Morphological variation, cultivation techniques and management practices of Moringa oleifera in Southern Benin (West Africa)

Abstract

This study examined the phenotypic variation and the modalities for integrating Moringa oleifera in agroforestry systems in southern Benin in order to contribute to sustainable management of the species. Morphological characterization of M. oleifera based on measurements taken on the trees, leaves, leaflets and fruits, and ethnobotanical survey on cultivation techniques and management of plantation of the species were performed. The morphological analysis showed significant variation between populations of M. oleifera in the phytodistricts considered in relation to tree height, leaf length, petiole diameter, length and width of leaflets (P <0.001); length, median diameter and fresh weight of pods (P <0.01). In the phytodistricts considered in the southern Benin, the culture of M. oleifera was mainly by cuttings (92.85 to 97.8%) and row planting (91.83 to 98.03%). The adoption rate of M. oleifera varied between 89.79 and 97.05%. There was significant dependence between the management practices and the willing for adoption (ΔG2 = 5.59, P = 0.018), between management practices and the origin of planting materials (ΔG2 = 5.50, P = 0.019).