Headnote
Researchers at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) have been looking at the advantages to small-scale farmers of growing less well known species of trees and shrubs. The Moringa tree is one they are looking at as they feel it will provide rich benefits.
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The new PKM-1 Indian variety that produces ample fruit and leaves.
The Moringa (Moringa oilefera) has been nicknamed 'The Miracle Tree' by Lowell Fuglie the editor of a book bearing the same name. The Moringa is native to India but has been naturalised in many other countries, and has other names - the benzolive tree (Haiti), horseradish tree (USA) and drumstick tree (India). Besides its common use as a vegetable (leaves and fruit are both edible), it has medicinal and other properties. The seeds are rich in a quality oil. The pulp of the seeds makes an effective coagulant, which can be used to clean turbid waters; leaves are an excellent supplement for livestock feed and in Haiti, tea from the flowers is drunk for colds.
It is difficult to kill a Moringa tree. It recovers extremely well from mismanagement, earning it the sobriquet Nébéday (a distortion of "never dies") in Senegal. In the Housa language they call it El Mecca - the plant from Mecca.
The leaves of the Moringa are used as a tasty vegetable in West Africa and in the Philippines. In India and other parts of Asia the pods are a common vegetable, and paste of the bark makes a pungent sandwich spread. In Niger, as in other countries, Moringa trees are usually grown in home gardens.
In the Sahel, Moringa is a women's undertaking both for harvesting and selling on a commercial scale. A sack full of Moringa leaves is sold at $4-$8 depending on the season. Annual income from a single tree is $1,500.
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This colourful woman is selling in a special market in Niamey-Niger. is the No. 1 vegetable in Niger.
New variety
If the tree is called 'The Miracle Tree' then the variety PKM 1 that has recently been developed in India should be called 'The Miracle Variety' of the tree. PKM 1 was developed in India for its large pods and the huge pod yield. It also produces large quantities of leaves tastier than those of other varieties.
An organoleptic test of PKM 1 done recently at ICRISAT-Niamey found the variety to be superior in taste compared to local varieties and to a relative from East Africa called Moringa stenopetala.
One hundred grams of dry Moringa leaves contain 27g protein, 2,000mg Ca 20.5mg Riboflavin 17mg Vitamin C, and Vitamins B, E and the whole range of Amino acids. Adding Moringa powder to the diet of undernourished children enhances their appetite and increases their weight, and for nursing mothers it markedly increases lactation.