Varieties


Varieties
    Varieties
    • Based on the size of the fruit, two varieties viz, Elettaria cardamom Maton variety major, made up of the wild indigenous types and the variety minor Watt (Syn.var.miniscula Burkill) comprising of the cultivated types are recognised.
    • Among the various cultivated types, three major races viz., "Mysore" "Malabar" and "Vazhukka" are most popular and can be identified on the basis of certain specific morphological charactereristics.
    Malabar or prostrate type
    • This is the most common race cultivated on the Travancore hills and the southern Western Ghats.
    • The plants are of medium size and grow 2-3 m in height.
    • The leaves are either pubescent on the dorsal side, or sometimes glabrous.
    • The panicles are prostrate and the fruit is roundish.
    • This type is suited to the 600-1200 m elevational zone.
    • The plants are more productive than those of the Mysore type, but more drought resistant.
    • The Malabar cardamom is considered to be more tolerant to the attack of thrips.
    • This variety is mostly suitable for lower elevations.
    Mysore or erect type
    • The plants are robust and grow to 3 to 4 m in height.
    • The leaves are laceolate, glabrous on both surfaces, large and dark green.
    • The panicles are erect, the capsules bold, and more productive.
    • This variety is suited to high elevations and withstands exposure to wind better.
    Vazhukka or semi-erect type
    • This is a hybrid of the "Mysore" and "Malabar" types and consequently the plants exhibit various characteristics which are intermediate between the two types. They are also adaptable to a fairly wide range of environmental conditions. The plants are robust like the "Mysore" types and have deep green leaves, semi-erect panicles and bold capsules.
    • In India, 336 germplasm accessions have been collected, conserved and characterised under the AICRPs. The commercially important released varieties of small cardamom are described below.
    Mudigere-1
    • This is a high-yielding clonal selection from the Malabar type developed at the Regional Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Mudigere, and was released as a variety in 1984.
    • It is a pubscent type and bears oval, medium-sized capsules. It yields 250 to 300 kg of capsules per hectare.
    CL-37
    • This is clonal selection from the open-pollinated seedlings of the Malabar type released by NRCS, Calicut.
    • This is a high-yielding clone having a productive sucker and a long panicle with a bold capsule. It gives a yield about 410 kg of capsules per hectare.
    MCC-49
    • This is also a selection from the Malabar type developed by the Spices Board, Myladumpara (ICRI).
    • It is a high-yielding, prostrate type cultivar, suited for both irrigated and rain-fed conditions.
    • This variety has bold, dark green capsules and is recommended for medium elevations.
    • It has yield potential of 325 kg of capsules per hectare.
    MCC-6
    • This is a clonal selection from the Mysore type developed by the Spices Board, Myladumpara (ICR!).
    • The cultivar is an erect type and a high yielder.
    • It bears long bold, parrot-green coloured capsules and is recommended for high elevations.
    • It is tolerant to the azhukal disease and yields about 375 kg of capsules per hectare.
    PV-1
    • This is a Malabar type variety, a selection from the Walayar collection, developed at the Cardamom Research Station, Pamadumpara (KAU).
    • The capsules mature in 110 days. The average plant height is 269 cm and it produces 39 tillers and 26 panicles per clump.
    • Each panicle bears 79 flowers and 49 capsules of 1.3 cc.
    • The capsules are long and possess 17 seeds per capsule. Each clump yields 1310 g of green capsules.
    • The average yield of dry capsules per hectare is 260 kg (potential yield 500 kg) and the dry recovery is 19.9%.
    • The seeds contain 6.8% of essential oil, which contains 46 and 33% a-terpenyl acetate and 1, 8-cineole, respectively.
    Coorg cardamom selectin-1 (C.C.S-1)
    • This is a Malabar type, a selection from the open-pollinated progeny (No.872) of CL-37 made at the Cardamom Research Centre, Appangala (ICRI).
    • The capsules require 110 days to mature.
    • The average plant height is 129.6 cm, and each clump produces 13 tillers and 8 panicles.
    • Each panicle has 129 flowers and bears 60 capsules.
    • The capsule is oblong, 0.9 cc in size and weighs 0.24 g (dry).
    • There are 21.4 seeds in each capsule.
    • The average yield and potential yield per hectare are 409 kg and 1156 kg of dry capsules, respectively.
    • The dry recovery is 22%.
    • The seeds contain 8.7% oil with a-terpenyl acetate and 1-8-cineole content of 37 and 42%, respectively
    ICRI-1
    • This plant belongs to the Malabar type. This variety is a selection (MCC-49) from the Chakkupallam collections made at the ICRI (Spices Board), Maladumpara.
    • The capsules mature in 117 days after flowering. The mean plant height is 299.4 cm; each clump produces 84 tillers and 70 panicles.
    • There are 330 flowers in an inflorescence, which bears 313 capsules.
    • The capsules are round, 2.2 cc in size and weigh 1.1 g (green). Each capsule contains 18.5 seeds and a clump produces 2900 g of green capsules.
    • The variety can yield 325 kg of dry capsules per hectare (potential yield, 650 kg/ha) and the dry recovery is 22.9%.
    • The seeds contain 8.3, 37.6 and 28.8% essential oil, a-terpenyl acetate and 1, 8 cineol, respectively.
    ICRI-2
    • This variety belongs to the Mysore race and is a clonal selection (MCC- 61) from the Pampadumpa collection made at the ICRI (Spice Board), Myladumpara.
    • The capsules mature within 127 days of flowering. The plants grow up to 275 cm and produce 76 tillers per clump, each clump producing 55 panicles.
    • There are about 220 flowers in a panicle and 175 capsules are produced per panicle.
    • The capsule is oblong, 2.8 cc in size and weighs 1.26 g (green).
    • The capsule contains 16.9 seeds and each clump can yield 3450 g of capsules (green).
    • The average and potential dry capsule yield per hectare would be around 375 kg and 766 kg, respectively, and the dry recovery is 22.5%.
    • The seeds contain 9% oil, 36% a-terpenyl acetate and 29.3% 1, 8-cineole.
    RR-1
    • This is a rhizome-rot resistant, high-yielding, variety developed by selection at the Cardamom Research Centre, Appangala.
    • It is a clonal selection from the open-pollinated progency of early bearing plants of the 4th generation of clone-37, a collection from the RRS, Mudigere.
    • The selection is an intermediate type between the Malabar and Vazukka type. The capsules are oval to elongated and 59% are bold.
    • The essential oil content of the capsules is 6.7%. The oil contains 34.6% a-terpenyl acetate and 30.4% 1, 8-cineol.
    • The variety can yield 238- 848 kg of dry capsules per hectare. The variety is also less susceptible to foliar diseases.
    • Mudigere-3, SKP-14, ICRI-3 and ICRI-4 are the other varieties. The variety Njallani Green Gold is a farmer's selection. The lines P3 and P6 are drought-tolerant/resistant.

Last modified: Saturday, 10 March 2012, 1:30 PM