Forage Structure and Yields of Moringa oleifera vc Nicaragua at Different Cutting Frequencies

Abstract

The effect of the cutting frequency (45 and 60 days) on Moringa oleifera Lam vc Nicaragua forage morphology and yields with irrigation and organic fertilization was studied on little differentiated fluvisols, in Cauto Valley, in 2012. A randomized block design with four repetitions was applied. The cutting frequency affected the morphological variables (P ≤ 0.001), but not DM from leaves, stems, and total yields (P ≥ 0.05). The cutting times for both frequencies predisposed great variability between the first (February-March) and the third (June-July) cuts. The best plant height values were achieved in 60 days (P ≤ 0.001), in comparison to the 45-day frequency, whereas the number, and thickness and number of leaves per shoots were variable (P ≤ 0.001) at different cutting times based on innate plant features and not the cutting frequency. Leaf proportion was higher (P ≤ 0.001) in the 45-day frequency; the DM yields ha^-1 from leaves and DM ha^-1 only differed in the first 45-day cut, in comparison to the other averages within the same cutting frequency and the 60-day cut. The cutting frequencies and times had a significant influence on the structural and productive behavior of Moringa, whereas the cutting frequency alone only modified the structural variables.