The Value Chain of Moringa oleifera Plant and the Process of Producing Its Biodiesel in Ghana

Production of Biodiesel from Nonedible Parkia biglobosa Oil under Acidic Condition

In this study, biodiesel was produced from Parkia biglobosa oil via optimization of transesterification reaction conditions, (methanol to oil ratio, catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, and reaction time) under sulphuric acid catalyst (H2SO4). The oil was first extracted from Parkia biglobosa seeds using the Soxhlet extraction method. The physicochemical properties of the biodiesel were analysed and then compared to international standards. Subsequently, the oil was then used to produce biodiesel at optimized transesterification reaction conditions. The free fatty acid (FFA) content of the oil was 1.61% w/w, while the saponification value (mgKOH/g) was 191.65. The maximum yield (percentage weight) of the biodiesel produced was 93.4% at the maximum transesterification conditions of methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 6 : 1, sulphuric acid catalyst amount of 3 wt%, reaction temperature of 65°C, and reaction time of 1.5 h. The biodiesel produced was within the limits of international standards as per the specification by ASTM D6751 (American standard), EN 14241 (European standard), and Ghana Standard Authority. It was therefore recommended that biodiesel from Parkia biglobosa seed oil under acidic catalytic condition is a potential new substitute for petroleum diesel for commercialization purposes.

Effect of irrigation frequency and selenium fertilization on the vegetative growth and biomass yield of Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregrina

To maximize the production value of Moringa species, there is a need to understand the morphological effect of irrigation frequency and Se fertilizer levels on Moringa species' growth and development. Hence, the aim of this trial was to determine the combined effect of irrigation frequency and Selenium (Se) fertilizer levels on the growth of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) and Moringa peregrina (M. peregrina) in the central region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A split-plot arrangement was used, where the treatments were arranged in a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD) with three replicates, as the study included two plant species (M. oleifera and M. peregrina), four irrigation frequencies (7, 10, 15, and 20 days), and three Se levels (0.0, 12.5 and 25 mg/L foliar spray). M. peregrina showed slow emergence and plant establishment as compared to M. oleifera. The results indicated that plant height, leaves and stems fresh weight increased with the increase in Se level, and were highest when the two plant species were irrigated every 10 days which surpassed all other irrigation frequencies. The findings of this research study indicated that the two Moringa species, particularly M. oleifera could successfully be grown using drip irrigation at a 10-days irrigation frequency.