LAEA MEDLEY
KwaZulu-Natal may soon be home to a plantation of what research shows to be the most useful tree in the plant kingdom.
The Moringa oleifera, commonly referred to as the “tree of life” or “mother’s best friend” in many cultures, is native to northern India and ancient Ayurveda medicine claims that it prevents 300 diseases.
The iLembe District Municipality and Dr Samson Tesfay, a post-doctoral student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s discipline of horticultural science, are planning a plantation project for the plant.
The project will harvest Moringa pods for biodiesel processing, using small-scale emerging farmers in the area.
“We are still waiting for the tender to come through, but we hope to start the plantation within the next year,” Tesfay said.
Moringa seeds are extremely high in oil and “the tree can survive in relatively unfavourable conditions and does not require sophisticated and expensive farming methods or inputs”, Tesfay said.
Moringa trees are also extremely effective in combating malnutrition, especially among babies and nursing mothers.
“Moringa leaves contain more vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more vitamin C than oranges and their protein quality rivals that of milk and eggs,” Tesfay said.
The tree has also been used for water purification in southern and east Africa. “The seeds are effective in removing about 98 percent of impurities and microbes from contaminated water,” Tesfay said.
In addition to the plantation project, Tesfay plans to conduct community-based research trials on the plant’s antioxidant compounds.
“I hope to create an awareness of the value of the plant which will help to mitigate malnutrition in the community,” he said. “People today are more focused on antioxidants.”
Antioxidants have a wide range of purposes, such as anti-ageing and cancer prevention.
“The Moringa tree is a tropical plant, so it does not typically grow in Western countries,” Tesfay said. “It is also more common in countries where malnutrition is a problem. It is not typically needed in the Western world, so it is virtually unknown there.”