Can we intercrop drumstick within existing palm oil plantation?

Hi,

We have an existing palm oil plantation and I would like to know if we can intercrop drumstick within existing palm oil plantation?
Palm oil plants are about 4 years old and the trunks haven’t formed yet.

The palm oil placing is

  1. 26 feet - plant to plant in a row
  2. 26 feet - row to row
  3. 29 feet - distance from trees in row 1 to tree in row 2 (trees in adjacent rows are planted in the mid point line of trees in previous row)

Also, few questions regarding drumstick

  1. Does it start generating pods after 6 - 8 months?
  2. After what duration would it start full yield?
  3. How many years does it yield pods?
  4. What are good varieties that would grow well around Visakhapatnam? (I am considering PAVM)

There is not enough shade to plant cocoa at this point, but might potentially raise them later on.

Regards,
Raj

Dear Raj sir, We can intercrop drum sticks ,ie; annual Moringa Olifera in 4 yrs old palm oil plants. since the distance between plant to plant is 26 feet, you can plant annual moringa plants at a distance of 8.5 ft. Since the distance between row to row is 26 ft, you can lay two more rows in between row to row at a distance of 8.5 ft and plant moringa trees at 8.5 ft interval. In the markets/Universities, you will get 2 types of moringa Olifera,ie;1. annual drum sticks and 2.perennual drum sticks. For you only annual moringa olifera is suitable. Best variety is pkm-1,released by TNAU,Coimbatore. 04222430781, vegetables section… You will get first harvest starts in 6/8 months after plantation. peak harvest follows shortly. For a period of 2 years you will get very good crop,high yielding and in 3 rd year you will get average crop and after that you have to uproot the trees. After the ist crop you have to cut the stem at a height of 2.5 ft from ground and like wise after the 2 nd crop also. The cocoa crop can be planted after 7 to 8 years of the palm oil plants age. The best time for planting the pkm-1, annual Moringa Olifera,ie; drum sticks is august month. Hence you have to collect the pkm-1 seed and nursery acivity should be started in end of june or begining of july. g.p.rao, farmer

Thank you G.P. Rao garu. I have few more follow up questions (initial ones).

  1. I would like to learn what factors you took in to consideration and zeroed in on PKM-1 variety compared to other varieties?
  2. We use drip irrigation for the existing palm oil plants, what would be an appropriate irrigation set up for the drumstick plants?
    (I want to eventually follow Palekarji’s ZBNF, please suggest the irrigation set up considering this too)
  3. Can we also grow Ginger in the palm oil, drumstick mix? If yes, at what points could we plant them?
  4. After initial yield in 6-8 months time, do they yield pods continuously or at regular intervals like 6 or 12 months?
  5. What are the economics for the PKM-1 variety?
  6. How does PKM-1 variety compare wiht PKM-2 and PAVM varities?

Regards,
Raj

Thank you for Your Elaborated advise.I am also suggesting PKM -1. But in between the Rows and Plants it is advisable to Plant ONE Moringa Plant instead of TWO as suggested by you.There will not be any Problem for the First year.In second year Moringa Plants will have More Branches and will lead to Problem.Hence it is suggested to Plant ONE Moringa only instead of TWO.

[quote=vasudhafarms]
Thank you for Your Elaborated advise.I am also suggesting PKM -1. But in between the Rows and Plants it is advisable to Plant ONE Moringa Plant instead of TWO as suggested by you.There will not be any Problem for the First year.In second year Moringa Plants will have More Branches and will lead to Problem.Hence it is suggested to Plant ONE Moringa only instead of TWO.
[/quote] Respected Vasudha farms, PKM-1 is an Annual moringa Olifera variety. ! st year we will plant, the 30 or 35 days old nursery plant ,in the main field and we will cut the top at a height of 2 or 2.5 ft. Side branches will come and again we cut them after 1 month .Again we repeat the process once again after 1 month. Then we will leave for first crop. After the first harvest is completed we once again cut the main branch at a height of 2.5 ft. Same procedure will be followed for 2 nd crop also. Hence there is no differance between the first crop and 2nd crop. What you said is right if we plant PAVM varieties, ie; Perennual moringa where we will not prune the plant every year and so plant will become very big in 2 nd year and still bigger in 3rd year.Even the third crop also will be of same procedure. Please think and study whether what i said is right or wrong and come to a conclusion. Hence i opine that the above said two plants in row to row and plant to plant can be planted. Any how it is only my suggestion out of experience and your own decision can be implimented, if not convenced with my opinion. thanking you sir, g.p.rao, farmer.

[quote=prakruti]
Thank you G.P. Rao garu. I have few more follow up questions (initial ones).

  1. I would like to learn what factors you took in to consideration and zeroed in on PKM-1 variety compared to other varieties?
  2. We use drip irrigation for the existing palm oil plants, what would be an appropriate irrigation set up for the drumstick plants?
    (I want to eventually follow Palekarji’s ZBNF, please suggest the irrigation set up considering this too)
  3. Can we also grow Ginger in the palm oil, drumstick mix? If yes, at what points could we plant them?
  4. After initial yield in 6-8 months time, do they yield pods continuously or at regular intervals like 6 or 12 months?
  5. What are the economics for the PKM-1 variety?
  6. How does PKM-1 variety compare wiht PKM-2 and PAVM varities?

Regards,
Raj
[/quote] Dear Raj sir, Why every farmer wants to go for cultivating PKM 1 variety is ,it got verygood yielding capacity,very good market acceptance, and this variety brought a revolution in Moringa Olifera farming and also brought TNAU,Periyakulam,Coimbatore to lime light in vegetables section. PKM 2 also has been released by TNAU only and its yielding is more than double than PKM 1, but unfortunately it is not encourased by the TNAU,coimbatore ,its size is abnormal and very difficult to grow by farmers,very lengthy and not attracted by the markets and consumers. Hence i suggested PKM1 for you.Nothing else.Seeds are available with TNAU,coimbatore,a govt university and you can get the seed directly from them by sending a draft to them for its value. Secondly, In the palm oil tree row you can use the same drip line for drumstick plants and for 2 additional rows, pl provide additional drip lines and as it is a temporary requirement, for 2 years only, you can use cheap variety drip lines. third is ,as far as ginger plantation is concerned,you should go for plantation of ginger in the 1st and 2nd weeks of April. But i donot have idea whether we can plant ginger in palm oil trees, as inter plantation or not Pl clarify from others. Fourth is, as it is an annual moringa Olifera variety,(Annual drumsticks variety),after the crop completes, you have to prune the plant totally at a height of 2.5 ft from bottom and 2 nd year you will get again a fresh crop.If it is PAVM variety,ie; Perennual moringa Olifera like of Sri alagara swamy, it gives yield throught year, but that is not suitable for inter planting in palm oil plantation. The fifth is,as far as the yielding part, generally PKM1 variety gives 300 to 350 pods per plant per crop and each weighs generally above 200 gms 300 gms, if proper nutritions are given , and if you grow in Organic farming,by investing required money for organic fertilisers and bio-pesticides… You are aware i think that lot of diffarance is there in Organic farming and ZBSF/ZBNF farming… If you want to go in ZBSF/ZBNF system , my experience is not sufficient to say economics of pkm1 . Final is ,the diffarance between PKM1 and PKM 2 are, no market acceptance and growing problems for PKM 2 variety, and hence TNAU is not encouraging PKM2. PAVM is a Perennual Moringa released by Sri Alagara Swamy of Dindigul, but it is not suitable for inter planting in Palm oil plantations. But it is also a very good variety along with ROHIT,Bhagya etc if you want to go for isolated /mono crop seperately.

Thank you G.P. Rao garu for writing in detail about all the points. Appreciate it very much.

Regards,
Raj

Dear Sir,
some time in the market we purchase drum stick, some qualities are good and few of them are in bitter taste just like Karela, Neem.
Will you please explain.Which drum sticks be planted so that we can get only good qualities.

Thanks & regards
g c jagwani

Thank you Rao Garu,

Recently I had been to TNAU and discussed in detail about the Drumstick varieties. What they suggested is that PKM 2 is the improved best variety. If one cannot afford PKVM it is better to go for PKM-2 Variety. But PKVM is the variety fetches a GOOD crop for 9 Months in a Year and yields a crop in unseason when one can get GOOD Price. while PKM-1 and PKM -2 yields only for 5-6 Months in a Year.

MANNE.SN,
for Vasudha Green Farms,
09133498366

It Is PAVM ( not PKVM), a verity developed by a Farmer Mr.Azhagirisamy of Dindigul.