Moringa is a common backyard tree crop in the Philippines and is grown by many home owners as a source of green leafy vegetable. Although moringa is a popular crop, little research studies have been conducted in central Philippines. The College of Agriculture, Resources and Environmental Sciences at Central Philippine University initiated a research project in 2009 to: 1) identify and evaluate promising cultivars of moringa adapted to the growing conditions of Western Visayas and 2) develop improved crop management practices for increasing yield and production. Germplasm collection and evaluation identified promising cultivars with desirable horticultural characteristics from India, Laos, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and USA. From this field evaluation one promising cultivar, 'PKM-1' from India, was grown at four plant densities to determine leaf biomass production as influenced by plant density and harvest frequency. Maximum plant density of 40,000 plants ha^-1 and harvest frequency of 8 week intervals produced a high leaf biomass yield. A separate study was conducted to determine and compare the nutritional quality of Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregrina. Significant differences in calcium, iron and anti-oxidant activity were found between the species. Moringa oleifera 'PKM-1' contained higher calcium and iron than M. peregrina. Training workshops and seminars were conducted to transfer the technology and educate farmers on the multiple uses and benefits of moringa. The university has established linkages with the World Vegetable Center (Taiwan), Department of Agriculture and local NGOs in promoting moringa as a high-value crop. The university has proposed to organize a regional R&D center for moringa to address the challenges and opportunities facing moringa growers in areas of improved cultivars, seed production and propagation, crop management practices, post-harvest processing and quality, marketing and value chain enhancement....

This study was conducted to determine the leaf biomass of moringa as influenced by plant density and frequency of pruning. Moringa plants were grown at four plant spacings and densities: a) 1×1 m (10,000 plants ha^-1 ...

Eighteen moringa accessions from AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center were evaluated for their adaptability and horticultural characteristics in an observational trial at Central Philippine University, Iloilo City, Philippines from June 2009 to May 2012. The accessions originated from India, Laos, Philippines, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand and USA. Eight accessions had 100% germination, another eight had 80% while two accessions from Thailand had only 40% germination. All seeds that germinated developed into healthy seedlings with 75 to 100% survival. At 28 weeks after second pruning, accessions Mo-2 (USA) and Mo-40 (India) were the tallest whereas Mo-34 (India) was the shortest. Mean stem diameter ranged from 3.5 (Mo-34) to 8.5 cm (Mo-4, Thailand). Mo-38 (Thailand) had the most branches, whereas Mo-33 (Philippines) had the least. Two accessions from Thailand (Mo-4 and Mo-14) had the highest leaf fresh weight. However, Mo-6 (Thailand) produced the highest percent dry matter. Of the 18 accessions, only 11 developed flowers which started to appear 49 to 93 days after transplanting (DAT). Of these 11 accessions, only 9 produced pods which developed from 75 to 182 DAT. Mo-3 (Taiwan) developed the most pods but Mo-34 produced the most seeds one year after planting. Three years after planting, all the accessions except Mo-4 and Mo-6 developed flowers, pods and seeds with Mo-38 producing the most seeds per pod and Mo-15 having the most seeds per tree. Red mites (Tetranychus urticae), defoliators, leaf-footed bug (Leptoglossus phyllopus) and whiteflies (Bemisia sp.) were present in the field but caused only minor damage to plants. Stem rot was the only pathogenic disease observed. These results indicate that Mo-4 and Mo-14 are ideal for fresh leaves whereas Mo-2 and Mo-6 are ideal for dry matter production. Furthermore, Mo-15, Mo-7, Mo-9 and Mo-34 are desirable accessions for seed production....