MORINGA (MORINGA OLEIFERA) LEAF NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION AS INFLUENCED BY SOIL PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND TREE AGE UNDER DIVERSE AGRO-ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS.

A study was carried out in the five districts of the Limpopo Province in South Africa to determine the influence of soil physical and chemical properties on the nutritional composition of moringa leaves. Soil samples under moringa canopy and 5 m away from the base of the trees as well as fresh leaf samples were collected from 31 moringa plantations in Limpopo Province during the summer season (November 2015 to January 2016). Soils at a depth of 0 to 30 and 30 to 60 cm were grouped according to textural classes and analyzed for physical and chemical properties. The harvested leaves were dried at room temperature and their nutritional compositions were determined. The study revealed improved soil nutritional composition under moringa trees, mainly in areas where the trees were more than three years old as compared to control. A higher nutritional composition was also recorded in soils with higher clay content relative to low clay soils. The results of leaf nutritional composition revealed no significant differences between the soil textural classes. The study concluded that moringa can be produced in many locations and on diverse soils of the Limpopo Province without negatively affecting leaf nutritional composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]