I would like to introduce myself that I am a retired mechanical Engineer turned as a farmer and maintaining 3 acres of ancestral property of dry land for irrigation, recently installed Solar pump with Drip Irrigation. With much enthusiasm, I want to raise Moringa plants, which I came to know that it is fetching good returns.
I had purchased 375 nos of Crafted Moringa Seedlings from a reputed nursery and planted them last month. In 20 days time, 310 plants were found to be having dried and died without any baby leaves and when scratched the stem, there was no green at all. And hence, planned to replace them.
As I was not instructed by the nursery of the plant about the planting ,manuring, watering and cultivation, with the local guidance,
I had applied Fact 20:20:16 manure 100gms with 30gms Carbofuran as base manure.
During planting it was raining and continued for further one week.
The soil kept in the poly bag for raising the plant was too hard even after watering.
Some of the plants were delivered without leaves and and in dried condition.
When I checked with the Nursery, they had told me that the application of Factumpos and Carbofuran was the cause for death. But they do not have the answer for the remaining 65 plants growing well . I had noticed that many of the died plants available at the nursery from the same lot given to me. The soil in the poly bag was too hard and after removing the bag, no traces of roots also.
Further, I had purchased 300 plants from the same nursery and replaced all died plants with new ones. Here, This time, I have noticed the poly bag was having coconut fibre in soft condition and after removing the poly bag, I could see the root also spreading everywhere. It is 10 days old now and the plants are grown with green buds.
As I have bitter experience, I want to save my plants and hence request advice from experts for periodical maintenance of manuring, watering, pruning etc from this stage onwards.
Please help me.
I am no expert, but you detailing your pain points and bad experiences will surely go a long way in helping others especially the new enthusiasts from being taken for a ride by these nursery.
Thank you Mr. Padmanabhan Ganesan, by giving consolable word that I am not the only person having bitter experience . Being new to farming, nursery people had a ride on us. The most paining is that the nursery people were told about the mortality rate of 80% in the beginning, they had not even felt for the loss. However, I hope that my post may be read by the nursery people also and if they take action to correct their failure, I will be happy.
By the way, I had gone through the TNAU link and it is for Annual Moringa only. Still, can I adapt the same for my plant?.
I am a farmer from sadili, karnataka and also a mech engr.
Yours plants must be a perannual moringa variety.Are they grafts or rooted stem cuttings. What variety moringa, they belongs to. Pl get it clarified by your nursery. It is more important to know the variety, if not we will be in trouble for more than 2 or 3 decades.
By the way one Sri Alagara Swamy of Paluparthi village near Dindigul is selling a good variety of perannual moringa, named PAVM, which is very much appreciated by TNAU officials and so many farmers, whom i met 3 years back.
Pl verify this variety and do the best and suitable action. Now your investment loss is only cost of the plants and in future it will be very much high. Untill and unless you are very sure about the variety you have planted, i suggest you not to rely. Pl ask for the guidance of our forum farmers also, in this regard.
After taking a decision you inform us and we will inform you the post operations/care.
Sorry for the trouble to you. If you dont mind ,i want to ask you whether you have purchased the PAVM plants from sri Alagara Swamy directly or you have purchased from some others.
It is unfortunate that you have not mentioned , that you have purchased PAVM grafts or rooted stems
I had purchased grafted plants directly from one of PAVM own outlet at Kadamalai Gundu near Theni. I talked to him regarding the condition of the plants over phone and he simply answered that the application of factumfos and Furodan were the culprits and did not give any remedy. All my further attempts to talk to him were not successful.
Now the plants of second lot of 300 nos are 20 days old. Out of which around 100 plants are in good growth with many branches, around 10 plants are doubtful for survival.balance plants are with one or two straight thin branches with baby leaves at the top.
I did not want to blame anyone or drag the issue. I am totally in a fix whether I will be able grow the plant upto the harvest stage.
Once again, request the experts through this , to advise me as when to water, manure and pest along with quantity.