Adaptability of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Horseradish) Tree Seedlings to Three Temperature Regimes
780
ence of M. oleifera towards tropical growing environ-
ments. This was confirmed by the temperature treatment
results, where trees at the 20/30˚C TR revealed the high-
est growth rates for both tree height and stem thickening.
In addition, the 20/30˚C temperature treatment, although
variable, consistently had the highest leaf area over the
entire trial period. As the effect of additional, higher TRS
were not investigated in this study, the possibility of im-
proved growth at even higher temperatures cannot be
excluded. Tropical climates are therefore ideal for the
cultivation of M. oleifera, however satisfactory growth
during the hot summer months in sub-tropical climates is
achievable, if the winters are mild, as trees are frost ten-
der. The hardening-off of the seedlings prior to trans-
planting has proven to increase the growth rate of both
tree height and stem diameter across all three TRS. The
hardening off process is highly recommended for M.
oleifera trees, especially if intended cultivation is in be-
low optimal temperature environments.
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