Effect of planting geometry on growth and pod yield of drumstick (Moringa oleifera L.)

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted A randomized block design with three replications was used. Nine treatments with different spacing configurations-T1:4.0 m × 2.5 m, T2:2.5 m × 2.5 m, T3:1.5 m × 3.0 m, T4: 5.0 m × 5.0 m, T5: 2.5 m × 5.0 m, T6: 3.0 m × 4.0 m, T7: 2.5 m × 3.0 m, T8: 2.0 m × 3.0 m and T9: 2.0 m × 2.5 m were evaluated. The results concluded that the growth and yield parameter was found significantly superior in the treatment T4 (5.0 m × 5.0 m) for most of the characters i.e. plant highest (274.28 cm), number of branches/plant (14.68), stem base diameter (6.41 cm), days to first flowering (190.95 days) and highest number of flowers per inflorescence (79.39), fruit set percentage (3.24%), pod length (71.16 cm), number of pods per plant (36.89), seeds per pod (18.93), pod weight (92.39 g) and highest pod yield per plant (3.41 kg/plant). Treatment T2 registered highest pod yield in hectare (3.92 t/ha).