observed at a 20x60 cm planting density. This density also demonstrated favorable results for crude protein, NDF, and ADF, suggesting its suitability for optimizing forage quality in Moringa cultivation.

Keywords

• Moringa oleifera
• plant density
• forage quality
• Mediterranean climate
• sustainability

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