Moringa oleifera: potential areas of cultivation on the Iberian Peninsula

Moringa oleifera is a tree native to the southeast of the Himalaya that, by its characteristics, spread through southern Asia. Although the species is considered of tropical climate, its presence as native in Indian Kashmir, between 1,200 and 1,800 meters of altitude, is an indication that the tree could have a greater climatic range. Today, Moringa oleifera is a panecuatorial species, has widely spread throughout America, from the southern part of the US to northern Chile and Argentina. In Spain, moringa is beginning to grow in the subtropical zone of the peninsula and the Canary and Balearic Islands. Its multiple uses make moringa an attractive crop in different fields of food, human or animal, also in cosmetics, biofuels and pharmaceuticals. The aim of this study is to determine possible areas of cultivation on the Iberian Peninsula. For that reason we have compiled information about the climatic requirements of the species for its suitable development; we have validated these data with that provided by the AEMET "Iberian Climate Atlas", using ArcGis v. 10; and we have placed this information on a map.