Chemical Analysis of Moringa oleifera and M. peregerina and their Growth Responses to Water Stress under Semi-desert Condition of Sudan

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and chemical analysis of two of Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregerina under three watering intervals.

Place and Duration of Study: Field experiments were conducted for two consecutive seasons (2011\2012- 2012\2013) in the at the Demonstration Farm at Shambat, Sudan University of Science & Technology College of Agricultural Studies, Sudan.

Methodology: Complete randomized block design with four replications was used to execute the experiment for three irrigation intervals (control irrigated every 10 days, and the other two watering intervals extended for every 20, and 30 days). M. peregrina in the field delayed in emergence in both seasons. The field parameters were taken only for M. oleifera. Chemical and proximate analyses were carried out for the two species of Moringa to determine, protein, ash, fiber, fat. The minerals, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and ion.

Results: Results of this experiment demonstrated no significant differences within or between parameters of plant height, number of leaves per plant, fresh weight, plant dry weight, and root dry weight among the three watering intervals for the two seasons for Moringa oleifera. However, stem diameter in the first season showed significant variations only in results for the first four weeks from starting watering interval treatment. The watering interval every 30 days showed the highest plant height in both seasons, whereas, number of leaves was the highest for the 30 days watering interval only in the first season, were not significantly different between watering treatments.

Conclusion: The findings of this study proved that growth of Moringa oleifera grown in Sudan are not affected by water interval up to 30 days. The nutritive value of M. oleifera was significantly higher than M. peregrina especially in protein, calcium, potassium and iron.