Drumstick cultivation--

Drumstick is a native of India, and possibly parts of Africa, Arabia, South East Asia, South America and the Pacific and Caribbean Islands. The vegetable drumstick plant is also named as "ben oil tree" after commercial oil extracted from the seeds. The root of the drumstick tree is sometimes used as a substitute for horseradish and hence it is also called the "horseradish tree." The drumstick leaves fruits and flowers are edible and a common vegetable in India, the Philippines, Hawaii, and many parts of Africa and Asia. Drumstick tree is often planted in Africa as a living fence. It is generally believed in South Asia that drumstick trees planted on graves are will keep away the ghosts and evil spirits and hence its branches are used as charms against witchcraft.

Cultivation and Traditional Uses-

The drumstick tree is widely cultivated in tropical Africa, tropical America, Sri Lanka, India, Mexico, Malaysia and the Philippines. The drumstick tree can be propagated using seeds or cuttings. Seeds may be sown directly in the field or in seedbeds and the seedlings transplanted to the field after 2 to 3 months. Mature stem cuttings 3 to 5 ft (1 - 1.5 m) long can also be used for planting. The tree grows rapidly, producing the first fruits within 6-12 months of planting, depending on the cultivar. The drumstick leaves and pods are used as vegetables, aphrodisiac, food and medicine in Asia . The flowers are consumed either mixed and cooked with other foods or fried in batter. Tender leaves are used to flavor ghee and to enhance the shelf-life of ghee. Traditionally the drumstick seeds have been used to purify domestic household water in rural areas in Sudan . Women collecting water would tie the ground seeds and suspend in the turbid water overnight. The oil extracted from the seeds (ben oil) was used for culinary purposes, a practice that has now been long discontinued. Almost all parts of the tree have been utilized in Indian Ayurvedic traditional medicine and other folk remedies. , the drumstick flowers, leaves, seeds and roots are used for tumors. Roots are bitter, act as a tonic to the body and lungs, and are expectorant, diuretic and stimulant in paralytic afflictions, epilepsy and hysteria. The juice prepared from root is applied externally to heal irritation of skin. The leaves have purgative properties and are applied as poultice to sores, rubbed on the temples for headaches and used for piles. The bark, leaves and roots of the drumstick tree are used as a digestive aid.

Botany-

Drumstick tree is a perennial, evergreen tree that grows up to 20 ft (6.1 m) tall, with a straight trunk with corky, whitish bark. It grows well in hot, semi-arid and humid regions and in well-drained sandy or loamy soils. The tree has tuberous taproot and brittle stem is with corky bark. The leaves are pale green, compound, tripinnate, 30-60 cm (11.8 to 23.6 in) in length, with many small leaflets. The lateral leaflets are elliptic in shape while the terminal one is obovate and slightly larger than the lateral ones. The fruit pods are pendulous, green turning greenish brown, triangular and split lengthwise into 3 parts when dry. The pods are 1 to 4 ft (30-120 cm) long and 1.8 cm (0.7 in) wide and tapering at both ends. The pods contain about 10 to 20 seeds embedded in the fleshy pith. The seeds are dark brown and the kernel is surrounded by a lightly wooded shell with three papery wings.

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