Effect of pinching and nutrient spray on seed yield and quality of annual moringa cv. PKM 1

Abstract

An investigation was carried out to study the effect of pinching and foliar spray of nutrients on seed yield and quality of annual moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam) cv. PKM 1 at Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam. Treatments consisted of pinching at 30 and 60 cm height and foliar spray of potassium nitrate (0.5%) and boric acid 0.2% were given at 100 days after planting for both first crop and ratoon crop. Results revealed that days to 50% flowering (153.7 and 150.2), no. of pods / panicle (1.09 and 1.07), pod set percentage (2.18 and 2.19), no. of pods / tree (112 and 132.1) and seed yield / tree (525.4 and 542.4g) were found to be higher in pinching at 60 cm height from ground level and with foliar spray of 0.2% boric acid, followed by pinching at 60 cm height with a foliar spray of 0.5% potassium nitrate in both first and ratoon crop.