Pamphlet No 28

CARDAMOM PACI~A(E O P P I- jCrICES

t

~ CENTRA L PLA NTATION CROPS RESEARCH INST IT UTE KASARAGOD-670 124~i~ K eral a Indi a

IIrpJIltLQ leAR

Published hy

Dr K V Ahamed 8avappa Director CPCRI Kasaragod-670 124 Kerala

I The manuscript was originally prepared during 1983 by CPCRI jointly with Cardamom Board University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore and Kerala Agricultural University Vellanikara and updated by CPCRI

Edited by

M K Muliyar K K N Nambiar

[ July 1985

Printed at

Srinivas Mudranalaya Kasaragod

Cardanlom Package of Practices

CONTENTS

1 Introduction

2 Climate and soil

I 3 Varieties

4 Propagation

41 Vegct ative propagation

42 Seedlings

43 Nursery

431 Nursery site

432 Seed selection and bed treatment

433 Sowing

434 Erection of pandal

435 Thinning and earthing up

436 Secondary nursery

5 Establishing plantation

51 Preparation of land

52 Planting

53 Cultural practkes

54 l-t1anuring

6 Pests

61 Thrips

62 Hairy caterpiJlars

63 Shoot and capsule borer

64 Capsule borer

65 Shoot fly 66 Root borer

67 White flies Pu

68 Rhizome weevil DI

69 MiteDi CI 610 Aphid Kl 7 Nematodes Kc

71 Nematode in nursery 72 Nematode in plantations

8 Diseases 81 Katte disease 82 Nilgiris necrosis virus

n du 83 Nursery leaf spot

Be 84 Azhukal disease (capmie rot) Sc 85 Damping-off and rhizome rot V up 86 Clump rot

87 Minor diseases Chen thai disease Leaf spot disea~(s Leaf rus t infectious variegation virus bacter ial canker

9 Bee pollination 10 Harvesting and processing

E( 11 Economics M K

Ju

Pr

Sr 11 K

1 Introduction

Cardamom (Eletfaria cardamomum Maton) the queen of spices enjoys a unique position in the intershynational market Cultivation of cardomom is mostly concentrated in tht evergreen forests of Western Ghats in Soulh India Besides lndia cardamom is cuitivcLtcd in Guatemala Tanzania Sri Lanka EI Salvador Vietnam Laos Cambodia and Papua New Guinea Earlier India accounted for 70 of the world production and now it is 41 only due to keen competishytion from Guatemala which accounts for 48~ of the present world production

During 84-85 India produced 3500 MT of cardamom of which 2340 MT were exported earning a foreign exchange of 637 million rupees India exports cardamom to more than 60 countries in the world In spite of stiff competition from Guatemala Indian cardamom con tinues to hold prime position due to its superior quality

The total area under cardamom in India is estimated to be 93947 ha It is mainly cultivated in the three Southern States Kerala Karnataka and Tamil Nadu each of which nearly contributes to 60 31 and 9 per cent of total area respectively

Cardamom is used for flavouring various preparashytions of food confectionery beverages and liquors Cardamom is also used for medicinal purposes both in allopathy and Ayurveda In the Middle East countries cardamom is mainly used for prepara tion of Gahwa or Arab Coffee (cardamom flavoured coffee)

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2 Climate and SoilPr

o The natural habitat of cardamom is the evergreen D forests of Western Ghats There is a considerable C variation in rainfall pattern among difreren ~ cardamom K tracts It is grown in the area where the annual rainfall K ranges from 1500-4000 rnm with a tempcrattHe range of

10middot-35 u C and an altitude of 600-1200 m above MSL

Cardamom is generally grown in fulest loamy soils Usually the soils of these tracts arc acidic in nature with a pH value of 50 to 65 Adequ(] ~ e drainage is quite essential for better stand of the crop The soilTI

dl test results have indicated that cardamom g~Jwing soils B( are rich in organic matter and nitrogen and low to Sc medium in available phosphorus and potassiumU u~ 3 Varieties

The cardamom of commerce is obtained from the cardamom plant Eleltaria cardamomum iv1 aton beionging to the natural order Scitaminae and fami) Zingiberashyceae It is a perennial plant having an underground rhizome wi~h aerial shootsEc

M Based on the size of the fruit two varieties are K broadly recognised viz Elettaria cardamornum variety

major cOllsisting of wild indigenous types End variety minor comprising tbe cultivated tyre viz 1 ysore Malabar and Vazhukka The types are identifie d mainly based on the nature of panicle and shape and size of fruits

Ju In the Mysore type pJant is robust and it is better

adapted to higher altitudes (900- 1200m aboVe 0i ISL) of Kerala The panicles arc erect with bold green and elongated capsules In the Malabar cultivar plants are of medium size and suited to lower altitudes (600-- 900111 above MSL) The panicles are prostrate and the fruits

Pr Sr -2shyK

are generally roundish or oblong This type is mainly cultivated in Karnataka and some parts of Tamil Nadu The variety Vazhukka is considered to be _a natural hybrid of middotMysore and 1vialabar types and exhibits characteristics which are intermediary between the two types The plants are robust like Mysore type and produce semi-erect panicles with round ish to oblong caps middot~des This is adapted to wide range of environmenshytal conditions 1t is extensively cultivated in Kerala

4 Propagation

Cardamom is propagated mainly through seeds and also hrough suckers The suckers are commonly used for gap filling

41 Vegetative propagation This method is simple and permits multiplication of any selected clumps A portion of rhizome with at least one old and one young aerial shoot constitutes a planting unit This unit is planted by making a small depression in the prepared pit filled up with soil and covered with mulch Deep planting of rhizomes should be avoided as it results in establishment failure In areas where the ra infall is heavy during the months of June-July it is advisable to take lip planting of cardamom sud~ors during August-September In the High Ranges of Kerala straight planting of rhizome with stake is recommended for infilling and for replanshyted areas the aerial shoots can be kept flat on the ground

42 Seedl ings In order to get qunlity seedlings the nursery has to be managed carefully and scientifically 10 stages of nursery primary and secondary are involved in raising of seedlings Important steps to be fo llowed fOf both primary and secondary Illl rsery arc as follows

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Ppound 43 Nursery D 431 Nursery site It is advantageous to select the D nursery site on gcntlr slopy lands having an easy access

K to a water source pound11 certain areas in Coorg the paddy fields are used by providing adequate drainage TheK nursery area should be cleared of all vegetation stumps roots stonesmiddot etc Raised bed$ are prepared after digging the land to a depth of 30-45 em The beds of 1 m width and convenieIlt length raised to a height of about 30 cm arc prepared A fine Jayer of humus-rich

TI forest soil is spread over the beds The treatment of dl b~ds with formaldehyde is essential when same nursery Be site is used repeatedly Drenching of soil in the seed Sc bed to a depth of 15 cm with I 50 formaldehyde solushyU U(

tion is found to be effective in controlling the damping off seedlings After this beds are to be covered with polythene sheets for 3 days for effective fumigation The seeds are sown after two weeks

432 Seed selection and seed treatment Seed capsules are selected from healthy and high yielding clumps

E Seeds are to be collected from well ripe capsules Immediately after harvesting the husk is removed andM

K the seeds are washed repeatedly in water for removing the mucilaginous coating After draining the water the seeds are to be mixed with woodash and dried in shade for a day In order to ensure uniform and early germination seeds should be sown immediately after extraction If the sewing season is delayed presowing

JIJ treatment of seeds with acid is advisable to get a quick and higher germination Seeds are to be treated with 25 nitric acid for 10 minutes to soften the seed coat and are washed thoroughly in running watcr for 30 minutes to remove the traces of acid Seeds thus treated should be sown immed iately Prolonged storage of

PI seeds after dehusking adversely affects the germination Sf K -4shy

43 3 Sowing The time of sowing varies according to areas Second fortnight of August September and early part of October are found to be ideal for sowing in Karnataka The germination will be poor if the sowing is delayed beyond October In Kerala however sowing is taken up even during NovembermiddotmiddotJanuary

Sowing of seeds is done in rows spaced 15 em apart and ] middot-2 cm apart within a row The common seed rate is 2 g per sqm for raising directly 10 months old seedlings and 10 g per sq m for transplanting to secondary nursery to raise 18- 22 months old s~edlings After sowing thin layer of fine sand or soil is covered and pressed gently Deep sowing of seeds bas to be avoided for better and quick germination Seed beds are to be dusted with BHC ]0 at the rate 60g5 sqm to prevent termites attack Beds are mulched to a thickness of 2 cm with paddy straw or Potha grass (Granotia stricta) or 10cDIly available material Thereshyafter beds are watered daily The germination commences in about 30 days and may continue for a month or two After germination the mulch is to be removed

43 4 Erection of pandal To protect seedlings from sun shade has to be provided by erecting a pandal Normally an overhead pandal to a height of 6-7is quite desirable Bam boos o~ the locally available wooden poles may be used for erecting the pandal It is advantageous to provide a net work of GI wire on the pandal and then cover with materials like coir mat knitted coconut fronds or locally available tree twigs which do not shed their leaves easily The coir mat is preferred as it allows uniform filtered sunlight which is most desirable for the growth of seedlings

435 Th inn ing and earthing up The excess seedlings are to be th inned out after 75-80 days of sowing The

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C

p thinned out seedlings may be used for gap filling with D in the nursery bed or for raising secondary nursery o When the seedlings attain 5middot-6 leaf stage light earthing

up is to be done This would encourage better tillering

K K

and proper growth of seedlings

436 Secondary nursery Generally in Kcrala and Tamil Nad u regions the seed lings arc transplanted to the secondary nursery when they attain four to six leaf stage The seedlings at this stage can withstand transshyplanting shock and establish well On an average 10

TI secondary beds are required for transplanting the seedshydl

lings from one bed of primary nursery The beds areBf prepared in the same manner as for 1he primarySc

U nursery A layer of well decomposed farm yard U( manure and wood ash may be spread over the secondary

nursery beds and mixed with the top J5 COl of soil Seedlings are transplanted in March- May at a spacing of 20 x 20 cm and mulched immediately Beds have to be covered with an over head pandal and are watered regularly

E

M 5 Establishing plantation K In Karnataka 10-month-old seedlings are used

for planting in the main field while in Kerala and Tamil Nadu 18 month - old seedlings are commonly used Seedlings raised in polythene bags ensure better field establishment

Ju 51 Preparation of land The initial work consists of clearing all under growth and thinmng out excess shade trees or branches in order to have an even overhead canopy If the land is slopy it is advisable to start the clearing from top downwards Pits of 45 x 45 x 30 cm size may be dug in April-May and filled with a

PI mixture of top soil and compost or well rotten farm Sr K -6shy

yard manure In slopy land contour tarraees may be made sufficiently in advance and rits may be taken along the contour Close planting (2m x 1m) is advisable along the contour The spacing adopted for IVlalabar type is 2) 2 m between plants and roWs in Karnataka In Kerala region 2-3 m from plant to plant and row to row is to be adopted The lines should be taken across the slope to minimise the soil erosion and to conserve moisture Staggered trenches may be taken across the slope The soil cole~ted in trenches may be utilised for earthing up during the post-monsoon period

52 Planting The normal season for planting is the rainy season commencing from Tune The ideal time for planting in the low lying areas would be affer the cessation of heavy monsoon showers Adequate drainshya ge has to be provided by opening the main and subsidiary drainage cbmll1c1s at appropriate intervals Cloudy days with light drizzles are ideal Cor planting

The usual practice is to make a small depression in the filled up soil and plant the seedlings up to collar region in the depression Deep planting shouid be avoided as it results in suppression of the growth of new shoots and may cause death of phmts due to decaying of underground rhizomes lrnmediet~ly after planting they should be supported by stakes and mulched

53 Cultural practices A regular schedule of cultural practices consisting of weeding mulching trashing shade regulation measures fertiliser application irrigashytion etc may be taken up from time to time for maintaining a good cardamom plantation a Mulching Make use of naturally fallen leaves of the shade trees for mulching Sufficient mulch should be applied after final round of harvesting to redu(e the

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Pt iiI effect of drought which prevails for neady 4-5 months D in summer Exposing the panicle over the ll11ilch is D bcneflcial for bee pollinatioll Ci Kl h Weeding In the fIrst year of planting frequent K weeding is quite essential to eliminate rcot competition

between the cardamom s~edlings and the leeds Subshysequently depending upon the intensity of weeds 2 to 3 rounds of weeding in a yenr w()uldbe necessary The first round of weeding is to be carried in May-June the second in August - September and the third in

TI December-January In slopy lnd slash weeding is to dl be done to prevent soil erosio1 The weeds removedBe

may be heaped in the space between roWs and afterS( U decay they may be used as mulch U(

Weedicides can also be used for controlling weeds in the cardamom estates Spraying of weedicides like paraquat (Gramaxollc) may be done oniy in the inter spaces bet ween ros leaving 60 em around the plant base On an average 625 ml of paraquat in SUO litres of water is sufficient for one rOllnd of application

Ec per hectare Carcent should be taken to avoid spray drift

M to any part of cardamom plant Spraying may be taken K

up both in pre and post monsoon periods

c Trashin~ Trashing consists of removing old and drying shoots of the plant It should be carried out once in a year with the onset of monsoon

Ju d Shade regulation Light shade is more favourable in the initial stages to enhance vegetative growth In areas having sparse tree growth suitable quick growing shade trees have to be planted Permanent shade trees such as red cedar (Cedrella loona) Balangi (Acrocarpus fraxinifolillS) jack (Anocarpus heferophyllllS) or EJanhi

PI (Mesopsis eminie) would be sljtable The shade trees Sr K -8shy

like red cedar which shed their leaves in monsoon provide natural shade re gulation Tall trees havin g well distributed branching habit and small leaves are ideal for cardamom Tern porary shade trees like Erythrina sp can be removed hy the time the permanent shade trees develop sufficient canopy There shoul d be sufficient shade by the time the summer starts for providing protection from the hot SLln

In order to provide adequate light during monshySOOI1 shade regulation may be taken before thc onset of monsoon (May) The fallen shade trees shouldce removed immediately and fast growing shade trees may be planted in vacant areas Two tier conopy is dEsirable with a height not more than 3 m between the lower and higher conopy Areas exposed to western side should have more shade

e Earthing up A thin layer of fresh fertile soil rich in organic matter may be provided to the base of the clump covering up to the collar region by scraping between the rows or collecting soil from staggered trenchescheck pits The thin layer of soil applied in the centre of cillmps will not only keep thcm intact and cover the exposed roots but also will check walking habit of cardamom Care mllst be taken not to heap up the soil above collar region of the clump iest it tilts up the plant in course of time

f Irrigation In order to overcome the after effect of dry spell during summer it is necessary to irrigate the crop to get maximum production Depending on the moisture holding capacity of soil and topography of the estates they may be irrigated at an interval of 10-15 days till the onset of monsoon Regular irrigation (1-15 inches per irrigation) will help the initiation of panicles flowering and fruit setting

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PL 54 Manuring Considering the absorption of nutrient)

D by cardamom an d the factors a treciing the availability D of nutrients in soils a fertiliser dose of 75 kg N 75 kg C PO i and 150 kg K10 per h3 is recommended under K irrigated condition for high yielding plantations yieldshyK ing 100 kgha and above A fertilizer d o st of 3060 30

kgha is recommended for garde11S in Kerala Organic manures in the form of cattle manure or compost is iven at the rate of 5 kg per clump

Fertiliser is applied in two split doses The first application during ~middotIay will help in the production of

TI suckers and development o f capsules ~nd the seconddl

Be application during late Scptenlber to help the initiation Sc of panicles and Slickers Only half the dose of fertilizer U is to be applied during the first year and full dose is ur given from second year onwards

Cardamom is a surface feed~r hence deep placeshyment of fertiliser is not advisable The fertilisers is applied at a radius of 30 cm where most of the roots are present After applying the fertiliser it should be mixed and incorporated in the soil without distllrbing

E( the rootS M K 6 Pests

Among the 46 species 0 rinsects lnd 111 ites reported as p~sts of cardamom ill India the more important ones are () thrips (2) hai ry caterpillars (3) shoot and capsule borer (4) capsule borers (5) shootfLy (6) root borer (7) vhite flies (8) rhi zome vveevil and (9) mites

Ju 61 Thrips (Sciothrips cardarnomi) Thrips are the most destructive and pcrsi) tent pests of cardamom plants They brc~d insi de thl Iclf shea tIl s spindle of the pseudoshystem bracls pCltanth and novcr tubes Adult thrips are greyish brown in colour and measure 12-15 mm

Pr length They complete one life cycle in 27--30 days

Sr K - 10shy

Both lhe adults alld nymphs suck up sap and caUSi damage to leaves shoot inflorescence and capsules When the damage on capsules is very severe there ii enorm ous rconomic loss While feeding these insects lacerate the surface tissues of tender capsules causing injuries which develop as corky encrustations on pods These capsules appear stun te d malformed aT d shrivelled with gaping slits on the outer skin The seeds from such capsules are poor in aroma and few in number with low germination As a result of infestation the panicles become stunted with shedding offlowers and immature capsules red ueing the total num ber of capsules formed The extent of damage in terms of quality and quantity of the produce may go even up to 80-90 in some endeshymic areas In the field pest population is seen maximum during December-April Among the 3 varieties of cardamom Mysore recorded maximum capsule infestashyt ion w hile Vazhukka recorded maximum pseudostem inrestation

Contro l A package of the following practices has to be followed for an effective control of the pest (a) Regulashytion of shade in thickly shaded areas (b) removal of collateral hosts ofpest which include weeds like Pallicum ongipes and plants belonging to the genera Amomum Aframomum Hedychillm Romesatia Colocasia Aocasia Musa Zingiba Curcuma Costus Clobba and Crinum (c) spraying of insecticides like quinalphos (Ekalux) or dimethoate (Rogar)or methyl parathion (Metacid) at 005 or phosalone (zolone) at 007 concentration during March April May August and September In Kerala 7 iOunds of spraying per year are recommended

62 Hairy caterpillars These are the second major pests of cardamom and they are cyclic in nature middotappearing

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I

p sporadically Seven species of hairy caterpillars have heen found to cause damage to cardamom plants TheD more potential enemies among them are EupteroteD

CI cardamomi E canarca and L~onodra vitfata These K appear sporudicalJy in enormous populations at intervals K of several years and cause untold havoc by the total

defoliation of plantation Caterpillars are gregarIous in habit and they congregate on the trunks of shade trees during day time and drop on The cardamom plants during night time lhe adult moths which merge in JuneJuly lay eggs in masses (300-800 eggs) on the undershy

TI surface of leaves of shade trees Eggs hatch in 13--20 d~

days and larval stage extends up to 97 -- 150 days with aB( number of instals Pupal periods lasts for 7- 8 monthsSc

U UsuaIJy the damage is observed during Octobershyur December

Control Dusting with BHe 10 dust in equal proportions or spraying one of the contact insecticides like methyl parathion (Metacid) O1 or quinalphos (Ekalux )005 are effective in controlling the pest To get 3 satisfactory

E( control of the pest it is essential to treat tho~( shade trees

M where caterpillars congregate in masses Mechanica I control of the larvae in masses luring the adults by light traps andK killing them can suppress the pest population

6 3 Shoot alld capsule borer (Dicho crocis pUllC~realis )

The pest attacks young pseudostems panicls and succul~nt capsules of grown up plants It also attack s

Ju seedlings of both primary and secondary nursery beds The adult is a medium sized yellow moth with a number of dark spots on wings Eggs are laid mostly on the top leaf of young pseudostem The pest completes one life cycle in 25-40 d ays The caterpillars bore into the central core of the pseudostems resulting in the death of central

Pr

spi laule and development of characteristic dead heart symptom In the case of capsules the caterp iJlars bore into them and feed on the seeds rendering them emptymiddot Extrusion of frass through the bore hole is the typical indication of the shoot borer infestation Mysorr varifty is found to be more susceptible

Control The pest can be effectively controlled by dusting 10 BHC or spraying monocrotophos (nuvacron) at 005 strength In addition to this removal of affected shoots having larvae and alternate host plants of the pest belongshying to the gel1~ra Alpinia Amomul11 Hedychium Aframoshymum Curcuma and Zi1giber from the planta tion will help to reduce the pest population

64 Capsule borer - a) Lycaenid borer (Jamides sp) Of all the insect enemies this is the most destructive pes t a ttackin g the cardamom plantatiom in Karnataka The caterpillars bore and feed on the flower buds flowers and capsules The adult butterflies lay eggs singly on all parts of in florescence The attacked capsules fail to develop The affected capsules are empty with a circular hole turn yellowish-brown which eventually decay and drop off in the rainy season The incidence of the pest is high from June till September Often the butterfly activity and maximum damage are seen in the bearing clumps especishyally in open pa tches where the sunlight is more Each larva damages 25-27 capsules during 18-20 days of its larval period This pest also breeds well on the inflorescence of different species of Amomum Hydychium and Apifia

Control Spraying with quinalphos or methyl parathion 05~~or carbaryl 01 ~~ during early blossoming period will help in reducing the damage

h Scolytid borer (Thamurgides cardamomi) This is a tiny dark brown cylindrical beetle with hairs all over the

Sr middot-13shy-12shyK

CI

body Both the adults and larvae are assoiated I It hPL

damage to capsules The beetIc drills into the immature D cardamom pods be lore the seeds turn black The holesD

are made at right angles to the plane as if shot by a bullet K The adults feed on the mucilage and white seeds and lay K eggs inside The larvae fCtd on the content and pupate

inside The damage due to this pest was found to be very high during July- August and particularly in the thickly shaded dark and damp val lies The clumps growing under the l1 atuTll shad e of Hanalthare tree (Tcrminalia sp ) and the panicles covered under nalmal leaf mulch

Tl suffer heavy damage Tenninalia tree serves as alternate dl host and the pest attacks its fruit s during off season ofBe Sc cardamom crop

U Control Judicious shade regulations coupled with s prayshyU[

ing with contact insecticides like quinalphos methyl parathion 005 ~~ during the crop period wiJ] help in reducing the damage due to thi s pest

65 Shootfly (Forrn asillLl flavipes) The shootfly larvae feed on the growing shoo t of the young cardamom suckers

Ec in the new plantation and ca lis e d ead heart The adult M fly lays cigar shaped white eggs in between th e kafsheath K and pscudostem on the top whorl from the margin either

singly or ill rows of 4 -6 eggs The emerging larva feeds on the central soft ti ssue Dnd pupates insid e the shoot usually at the base The damage is almost ltonfined to the newly planted clump~ The pest activity st arts during November and reaches its peak in the rnontbs of Marchshy

Ju April The pest disappears by May -June conciding with heavy parasiti sation by braconid parasite ith the onset of monsoon Nearly 50 - 60~ ~ of the clumps are affected due to this pes t resulting in gaps The severity of the pest is known to be more in the open areas where there is inadequate shade in the newly planted gardens

Pr Sf -14shyK

Cntrol I) Rem ove the affected shoots at ground level and destroy them 2) Spray dimcthoate or qu inalphos or methyl parathion 005 or apply CaTbofuran 3 G

20-25 kgha to get satisfactory control of the pest 3) Provide sufficient shade in the plantation

66 Root borer (Hilarograplza caminodes) The mOlh lays eggs on the exposed portions of root Tb e larvae th a t hatch out bore into the root making tunnel filled wi th frass the roots start dying fr om the tip backward s as shyresult of injury made by the pest The infestation rcsul ts in weakening of the plants considerably

The control measures suggested against nursery rhizome weevil (see 68 below) will be effective for this pest also

67 White flies (Dialourodes cardamomi) The pest has become a serious problem in some cardamom growing tracts of Kcrala Pest infestation is seen maximum during dry months Damage to the plant is cau sed by the depleshytion of sap from leaves In severe infest a tions the leaves become yellowish and the vigour and vitality of the plant get considerably reduced

The pest ca n be controlled by spraying methyl dimeton (metasys[ox) demethoate (Rogar) or phcsphamishydon (Dimecron) at 0 05 ~lt- concentration on the foliage

68 Rhizome wee vil (Prodioces haematicus) The adult weevil is brown and lay eggs in punctures made by it on the exposed port ion of the rhizome The grubs of this weevil tunnel into the rhizome a nd calise extensive damage The pest b~com es a serious menace in secondary nursery during Novcmber --January It becomes a problem in nurseries where the same site has been used for a number of years

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C

Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

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Published hy

Dr K V Ahamed 8avappa Director CPCRI Kasaragod-670 124 Kerala

I The manuscript was originally prepared during 1983 by CPCRI jointly with Cardamom Board University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore and Kerala Agricultural University Vellanikara and updated by CPCRI

Edited by

M K Muliyar K K N Nambiar

[ July 1985

Printed at

Srinivas Mudranalaya Kasaragod

Cardanlom Package of Practices

CONTENTS

1 Introduction

2 Climate and soil

I 3 Varieties

4 Propagation

41 Vegct ative propagation

42 Seedlings

43 Nursery

431 Nursery site

432 Seed selection and bed treatment

433 Sowing

434 Erection of pandal

435 Thinning and earthing up

436 Secondary nursery

5 Establishing plantation

51 Preparation of land

52 Planting

53 Cultural practkes

54 l-t1anuring

6 Pests

61 Thrips

62 Hairy caterpiJlars

63 Shoot and capsule borer

64 Capsule borer

65 Shoot fly 66 Root borer

67 White flies Pu

68 Rhizome weevil DI

69 MiteDi CI 610 Aphid Kl 7 Nematodes Kc

71 Nematode in nursery 72 Nematode in plantations

8 Diseases 81 Katte disease 82 Nilgiris necrosis virus

n du 83 Nursery leaf spot

Be 84 Azhukal disease (capmie rot) Sc 85 Damping-off and rhizome rot V up 86 Clump rot

87 Minor diseases Chen thai disease Leaf spot disea~(s Leaf rus t infectious variegation virus bacter ial canker

9 Bee pollination 10 Harvesting and processing

E( 11 Economics M K

Ju

Pr

Sr 11 K

1 Introduction

Cardamom (Eletfaria cardamomum Maton) the queen of spices enjoys a unique position in the intershynational market Cultivation of cardomom is mostly concentrated in tht evergreen forests of Western Ghats in Soulh India Besides lndia cardamom is cuitivcLtcd in Guatemala Tanzania Sri Lanka EI Salvador Vietnam Laos Cambodia and Papua New Guinea Earlier India accounted for 70 of the world production and now it is 41 only due to keen competishytion from Guatemala which accounts for 48~ of the present world production

During 84-85 India produced 3500 MT of cardamom of which 2340 MT were exported earning a foreign exchange of 637 million rupees India exports cardamom to more than 60 countries in the world In spite of stiff competition from Guatemala Indian cardamom con tinues to hold prime position due to its superior quality

The total area under cardamom in India is estimated to be 93947 ha It is mainly cultivated in the three Southern States Kerala Karnataka and Tamil Nadu each of which nearly contributes to 60 31 and 9 per cent of total area respectively

Cardamom is used for flavouring various preparashytions of food confectionery beverages and liquors Cardamom is also used for medicinal purposes both in allopathy and Ayurveda In the Middle East countries cardamom is mainly used for prepara tion of Gahwa or Arab Coffee (cardamom flavoured coffee)

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2 Climate and SoilPr

o The natural habitat of cardamom is the evergreen D forests of Western Ghats There is a considerable C variation in rainfall pattern among difreren ~ cardamom K tracts It is grown in the area where the annual rainfall K ranges from 1500-4000 rnm with a tempcrattHe range of

10middot-35 u C and an altitude of 600-1200 m above MSL

Cardamom is generally grown in fulest loamy soils Usually the soils of these tracts arc acidic in nature with a pH value of 50 to 65 Adequ(] ~ e drainage is quite essential for better stand of the crop The soilTI

dl test results have indicated that cardamom g~Jwing soils B( are rich in organic matter and nitrogen and low to Sc medium in available phosphorus and potassiumU u~ 3 Varieties

The cardamom of commerce is obtained from the cardamom plant Eleltaria cardamomum iv1 aton beionging to the natural order Scitaminae and fami) Zingiberashyceae It is a perennial plant having an underground rhizome wi~h aerial shootsEc

M Based on the size of the fruit two varieties are K broadly recognised viz Elettaria cardamornum variety

major cOllsisting of wild indigenous types End variety minor comprising tbe cultivated tyre viz 1 ysore Malabar and Vazhukka The types are identifie d mainly based on the nature of panicle and shape and size of fruits

Ju In the Mysore type pJant is robust and it is better

adapted to higher altitudes (900- 1200m aboVe 0i ISL) of Kerala The panicles arc erect with bold green and elongated capsules In the Malabar cultivar plants are of medium size and suited to lower altitudes (600-- 900111 above MSL) The panicles are prostrate and the fruits

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are generally roundish or oblong This type is mainly cultivated in Karnataka and some parts of Tamil Nadu The variety Vazhukka is considered to be _a natural hybrid of middotMysore and 1vialabar types and exhibits characteristics which are intermediary between the two types The plants are robust like Mysore type and produce semi-erect panicles with round ish to oblong caps middot~des This is adapted to wide range of environmenshytal conditions 1t is extensively cultivated in Kerala

4 Propagation

Cardamom is propagated mainly through seeds and also hrough suckers The suckers are commonly used for gap filling

41 Vegetative propagation This method is simple and permits multiplication of any selected clumps A portion of rhizome with at least one old and one young aerial shoot constitutes a planting unit This unit is planted by making a small depression in the prepared pit filled up with soil and covered with mulch Deep planting of rhizomes should be avoided as it results in establishment failure In areas where the ra infall is heavy during the months of June-July it is advisable to take lip planting of cardamom sud~ors during August-September In the High Ranges of Kerala straight planting of rhizome with stake is recommended for infilling and for replanshyted areas the aerial shoots can be kept flat on the ground

42 Seedl ings In order to get qunlity seedlings the nursery has to be managed carefully and scientifically 10 stages of nursery primary and secondary are involved in raising of seedlings Important steps to be fo llowed fOf both primary and secondary Illl rsery arc as follows

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Ppound 43 Nursery D 431 Nursery site It is advantageous to select the D nursery site on gcntlr slopy lands having an easy access

K to a water source pound11 certain areas in Coorg the paddy fields are used by providing adequate drainage TheK nursery area should be cleared of all vegetation stumps roots stonesmiddot etc Raised bed$ are prepared after digging the land to a depth of 30-45 em The beds of 1 m width and convenieIlt length raised to a height of about 30 cm arc prepared A fine Jayer of humus-rich

TI forest soil is spread over the beds The treatment of dl b~ds with formaldehyde is essential when same nursery Be site is used repeatedly Drenching of soil in the seed Sc bed to a depth of 15 cm with I 50 formaldehyde solushyU U(

tion is found to be effective in controlling the damping off seedlings After this beds are to be covered with polythene sheets for 3 days for effective fumigation The seeds are sown after two weeks

432 Seed selection and seed treatment Seed capsules are selected from healthy and high yielding clumps

E Seeds are to be collected from well ripe capsules Immediately after harvesting the husk is removed andM

K the seeds are washed repeatedly in water for removing the mucilaginous coating After draining the water the seeds are to be mixed with woodash and dried in shade for a day In order to ensure uniform and early germination seeds should be sown immediately after extraction If the sewing season is delayed presowing

JIJ treatment of seeds with acid is advisable to get a quick and higher germination Seeds are to be treated with 25 nitric acid for 10 minutes to soften the seed coat and are washed thoroughly in running watcr for 30 minutes to remove the traces of acid Seeds thus treated should be sown immed iately Prolonged storage of

PI seeds after dehusking adversely affects the germination Sf K -4shy

43 3 Sowing The time of sowing varies according to areas Second fortnight of August September and early part of October are found to be ideal for sowing in Karnataka The germination will be poor if the sowing is delayed beyond October In Kerala however sowing is taken up even during NovembermiddotmiddotJanuary

Sowing of seeds is done in rows spaced 15 em apart and ] middot-2 cm apart within a row The common seed rate is 2 g per sqm for raising directly 10 months old seedlings and 10 g per sq m for transplanting to secondary nursery to raise 18- 22 months old s~edlings After sowing thin layer of fine sand or soil is covered and pressed gently Deep sowing of seeds bas to be avoided for better and quick germination Seed beds are to be dusted with BHC ]0 at the rate 60g5 sqm to prevent termites attack Beds are mulched to a thickness of 2 cm with paddy straw or Potha grass (Granotia stricta) or 10cDIly available material Thereshyafter beds are watered daily The germination commences in about 30 days and may continue for a month or two After germination the mulch is to be removed

43 4 Erection of pandal To protect seedlings from sun shade has to be provided by erecting a pandal Normally an overhead pandal to a height of 6-7is quite desirable Bam boos o~ the locally available wooden poles may be used for erecting the pandal It is advantageous to provide a net work of GI wire on the pandal and then cover with materials like coir mat knitted coconut fronds or locally available tree twigs which do not shed their leaves easily The coir mat is preferred as it allows uniform filtered sunlight which is most desirable for the growth of seedlings

435 Th inn ing and earthing up The excess seedlings are to be th inned out after 75-80 days of sowing The

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p thinned out seedlings may be used for gap filling with D in the nursery bed or for raising secondary nursery o When the seedlings attain 5middot-6 leaf stage light earthing

up is to be done This would encourage better tillering

K K

and proper growth of seedlings

436 Secondary nursery Generally in Kcrala and Tamil Nad u regions the seed lings arc transplanted to the secondary nursery when they attain four to six leaf stage The seedlings at this stage can withstand transshyplanting shock and establish well On an average 10

TI secondary beds are required for transplanting the seedshydl

lings from one bed of primary nursery The beds areBf prepared in the same manner as for 1he primarySc

U nursery A layer of well decomposed farm yard U( manure and wood ash may be spread over the secondary

nursery beds and mixed with the top J5 COl of soil Seedlings are transplanted in March- May at a spacing of 20 x 20 cm and mulched immediately Beds have to be covered with an over head pandal and are watered regularly

E

M 5 Establishing plantation K In Karnataka 10-month-old seedlings are used

for planting in the main field while in Kerala and Tamil Nadu 18 month - old seedlings are commonly used Seedlings raised in polythene bags ensure better field establishment

Ju 51 Preparation of land The initial work consists of clearing all under growth and thinmng out excess shade trees or branches in order to have an even overhead canopy If the land is slopy it is advisable to start the clearing from top downwards Pits of 45 x 45 x 30 cm size may be dug in April-May and filled with a

PI mixture of top soil and compost or well rotten farm Sr K -6shy

yard manure In slopy land contour tarraees may be made sufficiently in advance and rits may be taken along the contour Close planting (2m x 1m) is advisable along the contour The spacing adopted for IVlalabar type is 2) 2 m between plants and roWs in Karnataka In Kerala region 2-3 m from plant to plant and row to row is to be adopted The lines should be taken across the slope to minimise the soil erosion and to conserve moisture Staggered trenches may be taken across the slope The soil cole~ted in trenches may be utilised for earthing up during the post-monsoon period

52 Planting The normal season for planting is the rainy season commencing from Tune The ideal time for planting in the low lying areas would be affer the cessation of heavy monsoon showers Adequate drainshya ge has to be provided by opening the main and subsidiary drainage cbmll1c1s at appropriate intervals Cloudy days with light drizzles are ideal Cor planting

The usual practice is to make a small depression in the filled up soil and plant the seedlings up to collar region in the depression Deep planting shouid be avoided as it results in suppression of the growth of new shoots and may cause death of phmts due to decaying of underground rhizomes lrnmediet~ly after planting they should be supported by stakes and mulched

53 Cultural practices A regular schedule of cultural practices consisting of weeding mulching trashing shade regulation measures fertiliser application irrigashytion etc may be taken up from time to time for maintaining a good cardamom plantation a Mulching Make use of naturally fallen leaves of the shade trees for mulching Sufficient mulch should be applied after final round of harvesting to redu(e the

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Pt iiI effect of drought which prevails for neady 4-5 months D in summer Exposing the panicle over the ll11ilch is D bcneflcial for bee pollinatioll Ci Kl h Weeding In the fIrst year of planting frequent K weeding is quite essential to eliminate rcot competition

between the cardamom s~edlings and the leeds Subshysequently depending upon the intensity of weeds 2 to 3 rounds of weeding in a yenr w()uldbe necessary The first round of weeding is to be carried in May-June the second in August - September and the third in

TI December-January In slopy lnd slash weeding is to dl be done to prevent soil erosio1 The weeds removedBe

may be heaped in the space between roWs and afterS( U decay they may be used as mulch U(

Weedicides can also be used for controlling weeds in the cardamom estates Spraying of weedicides like paraquat (Gramaxollc) may be done oniy in the inter spaces bet ween ros leaving 60 em around the plant base On an average 625 ml of paraquat in SUO litres of water is sufficient for one rOllnd of application

Ec per hectare Carcent should be taken to avoid spray drift

M to any part of cardamom plant Spraying may be taken K

up both in pre and post monsoon periods

c Trashin~ Trashing consists of removing old and drying shoots of the plant It should be carried out once in a year with the onset of monsoon

Ju d Shade regulation Light shade is more favourable in the initial stages to enhance vegetative growth In areas having sparse tree growth suitable quick growing shade trees have to be planted Permanent shade trees such as red cedar (Cedrella loona) Balangi (Acrocarpus fraxinifolillS) jack (Anocarpus heferophyllllS) or EJanhi

PI (Mesopsis eminie) would be sljtable The shade trees Sr K -8shy

like red cedar which shed their leaves in monsoon provide natural shade re gulation Tall trees havin g well distributed branching habit and small leaves are ideal for cardamom Tern porary shade trees like Erythrina sp can be removed hy the time the permanent shade trees develop sufficient canopy There shoul d be sufficient shade by the time the summer starts for providing protection from the hot SLln

In order to provide adequate light during monshySOOI1 shade regulation may be taken before thc onset of monsoon (May) The fallen shade trees shouldce removed immediately and fast growing shade trees may be planted in vacant areas Two tier conopy is dEsirable with a height not more than 3 m between the lower and higher conopy Areas exposed to western side should have more shade

e Earthing up A thin layer of fresh fertile soil rich in organic matter may be provided to the base of the clump covering up to the collar region by scraping between the rows or collecting soil from staggered trenchescheck pits The thin layer of soil applied in the centre of cillmps will not only keep thcm intact and cover the exposed roots but also will check walking habit of cardamom Care mllst be taken not to heap up the soil above collar region of the clump iest it tilts up the plant in course of time

f Irrigation In order to overcome the after effect of dry spell during summer it is necessary to irrigate the crop to get maximum production Depending on the moisture holding capacity of soil and topography of the estates they may be irrigated at an interval of 10-15 days till the onset of monsoon Regular irrigation (1-15 inches per irrigation) will help the initiation of panicles flowering and fruit setting

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PL 54 Manuring Considering the absorption of nutrient)

D by cardamom an d the factors a treciing the availability D of nutrients in soils a fertiliser dose of 75 kg N 75 kg C PO i and 150 kg K10 per h3 is recommended under K irrigated condition for high yielding plantations yieldshyK ing 100 kgha and above A fertilizer d o st of 3060 30

kgha is recommended for garde11S in Kerala Organic manures in the form of cattle manure or compost is iven at the rate of 5 kg per clump

Fertiliser is applied in two split doses The first application during ~middotIay will help in the production of

TI suckers and development o f capsules ~nd the seconddl

Be application during late Scptenlber to help the initiation Sc of panicles and Slickers Only half the dose of fertilizer U is to be applied during the first year and full dose is ur given from second year onwards

Cardamom is a surface feed~r hence deep placeshyment of fertiliser is not advisable The fertilisers is applied at a radius of 30 cm where most of the roots are present After applying the fertiliser it should be mixed and incorporated in the soil without distllrbing

E( the rootS M K 6 Pests

Among the 46 species 0 rinsects lnd 111 ites reported as p~sts of cardamom ill India the more important ones are () thrips (2) hai ry caterpillars (3) shoot and capsule borer (4) capsule borers (5) shootfLy (6) root borer (7) vhite flies (8) rhi zome vveevil and (9) mites

Ju 61 Thrips (Sciothrips cardarnomi) Thrips are the most destructive and pcrsi) tent pests of cardamom plants They brc~d insi de thl Iclf shea tIl s spindle of the pseudoshystem bracls pCltanth and novcr tubes Adult thrips are greyish brown in colour and measure 12-15 mm

Pr length They complete one life cycle in 27--30 days

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Both lhe adults alld nymphs suck up sap and caUSi damage to leaves shoot inflorescence and capsules When the damage on capsules is very severe there ii enorm ous rconomic loss While feeding these insects lacerate the surface tissues of tender capsules causing injuries which develop as corky encrustations on pods These capsules appear stun te d malformed aT d shrivelled with gaping slits on the outer skin The seeds from such capsules are poor in aroma and few in number with low germination As a result of infestation the panicles become stunted with shedding offlowers and immature capsules red ueing the total num ber of capsules formed The extent of damage in terms of quality and quantity of the produce may go even up to 80-90 in some endeshymic areas In the field pest population is seen maximum during December-April Among the 3 varieties of cardamom Mysore recorded maximum capsule infestashyt ion w hile Vazhukka recorded maximum pseudostem inrestation

Contro l A package of the following practices has to be followed for an effective control of the pest (a) Regulashytion of shade in thickly shaded areas (b) removal of collateral hosts ofpest which include weeds like Pallicum ongipes and plants belonging to the genera Amomum Aframomum Hedychillm Romesatia Colocasia Aocasia Musa Zingiba Curcuma Costus Clobba and Crinum (c) spraying of insecticides like quinalphos (Ekalux) or dimethoate (Rogar)or methyl parathion (Metacid) at 005 or phosalone (zolone) at 007 concentration during March April May August and September In Kerala 7 iOunds of spraying per year are recommended

62 Hairy caterpillars These are the second major pests of cardamom and they are cyclic in nature middotappearing

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p sporadically Seven species of hairy caterpillars have heen found to cause damage to cardamom plants TheD more potential enemies among them are EupteroteD

CI cardamomi E canarca and L~onodra vitfata These K appear sporudicalJy in enormous populations at intervals K of several years and cause untold havoc by the total

defoliation of plantation Caterpillars are gregarIous in habit and they congregate on the trunks of shade trees during day time and drop on The cardamom plants during night time lhe adult moths which merge in JuneJuly lay eggs in masses (300-800 eggs) on the undershy

TI surface of leaves of shade trees Eggs hatch in 13--20 d~

days and larval stage extends up to 97 -- 150 days with aB( number of instals Pupal periods lasts for 7- 8 monthsSc

U UsuaIJy the damage is observed during Octobershyur December

Control Dusting with BHe 10 dust in equal proportions or spraying one of the contact insecticides like methyl parathion (Metacid) O1 or quinalphos (Ekalux )005 are effective in controlling the pest To get 3 satisfactory

E( control of the pest it is essential to treat tho~( shade trees

M where caterpillars congregate in masses Mechanica I control of the larvae in masses luring the adults by light traps andK killing them can suppress the pest population

6 3 Shoot alld capsule borer (Dicho crocis pUllC~realis )

The pest attacks young pseudostems panicls and succul~nt capsules of grown up plants It also attack s

Ju seedlings of both primary and secondary nursery beds The adult is a medium sized yellow moth with a number of dark spots on wings Eggs are laid mostly on the top leaf of young pseudostem The pest completes one life cycle in 25-40 d ays The caterpillars bore into the central core of the pseudostems resulting in the death of central

Pr

spi laule and development of characteristic dead heart symptom In the case of capsules the caterp iJlars bore into them and feed on the seeds rendering them emptymiddot Extrusion of frass through the bore hole is the typical indication of the shoot borer infestation Mysorr varifty is found to be more susceptible

Control The pest can be effectively controlled by dusting 10 BHC or spraying monocrotophos (nuvacron) at 005 strength In addition to this removal of affected shoots having larvae and alternate host plants of the pest belongshying to the gel1~ra Alpinia Amomul11 Hedychium Aframoshymum Curcuma and Zi1giber from the planta tion will help to reduce the pest population

64 Capsule borer - a) Lycaenid borer (Jamides sp) Of all the insect enemies this is the most destructive pes t a ttackin g the cardamom plantatiom in Karnataka The caterpillars bore and feed on the flower buds flowers and capsules The adult butterflies lay eggs singly on all parts of in florescence The attacked capsules fail to develop The affected capsules are empty with a circular hole turn yellowish-brown which eventually decay and drop off in the rainy season The incidence of the pest is high from June till September Often the butterfly activity and maximum damage are seen in the bearing clumps especishyally in open pa tches where the sunlight is more Each larva damages 25-27 capsules during 18-20 days of its larval period This pest also breeds well on the inflorescence of different species of Amomum Hydychium and Apifia

Control Spraying with quinalphos or methyl parathion 05~~or carbaryl 01 ~~ during early blossoming period will help in reducing the damage

h Scolytid borer (Thamurgides cardamomi) This is a tiny dark brown cylindrical beetle with hairs all over the

Sr middot-13shy-12shyK

CI

body Both the adults and larvae are assoiated I It hPL

damage to capsules The beetIc drills into the immature D cardamom pods be lore the seeds turn black The holesD

are made at right angles to the plane as if shot by a bullet K The adults feed on the mucilage and white seeds and lay K eggs inside The larvae fCtd on the content and pupate

inside The damage due to this pest was found to be very high during July- August and particularly in the thickly shaded dark and damp val lies The clumps growing under the l1 atuTll shad e of Hanalthare tree (Tcrminalia sp ) and the panicles covered under nalmal leaf mulch

Tl suffer heavy damage Tenninalia tree serves as alternate dl host and the pest attacks its fruit s during off season ofBe Sc cardamom crop

U Control Judicious shade regulations coupled with s prayshyU[

ing with contact insecticides like quinalphos methyl parathion 005 ~~ during the crop period wiJ] help in reducing the damage due to thi s pest

65 Shootfly (Forrn asillLl flavipes) The shootfly larvae feed on the growing shoo t of the young cardamom suckers

Ec in the new plantation and ca lis e d ead heart The adult M fly lays cigar shaped white eggs in between th e kafsheath K and pscudostem on the top whorl from the margin either

singly or ill rows of 4 -6 eggs The emerging larva feeds on the central soft ti ssue Dnd pupates insid e the shoot usually at the base The damage is almost ltonfined to the newly planted clump~ The pest activity st arts during November and reaches its peak in the rnontbs of Marchshy

Ju April The pest disappears by May -June conciding with heavy parasiti sation by braconid parasite ith the onset of monsoon Nearly 50 - 60~ ~ of the clumps are affected due to this pes t resulting in gaps The severity of the pest is known to be more in the open areas where there is inadequate shade in the newly planted gardens

Pr Sf -14shyK

Cntrol I) Rem ove the affected shoots at ground level and destroy them 2) Spray dimcthoate or qu inalphos or methyl parathion 005 or apply CaTbofuran 3 G

20-25 kgha to get satisfactory control of the pest 3) Provide sufficient shade in the plantation

66 Root borer (Hilarograplza caminodes) The mOlh lays eggs on the exposed portions of root Tb e larvae th a t hatch out bore into the root making tunnel filled wi th frass the roots start dying fr om the tip backward s as shyresult of injury made by the pest The infestation rcsul ts in weakening of the plants considerably

The control measures suggested against nursery rhizome weevil (see 68 below) will be effective for this pest also

67 White flies (Dialourodes cardamomi) The pest has become a serious problem in some cardamom growing tracts of Kcrala Pest infestation is seen maximum during dry months Damage to the plant is cau sed by the depleshytion of sap from leaves In severe infest a tions the leaves become yellowish and the vigour and vitality of the plant get considerably reduced

The pest ca n be controlled by spraying methyl dimeton (metasys[ox) demethoate (Rogar) or phcsphamishydon (Dimecron) at 0 05 ~lt- concentration on the foliage

68 Rhizome wee vil (Prodioces haematicus) The adult weevil is brown and lay eggs in punctures made by it on the exposed port ion of the rhizome The grubs of this weevil tunnel into the rhizome a nd calise extensive damage The pest b~com es a serious menace in secondary nursery during Novcmber --January It becomes a problem in nurseries where the same site has been used for a number of years

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Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

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67 White flies Pu

68 Rhizome weevil DI

69 MiteDi CI 610 Aphid Kl 7 Nematodes Kc

71 Nematode in nursery 72 Nematode in plantations

8 Diseases 81 Katte disease 82 Nilgiris necrosis virus

n du 83 Nursery leaf spot

Be 84 Azhukal disease (capmie rot) Sc 85 Damping-off and rhizome rot V up 86 Clump rot

87 Minor diseases Chen thai disease Leaf spot disea~(s Leaf rus t infectious variegation virus bacter ial canker

9 Bee pollination 10 Harvesting and processing

E( 11 Economics M K

Ju

Pr

Sr 11 K

1 Introduction

Cardamom (Eletfaria cardamomum Maton) the queen of spices enjoys a unique position in the intershynational market Cultivation of cardomom is mostly concentrated in tht evergreen forests of Western Ghats in Soulh India Besides lndia cardamom is cuitivcLtcd in Guatemala Tanzania Sri Lanka EI Salvador Vietnam Laos Cambodia and Papua New Guinea Earlier India accounted for 70 of the world production and now it is 41 only due to keen competishytion from Guatemala which accounts for 48~ of the present world production

During 84-85 India produced 3500 MT of cardamom of which 2340 MT were exported earning a foreign exchange of 637 million rupees India exports cardamom to more than 60 countries in the world In spite of stiff competition from Guatemala Indian cardamom con tinues to hold prime position due to its superior quality

The total area under cardamom in India is estimated to be 93947 ha It is mainly cultivated in the three Southern States Kerala Karnataka and Tamil Nadu each of which nearly contributes to 60 31 and 9 per cent of total area respectively

Cardamom is used for flavouring various preparashytions of food confectionery beverages and liquors Cardamom is also used for medicinal purposes both in allopathy and Ayurveda In the Middle East countries cardamom is mainly used for prepara tion of Gahwa or Arab Coffee (cardamom flavoured coffee)

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2 Climate and SoilPr

o The natural habitat of cardamom is the evergreen D forests of Western Ghats There is a considerable C variation in rainfall pattern among difreren ~ cardamom K tracts It is grown in the area where the annual rainfall K ranges from 1500-4000 rnm with a tempcrattHe range of

10middot-35 u C and an altitude of 600-1200 m above MSL

Cardamom is generally grown in fulest loamy soils Usually the soils of these tracts arc acidic in nature with a pH value of 50 to 65 Adequ(] ~ e drainage is quite essential for better stand of the crop The soilTI

dl test results have indicated that cardamom g~Jwing soils B( are rich in organic matter and nitrogen and low to Sc medium in available phosphorus and potassiumU u~ 3 Varieties

The cardamom of commerce is obtained from the cardamom plant Eleltaria cardamomum iv1 aton beionging to the natural order Scitaminae and fami) Zingiberashyceae It is a perennial plant having an underground rhizome wi~h aerial shootsEc

M Based on the size of the fruit two varieties are K broadly recognised viz Elettaria cardamornum variety

major cOllsisting of wild indigenous types End variety minor comprising tbe cultivated tyre viz 1 ysore Malabar and Vazhukka The types are identifie d mainly based on the nature of panicle and shape and size of fruits

Ju In the Mysore type pJant is robust and it is better

adapted to higher altitudes (900- 1200m aboVe 0i ISL) of Kerala The panicles arc erect with bold green and elongated capsules In the Malabar cultivar plants are of medium size and suited to lower altitudes (600-- 900111 above MSL) The panicles are prostrate and the fruits

Pr Sr -2shyK

are generally roundish or oblong This type is mainly cultivated in Karnataka and some parts of Tamil Nadu The variety Vazhukka is considered to be _a natural hybrid of middotMysore and 1vialabar types and exhibits characteristics which are intermediary between the two types The plants are robust like Mysore type and produce semi-erect panicles with round ish to oblong caps middot~des This is adapted to wide range of environmenshytal conditions 1t is extensively cultivated in Kerala

4 Propagation

Cardamom is propagated mainly through seeds and also hrough suckers The suckers are commonly used for gap filling

41 Vegetative propagation This method is simple and permits multiplication of any selected clumps A portion of rhizome with at least one old and one young aerial shoot constitutes a planting unit This unit is planted by making a small depression in the prepared pit filled up with soil and covered with mulch Deep planting of rhizomes should be avoided as it results in establishment failure In areas where the ra infall is heavy during the months of June-July it is advisable to take lip planting of cardamom sud~ors during August-September In the High Ranges of Kerala straight planting of rhizome with stake is recommended for infilling and for replanshyted areas the aerial shoots can be kept flat on the ground

42 Seedl ings In order to get qunlity seedlings the nursery has to be managed carefully and scientifically 10 stages of nursery primary and secondary are involved in raising of seedlings Important steps to be fo llowed fOf both primary and secondary Illl rsery arc as follows

- 3 -shy

CI

Ppound 43 Nursery D 431 Nursery site It is advantageous to select the D nursery site on gcntlr slopy lands having an easy access

K to a water source pound11 certain areas in Coorg the paddy fields are used by providing adequate drainage TheK nursery area should be cleared of all vegetation stumps roots stonesmiddot etc Raised bed$ are prepared after digging the land to a depth of 30-45 em The beds of 1 m width and convenieIlt length raised to a height of about 30 cm arc prepared A fine Jayer of humus-rich

TI forest soil is spread over the beds The treatment of dl b~ds with formaldehyde is essential when same nursery Be site is used repeatedly Drenching of soil in the seed Sc bed to a depth of 15 cm with I 50 formaldehyde solushyU U(

tion is found to be effective in controlling the damping off seedlings After this beds are to be covered with polythene sheets for 3 days for effective fumigation The seeds are sown after two weeks

432 Seed selection and seed treatment Seed capsules are selected from healthy and high yielding clumps

E Seeds are to be collected from well ripe capsules Immediately after harvesting the husk is removed andM

K the seeds are washed repeatedly in water for removing the mucilaginous coating After draining the water the seeds are to be mixed with woodash and dried in shade for a day In order to ensure uniform and early germination seeds should be sown immediately after extraction If the sewing season is delayed presowing

JIJ treatment of seeds with acid is advisable to get a quick and higher germination Seeds are to be treated with 25 nitric acid for 10 minutes to soften the seed coat and are washed thoroughly in running watcr for 30 minutes to remove the traces of acid Seeds thus treated should be sown immed iately Prolonged storage of

PI seeds after dehusking adversely affects the germination Sf K -4shy

43 3 Sowing The time of sowing varies according to areas Second fortnight of August September and early part of October are found to be ideal for sowing in Karnataka The germination will be poor if the sowing is delayed beyond October In Kerala however sowing is taken up even during NovembermiddotmiddotJanuary

Sowing of seeds is done in rows spaced 15 em apart and ] middot-2 cm apart within a row The common seed rate is 2 g per sqm for raising directly 10 months old seedlings and 10 g per sq m for transplanting to secondary nursery to raise 18- 22 months old s~edlings After sowing thin layer of fine sand or soil is covered and pressed gently Deep sowing of seeds bas to be avoided for better and quick germination Seed beds are to be dusted with BHC ]0 at the rate 60g5 sqm to prevent termites attack Beds are mulched to a thickness of 2 cm with paddy straw or Potha grass (Granotia stricta) or 10cDIly available material Thereshyafter beds are watered daily The germination commences in about 30 days and may continue for a month or two After germination the mulch is to be removed

43 4 Erection of pandal To protect seedlings from sun shade has to be provided by erecting a pandal Normally an overhead pandal to a height of 6-7is quite desirable Bam boos o~ the locally available wooden poles may be used for erecting the pandal It is advantageous to provide a net work of GI wire on the pandal and then cover with materials like coir mat knitted coconut fronds or locally available tree twigs which do not shed their leaves easily The coir mat is preferred as it allows uniform filtered sunlight which is most desirable for the growth of seedlings

435 Th inn ing and earthing up The excess seedlings are to be th inned out after 75-80 days of sowing The

-5shy

C

p thinned out seedlings may be used for gap filling with D in the nursery bed or for raising secondary nursery o When the seedlings attain 5middot-6 leaf stage light earthing

up is to be done This would encourage better tillering

K K

and proper growth of seedlings

436 Secondary nursery Generally in Kcrala and Tamil Nad u regions the seed lings arc transplanted to the secondary nursery when they attain four to six leaf stage The seedlings at this stage can withstand transshyplanting shock and establish well On an average 10

TI secondary beds are required for transplanting the seedshydl

lings from one bed of primary nursery The beds areBf prepared in the same manner as for 1he primarySc

U nursery A layer of well decomposed farm yard U( manure and wood ash may be spread over the secondary

nursery beds and mixed with the top J5 COl of soil Seedlings are transplanted in March- May at a spacing of 20 x 20 cm and mulched immediately Beds have to be covered with an over head pandal and are watered regularly

E

M 5 Establishing plantation K In Karnataka 10-month-old seedlings are used

for planting in the main field while in Kerala and Tamil Nadu 18 month - old seedlings are commonly used Seedlings raised in polythene bags ensure better field establishment

Ju 51 Preparation of land The initial work consists of clearing all under growth and thinmng out excess shade trees or branches in order to have an even overhead canopy If the land is slopy it is advisable to start the clearing from top downwards Pits of 45 x 45 x 30 cm size may be dug in April-May and filled with a

PI mixture of top soil and compost or well rotten farm Sr K -6shy

yard manure In slopy land contour tarraees may be made sufficiently in advance and rits may be taken along the contour Close planting (2m x 1m) is advisable along the contour The spacing adopted for IVlalabar type is 2) 2 m between plants and roWs in Karnataka In Kerala region 2-3 m from plant to plant and row to row is to be adopted The lines should be taken across the slope to minimise the soil erosion and to conserve moisture Staggered trenches may be taken across the slope The soil cole~ted in trenches may be utilised for earthing up during the post-monsoon period

52 Planting The normal season for planting is the rainy season commencing from Tune The ideal time for planting in the low lying areas would be affer the cessation of heavy monsoon showers Adequate drainshya ge has to be provided by opening the main and subsidiary drainage cbmll1c1s at appropriate intervals Cloudy days with light drizzles are ideal Cor planting

The usual practice is to make a small depression in the filled up soil and plant the seedlings up to collar region in the depression Deep planting shouid be avoided as it results in suppression of the growth of new shoots and may cause death of phmts due to decaying of underground rhizomes lrnmediet~ly after planting they should be supported by stakes and mulched

53 Cultural practices A regular schedule of cultural practices consisting of weeding mulching trashing shade regulation measures fertiliser application irrigashytion etc may be taken up from time to time for maintaining a good cardamom plantation a Mulching Make use of naturally fallen leaves of the shade trees for mulching Sufficient mulch should be applied after final round of harvesting to redu(e the

-7 shy

Pt iiI effect of drought which prevails for neady 4-5 months D in summer Exposing the panicle over the ll11ilch is D bcneflcial for bee pollinatioll Ci Kl h Weeding In the fIrst year of planting frequent K weeding is quite essential to eliminate rcot competition

between the cardamom s~edlings and the leeds Subshysequently depending upon the intensity of weeds 2 to 3 rounds of weeding in a yenr w()uldbe necessary The first round of weeding is to be carried in May-June the second in August - September and the third in

TI December-January In slopy lnd slash weeding is to dl be done to prevent soil erosio1 The weeds removedBe

may be heaped in the space between roWs and afterS( U decay they may be used as mulch U(

Weedicides can also be used for controlling weeds in the cardamom estates Spraying of weedicides like paraquat (Gramaxollc) may be done oniy in the inter spaces bet ween ros leaving 60 em around the plant base On an average 625 ml of paraquat in SUO litres of water is sufficient for one rOllnd of application

Ec per hectare Carcent should be taken to avoid spray drift

M to any part of cardamom plant Spraying may be taken K

up both in pre and post monsoon periods

c Trashin~ Trashing consists of removing old and drying shoots of the plant It should be carried out once in a year with the onset of monsoon

Ju d Shade regulation Light shade is more favourable in the initial stages to enhance vegetative growth In areas having sparse tree growth suitable quick growing shade trees have to be planted Permanent shade trees such as red cedar (Cedrella loona) Balangi (Acrocarpus fraxinifolillS) jack (Anocarpus heferophyllllS) or EJanhi

PI (Mesopsis eminie) would be sljtable The shade trees Sr K -8shy

like red cedar which shed their leaves in monsoon provide natural shade re gulation Tall trees havin g well distributed branching habit and small leaves are ideal for cardamom Tern porary shade trees like Erythrina sp can be removed hy the time the permanent shade trees develop sufficient canopy There shoul d be sufficient shade by the time the summer starts for providing protection from the hot SLln

In order to provide adequate light during monshySOOI1 shade regulation may be taken before thc onset of monsoon (May) The fallen shade trees shouldce removed immediately and fast growing shade trees may be planted in vacant areas Two tier conopy is dEsirable with a height not more than 3 m between the lower and higher conopy Areas exposed to western side should have more shade

e Earthing up A thin layer of fresh fertile soil rich in organic matter may be provided to the base of the clump covering up to the collar region by scraping between the rows or collecting soil from staggered trenchescheck pits The thin layer of soil applied in the centre of cillmps will not only keep thcm intact and cover the exposed roots but also will check walking habit of cardamom Care mllst be taken not to heap up the soil above collar region of the clump iest it tilts up the plant in course of time

f Irrigation In order to overcome the after effect of dry spell during summer it is necessary to irrigate the crop to get maximum production Depending on the moisture holding capacity of soil and topography of the estates they may be irrigated at an interval of 10-15 days till the onset of monsoon Regular irrigation (1-15 inches per irrigation) will help the initiation of panicles flowering and fruit setting

-9shy

PL 54 Manuring Considering the absorption of nutrient)

D by cardamom an d the factors a treciing the availability D of nutrients in soils a fertiliser dose of 75 kg N 75 kg C PO i and 150 kg K10 per h3 is recommended under K irrigated condition for high yielding plantations yieldshyK ing 100 kgha and above A fertilizer d o st of 3060 30

kgha is recommended for garde11S in Kerala Organic manures in the form of cattle manure or compost is iven at the rate of 5 kg per clump

Fertiliser is applied in two split doses The first application during ~middotIay will help in the production of

TI suckers and development o f capsules ~nd the seconddl

Be application during late Scptenlber to help the initiation Sc of panicles and Slickers Only half the dose of fertilizer U is to be applied during the first year and full dose is ur given from second year onwards

Cardamom is a surface feed~r hence deep placeshyment of fertiliser is not advisable The fertilisers is applied at a radius of 30 cm where most of the roots are present After applying the fertiliser it should be mixed and incorporated in the soil without distllrbing

E( the rootS M K 6 Pests

Among the 46 species 0 rinsects lnd 111 ites reported as p~sts of cardamom ill India the more important ones are () thrips (2) hai ry caterpillars (3) shoot and capsule borer (4) capsule borers (5) shootfLy (6) root borer (7) vhite flies (8) rhi zome vveevil and (9) mites

Ju 61 Thrips (Sciothrips cardarnomi) Thrips are the most destructive and pcrsi) tent pests of cardamom plants They brc~d insi de thl Iclf shea tIl s spindle of the pseudoshystem bracls pCltanth and novcr tubes Adult thrips are greyish brown in colour and measure 12-15 mm

Pr length They complete one life cycle in 27--30 days

Sr K - 10shy

Both lhe adults alld nymphs suck up sap and caUSi damage to leaves shoot inflorescence and capsules When the damage on capsules is very severe there ii enorm ous rconomic loss While feeding these insects lacerate the surface tissues of tender capsules causing injuries which develop as corky encrustations on pods These capsules appear stun te d malformed aT d shrivelled with gaping slits on the outer skin The seeds from such capsules are poor in aroma and few in number with low germination As a result of infestation the panicles become stunted with shedding offlowers and immature capsules red ueing the total num ber of capsules formed The extent of damage in terms of quality and quantity of the produce may go even up to 80-90 in some endeshymic areas In the field pest population is seen maximum during December-April Among the 3 varieties of cardamom Mysore recorded maximum capsule infestashyt ion w hile Vazhukka recorded maximum pseudostem inrestation

Contro l A package of the following practices has to be followed for an effective control of the pest (a) Regulashytion of shade in thickly shaded areas (b) removal of collateral hosts ofpest which include weeds like Pallicum ongipes and plants belonging to the genera Amomum Aframomum Hedychillm Romesatia Colocasia Aocasia Musa Zingiba Curcuma Costus Clobba and Crinum (c) spraying of insecticides like quinalphos (Ekalux) or dimethoate (Rogar)or methyl parathion (Metacid) at 005 or phosalone (zolone) at 007 concentration during March April May August and September In Kerala 7 iOunds of spraying per year are recommended

62 Hairy caterpillars These are the second major pests of cardamom and they are cyclic in nature middotappearing

11shy

I

p sporadically Seven species of hairy caterpillars have heen found to cause damage to cardamom plants TheD more potential enemies among them are EupteroteD

CI cardamomi E canarca and L~onodra vitfata These K appear sporudicalJy in enormous populations at intervals K of several years and cause untold havoc by the total

defoliation of plantation Caterpillars are gregarIous in habit and they congregate on the trunks of shade trees during day time and drop on The cardamom plants during night time lhe adult moths which merge in JuneJuly lay eggs in masses (300-800 eggs) on the undershy

TI surface of leaves of shade trees Eggs hatch in 13--20 d~

days and larval stage extends up to 97 -- 150 days with aB( number of instals Pupal periods lasts for 7- 8 monthsSc

U UsuaIJy the damage is observed during Octobershyur December

Control Dusting with BHe 10 dust in equal proportions or spraying one of the contact insecticides like methyl parathion (Metacid) O1 or quinalphos (Ekalux )005 are effective in controlling the pest To get 3 satisfactory

E( control of the pest it is essential to treat tho~( shade trees

M where caterpillars congregate in masses Mechanica I control of the larvae in masses luring the adults by light traps andK killing them can suppress the pest population

6 3 Shoot alld capsule borer (Dicho crocis pUllC~realis )

The pest attacks young pseudostems panicls and succul~nt capsules of grown up plants It also attack s

Ju seedlings of both primary and secondary nursery beds The adult is a medium sized yellow moth with a number of dark spots on wings Eggs are laid mostly on the top leaf of young pseudostem The pest completes one life cycle in 25-40 d ays The caterpillars bore into the central core of the pseudostems resulting in the death of central

Pr

spi laule and development of characteristic dead heart symptom In the case of capsules the caterp iJlars bore into them and feed on the seeds rendering them emptymiddot Extrusion of frass through the bore hole is the typical indication of the shoot borer infestation Mysorr varifty is found to be more susceptible

Control The pest can be effectively controlled by dusting 10 BHC or spraying monocrotophos (nuvacron) at 005 strength In addition to this removal of affected shoots having larvae and alternate host plants of the pest belongshying to the gel1~ra Alpinia Amomul11 Hedychium Aframoshymum Curcuma and Zi1giber from the planta tion will help to reduce the pest population

64 Capsule borer - a) Lycaenid borer (Jamides sp) Of all the insect enemies this is the most destructive pes t a ttackin g the cardamom plantatiom in Karnataka The caterpillars bore and feed on the flower buds flowers and capsules The adult butterflies lay eggs singly on all parts of in florescence The attacked capsules fail to develop The affected capsules are empty with a circular hole turn yellowish-brown which eventually decay and drop off in the rainy season The incidence of the pest is high from June till September Often the butterfly activity and maximum damage are seen in the bearing clumps especishyally in open pa tches where the sunlight is more Each larva damages 25-27 capsules during 18-20 days of its larval period This pest also breeds well on the inflorescence of different species of Amomum Hydychium and Apifia

Control Spraying with quinalphos or methyl parathion 05~~or carbaryl 01 ~~ during early blossoming period will help in reducing the damage

h Scolytid borer (Thamurgides cardamomi) This is a tiny dark brown cylindrical beetle with hairs all over the

Sr middot-13shy-12shyK

CI

body Both the adults and larvae are assoiated I It hPL

damage to capsules The beetIc drills into the immature D cardamom pods be lore the seeds turn black The holesD

are made at right angles to the plane as if shot by a bullet K The adults feed on the mucilage and white seeds and lay K eggs inside The larvae fCtd on the content and pupate

inside The damage due to this pest was found to be very high during July- August and particularly in the thickly shaded dark and damp val lies The clumps growing under the l1 atuTll shad e of Hanalthare tree (Tcrminalia sp ) and the panicles covered under nalmal leaf mulch

Tl suffer heavy damage Tenninalia tree serves as alternate dl host and the pest attacks its fruit s during off season ofBe Sc cardamom crop

U Control Judicious shade regulations coupled with s prayshyU[

ing with contact insecticides like quinalphos methyl parathion 005 ~~ during the crop period wiJ] help in reducing the damage due to thi s pest

65 Shootfly (Forrn asillLl flavipes) The shootfly larvae feed on the growing shoo t of the young cardamom suckers

Ec in the new plantation and ca lis e d ead heart The adult M fly lays cigar shaped white eggs in between th e kafsheath K and pscudostem on the top whorl from the margin either

singly or ill rows of 4 -6 eggs The emerging larva feeds on the central soft ti ssue Dnd pupates insid e the shoot usually at the base The damage is almost ltonfined to the newly planted clump~ The pest activity st arts during November and reaches its peak in the rnontbs of Marchshy

Ju April The pest disappears by May -June conciding with heavy parasiti sation by braconid parasite ith the onset of monsoon Nearly 50 - 60~ ~ of the clumps are affected due to this pes t resulting in gaps The severity of the pest is known to be more in the open areas where there is inadequate shade in the newly planted gardens

Pr Sf -14shyK

Cntrol I) Rem ove the affected shoots at ground level and destroy them 2) Spray dimcthoate or qu inalphos or methyl parathion 005 or apply CaTbofuran 3 G

20-25 kgha to get satisfactory control of the pest 3) Provide sufficient shade in the plantation

66 Root borer (Hilarograplza caminodes) The mOlh lays eggs on the exposed portions of root Tb e larvae th a t hatch out bore into the root making tunnel filled wi th frass the roots start dying fr om the tip backward s as shyresult of injury made by the pest The infestation rcsul ts in weakening of the plants considerably

The control measures suggested against nursery rhizome weevil (see 68 below) will be effective for this pest also

67 White flies (Dialourodes cardamomi) The pest has become a serious problem in some cardamom growing tracts of Kcrala Pest infestation is seen maximum during dry months Damage to the plant is cau sed by the depleshytion of sap from leaves In severe infest a tions the leaves become yellowish and the vigour and vitality of the plant get considerably reduced

The pest ca n be controlled by spraying methyl dimeton (metasys[ox) demethoate (Rogar) or phcsphamishydon (Dimecron) at 0 05 ~lt- concentration on the foliage

68 Rhizome wee vil (Prodioces haematicus) The adult weevil is brown and lay eggs in punctures made by it on the exposed port ion of the rhizome The grubs of this weevil tunnel into the rhizome a nd calise extensive damage The pest b~com es a serious menace in secondary nursery during Novcmber --January It becomes a problem in nurseries where the same site has been used for a number of years

- 15shy

C

Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

-17shy

2 Climate and SoilPr

o The natural habitat of cardamom is the evergreen D forests of Western Ghats There is a considerable C variation in rainfall pattern among difreren ~ cardamom K tracts It is grown in the area where the annual rainfall K ranges from 1500-4000 rnm with a tempcrattHe range of

10middot-35 u C and an altitude of 600-1200 m above MSL

Cardamom is generally grown in fulest loamy soils Usually the soils of these tracts arc acidic in nature with a pH value of 50 to 65 Adequ(] ~ e drainage is quite essential for better stand of the crop The soilTI

dl test results have indicated that cardamom g~Jwing soils B( are rich in organic matter and nitrogen and low to Sc medium in available phosphorus and potassiumU u~ 3 Varieties

The cardamom of commerce is obtained from the cardamom plant Eleltaria cardamomum iv1 aton beionging to the natural order Scitaminae and fami) Zingiberashyceae It is a perennial plant having an underground rhizome wi~h aerial shootsEc

M Based on the size of the fruit two varieties are K broadly recognised viz Elettaria cardamornum variety

major cOllsisting of wild indigenous types End variety minor comprising tbe cultivated tyre viz 1 ysore Malabar and Vazhukka The types are identifie d mainly based on the nature of panicle and shape and size of fruits

Ju In the Mysore type pJant is robust and it is better

adapted to higher altitudes (900- 1200m aboVe 0i ISL) of Kerala The panicles arc erect with bold green and elongated capsules In the Malabar cultivar plants are of medium size and suited to lower altitudes (600-- 900111 above MSL) The panicles are prostrate and the fruits

Pr Sr -2shyK

are generally roundish or oblong This type is mainly cultivated in Karnataka and some parts of Tamil Nadu The variety Vazhukka is considered to be _a natural hybrid of middotMysore and 1vialabar types and exhibits characteristics which are intermediary between the two types The plants are robust like Mysore type and produce semi-erect panicles with round ish to oblong caps middot~des This is adapted to wide range of environmenshytal conditions 1t is extensively cultivated in Kerala

4 Propagation

Cardamom is propagated mainly through seeds and also hrough suckers The suckers are commonly used for gap filling

41 Vegetative propagation This method is simple and permits multiplication of any selected clumps A portion of rhizome with at least one old and one young aerial shoot constitutes a planting unit This unit is planted by making a small depression in the prepared pit filled up with soil and covered with mulch Deep planting of rhizomes should be avoided as it results in establishment failure In areas where the ra infall is heavy during the months of June-July it is advisable to take lip planting of cardamom sud~ors during August-September In the High Ranges of Kerala straight planting of rhizome with stake is recommended for infilling and for replanshyted areas the aerial shoots can be kept flat on the ground

42 Seedl ings In order to get qunlity seedlings the nursery has to be managed carefully and scientifically 10 stages of nursery primary and secondary are involved in raising of seedlings Important steps to be fo llowed fOf both primary and secondary Illl rsery arc as follows

- 3 -shy

CI

Ppound 43 Nursery D 431 Nursery site It is advantageous to select the D nursery site on gcntlr slopy lands having an easy access

K to a water source pound11 certain areas in Coorg the paddy fields are used by providing adequate drainage TheK nursery area should be cleared of all vegetation stumps roots stonesmiddot etc Raised bed$ are prepared after digging the land to a depth of 30-45 em The beds of 1 m width and convenieIlt length raised to a height of about 30 cm arc prepared A fine Jayer of humus-rich

TI forest soil is spread over the beds The treatment of dl b~ds with formaldehyde is essential when same nursery Be site is used repeatedly Drenching of soil in the seed Sc bed to a depth of 15 cm with I 50 formaldehyde solushyU U(

tion is found to be effective in controlling the damping off seedlings After this beds are to be covered with polythene sheets for 3 days for effective fumigation The seeds are sown after two weeks

432 Seed selection and seed treatment Seed capsules are selected from healthy and high yielding clumps

E Seeds are to be collected from well ripe capsules Immediately after harvesting the husk is removed andM

K the seeds are washed repeatedly in water for removing the mucilaginous coating After draining the water the seeds are to be mixed with woodash and dried in shade for a day In order to ensure uniform and early germination seeds should be sown immediately after extraction If the sewing season is delayed presowing

JIJ treatment of seeds with acid is advisable to get a quick and higher germination Seeds are to be treated with 25 nitric acid for 10 minutes to soften the seed coat and are washed thoroughly in running watcr for 30 minutes to remove the traces of acid Seeds thus treated should be sown immed iately Prolonged storage of

PI seeds after dehusking adversely affects the germination Sf K -4shy

43 3 Sowing The time of sowing varies according to areas Second fortnight of August September and early part of October are found to be ideal for sowing in Karnataka The germination will be poor if the sowing is delayed beyond October In Kerala however sowing is taken up even during NovembermiddotmiddotJanuary

Sowing of seeds is done in rows spaced 15 em apart and ] middot-2 cm apart within a row The common seed rate is 2 g per sqm for raising directly 10 months old seedlings and 10 g per sq m for transplanting to secondary nursery to raise 18- 22 months old s~edlings After sowing thin layer of fine sand or soil is covered and pressed gently Deep sowing of seeds bas to be avoided for better and quick germination Seed beds are to be dusted with BHC ]0 at the rate 60g5 sqm to prevent termites attack Beds are mulched to a thickness of 2 cm with paddy straw or Potha grass (Granotia stricta) or 10cDIly available material Thereshyafter beds are watered daily The germination commences in about 30 days and may continue for a month or two After germination the mulch is to be removed

43 4 Erection of pandal To protect seedlings from sun shade has to be provided by erecting a pandal Normally an overhead pandal to a height of 6-7is quite desirable Bam boos o~ the locally available wooden poles may be used for erecting the pandal It is advantageous to provide a net work of GI wire on the pandal and then cover with materials like coir mat knitted coconut fronds or locally available tree twigs which do not shed their leaves easily The coir mat is preferred as it allows uniform filtered sunlight which is most desirable for the growth of seedlings

435 Th inn ing and earthing up The excess seedlings are to be th inned out after 75-80 days of sowing The

-5shy

C

p thinned out seedlings may be used for gap filling with D in the nursery bed or for raising secondary nursery o When the seedlings attain 5middot-6 leaf stage light earthing

up is to be done This would encourage better tillering

K K

and proper growth of seedlings

436 Secondary nursery Generally in Kcrala and Tamil Nad u regions the seed lings arc transplanted to the secondary nursery when they attain four to six leaf stage The seedlings at this stage can withstand transshyplanting shock and establish well On an average 10

TI secondary beds are required for transplanting the seedshydl

lings from one bed of primary nursery The beds areBf prepared in the same manner as for 1he primarySc

U nursery A layer of well decomposed farm yard U( manure and wood ash may be spread over the secondary

nursery beds and mixed with the top J5 COl of soil Seedlings are transplanted in March- May at a spacing of 20 x 20 cm and mulched immediately Beds have to be covered with an over head pandal and are watered regularly

E

M 5 Establishing plantation K In Karnataka 10-month-old seedlings are used

for planting in the main field while in Kerala and Tamil Nadu 18 month - old seedlings are commonly used Seedlings raised in polythene bags ensure better field establishment

Ju 51 Preparation of land The initial work consists of clearing all under growth and thinmng out excess shade trees or branches in order to have an even overhead canopy If the land is slopy it is advisable to start the clearing from top downwards Pits of 45 x 45 x 30 cm size may be dug in April-May and filled with a

PI mixture of top soil and compost or well rotten farm Sr K -6shy

yard manure In slopy land contour tarraees may be made sufficiently in advance and rits may be taken along the contour Close planting (2m x 1m) is advisable along the contour The spacing adopted for IVlalabar type is 2) 2 m between plants and roWs in Karnataka In Kerala region 2-3 m from plant to plant and row to row is to be adopted The lines should be taken across the slope to minimise the soil erosion and to conserve moisture Staggered trenches may be taken across the slope The soil cole~ted in trenches may be utilised for earthing up during the post-monsoon period

52 Planting The normal season for planting is the rainy season commencing from Tune The ideal time for planting in the low lying areas would be affer the cessation of heavy monsoon showers Adequate drainshya ge has to be provided by opening the main and subsidiary drainage cbmll1c1s at appropriate intervals Cloudy days with light drizzles are ideal Cor planting

The usual practice is to make a small depression in the filled up soil and plant the seedlings up to collar region in the depression Deep planting shouid be avoided as it results in suppression of the growth of new shoots and may cause death of phmts due to decaying of underground rhizomes lrnmediet~ly after planting they should be supported by stakes and mulched

53 Cultural practices A regular schedule of cultural practices consisting of weeding mulching trashing shade regulation measures fertiliser application irrigashytion etc may be taken up from time to time for maintaining a good cardamom plantation a Mulching Make use of naturally fallen leaves of the shade trees for mulching Sufficient mulch should be applied after final round of harvesting to redu(e the

-7 shy

Pt iiI effect of drought which prevails for neady 4-5 months D in summer Exposing the panicle over the ll11ilch is D bcneflcial for bee pollinatioll Ci Kl h Weeding In the fIrst year of planting frequent K weeding is quite essential to eliminate rcot competition

between the cardamom s~edlings and the leeds Subshysequently depending upon the intensity of weeds 2 to 3 rounds of weeding in a yenr w()uldbe necessary The first round of weeding is to be carried in May-June the second in August - September and the third in

TI December-January In slopy lnd slash weeding is to dl be done to prevent soil erosio1 The weeds removedBe

may be heaped in the space between roWs and afterS( U decay they may be used as mulch U(

Weedicides can also be used for controlling weeds in the cardamom estates Spraying of weedicides like paraquat (Gramaxollc) may be done oniy in the inter spaces bet ween ros leaving 60 em around the plant base On an average 625 ml of paraquat in SUO litres of water is sufficient for one rOllnd of application

Ec per hectare Carcent should be taken to avoid spray drift

M to any part of cardamom plant Spraying may be taken K

up both in pre and post monsoon periods

c Trashin~ Trashing consists of removing old and drying shoots of the plant It should be carried out once in a year with the onset of monsoon

Ju d Shade regulation Light shade is more favourable in the initial stages to enhance vegetative growth In areas having sparse tree growth suitable quick growing shade trees have to be planted Permanent shade trees such as red cedar (Cedrella loona) Balangi (Acrocarpus fraxinifolillS) jack (Anocarpus heferophyllllS) or EJanhi

PI (Mesopsis eminie) would be sljtable The shade trees Sr K -8shy

like red cedar which shed their leaves in monsoon provide natural shade re gulation Tall trees havin g well distributed branching habit and small leaves are ideal for cardamom Tern porary shade trees like Erythrina sp can be removed hy the time the permanent shade trees develop sufficient canopy There shoul d be sufficient shade by the time the summer starts for providing protection from the hot SLln

In order to provide adequate light during monshySOOI1 shade regulation may be taken before thc onset of monsoon (May) The fallen shade trees shouldce removed immediately and fast growing shade trees may be planted in vacant areas Two tier conopy is dEsirable with a height not more than 3 m between the lower and higher conopy Areas exposed to western side should have more shade

e Earthing up A thin layer of fresh fertile soil rich in organic matter may be provided to the base of the clump covering up to the collar region by scraping between the rows or collecting soil from staggered trenchescheck pits The thin layer of soil applied in the centre of cillmps will not only keep thcm intact and cover the exposed roots but also will check walking habit of cardamom Care mllst be taken not to heap up the soil above collar region of the clump iest it tilts up the plant in course of time

f Irrigation In order to overcome the after effect of dry spell during summer it is necessary to irrigate the crop to get maximum production Depending on the moisture holding capacity of soil and topography of the estates they may be irrigated at an interval of 10-15 days till the onset of monsoon Regular irrigation (1-15 inches per irrigation) will help the initiation of panicles flowering and fruit setting

-9shy

PL 54 Manuring Considering the absorption of nutrient)

D by cardamom an d the factors a treciing the availability D of nutrients in soils a fertiliser dose of 75 kg N 75 kg C PO i and 150 kg K10 per h3 is recommended under K irrigated condition for high yielding plantations yieldshyK ing 100 kgha and above A fertilizer d o st of 3060 30

kgha is recommended for garde11S in Kerala Organic manures in the form of cattle manure or compost is iven at the rate of 5 kg per clump

Fertiliser is applied in two split doses The first application during ~middotIay will help in the production of

TI suckers and development o f capsules ~nd the seconddl

Be application during late Scptenlber to help the initiation Sc of panicles and Slickers Only half the dose of fertilizer U is to be applied during the first year and full dose is ur given from second year onwards

Cardamom is a surface feed~r hence deep placeshyment of fertiliser is not advisable The fertilisers is applied at a radius of 30 cm where most of the roots are present After applying the fertiliser it should be mixed and incorporated in the soil without distllrbing

E( the rootS M K 6 Pests

Among the 46 species 0 rinsects lnd 111 ites reported as p~sts of cardamom ill India the more important ones are () thrips (2) hai ry caterpillars (3) shoot and capsule borer (4) capsule borers (5) shootfLy (6) root borer (7) vhite flies (8) rhi zome vveevil and (9) mites

Ju 61 Thrips (Sciothrips cardarnomi) Thrips are the most destructive and pcrsi) tent pests of cardamom plants They brc~d insi de thl Iclf shea tIl s spindle of the pseudoshystem bracls pCltanth and novcr tubes Adult thrips are greyish brown in colour and measure 12-15 mm

Pr length They complete one life cycle in 27--30 days

Sr K - 10shy

Both lhe adults alld nymphs suck up sap and caUSi damage to leaves shoot inflorescence and capsules When the damage on capsules is very severe there ii enorm ous rconomic loss While feeding these insects lacerate the surface tissues of tender capsules causing injuries which develop as corky encrustations on pods These capsules appear stun te d malformed aT d shrivelled with gaping slits on the outer skin The seeds from such capsules are poor in aroma and few in number with low germination As a result of infestation the panicles become stunted with shedding offlowers and immature capsules red ueing the total num ber of capsules formed The extent of damage in terms of quality and quantity of the produce may go even up to 80-90 in some endeshymic areas In the field pest population is seen maximum during December-April Among the 3 varieties of cardamom Mysore recorded maximum capsule infestashyt ion w hile Vazhukka recorded maximum pseudostem inrestation

Contro l A package of the following practices has to be followed for an effective control of the pest (a) Regulashytion of shade in thickly shaded areas (b) removal of collateral hosts ofpest which include weeds like Pallicum ongipes and plants belonging to the genera Amomum Aframomum Hedychillm Romesatia Colocasia Aocasia Musa Zingiba Curcuma Costus Clobba and Crinum (c) spraying of insecticides like quinalphos (Ekalux) or dimethoate (Rogar)or methyl parathion (Metacid) at 005 or phosalone (zolone) at 007 concentration during March April May August and September In Kerala 7 iOunds of spraying per year are recommended

62 Hairy caterpillars These are the second major pests of cardamom and they are cyclic in nature middotappearing

11shy

I

p sporadically Seven species of hairy caterpillars have heen found to cause damage to cardamom plants TheD more potential enemies among them are EupteroteD

CI cardamomi E canarca and L~onodra vitfata These K appear sporudicalJy in enormous populations at intervals K of several years and cause untold havoc by the total

defoliation of plantation Caterpillars are gregarIous in habit and they congregate on the trunks of shade trees during day time and drop on The cardamom plants during night time lhe adult moths which merge in JuneJuly lay eggs in masses (300-800 eggs) on the undershy

TI surface of leaves of shade trees Eggs hatch in 13--20 d~

days and larval stage extends up to 97 -- 150 days with aB( number of instals Pupal periods lasts for 7- 8 monthsSc

U UsuaIJy the damage is observed during Octobershyur December

Control Dusting with BHe 10 dust in equal proportions or spraying one of the contact insecticides like methyl parathion (Metacid) O1 or quinalphos (Ekalux )005 are effective in controlling the pest To get 3 satisfactory

E( control of the pest it is essential to treat tho~( shade trees

M where caterpillars congregate in masses Mechanica I control of the larvae in masses luring the adults by light traps andK killing them can suppress the pest population

6 3 Shoot alld capsule borer (Dicho crocis pUllC~realis )

The pest attacks young pseudostems panicls and succul~nt capsules of grown up plants It also attack s

Ju seedlings of both primary and secondary nursery beds The adult is a medium sized yellow moth with a number of dark spots on wings Eggs are laid mostly on the top leaf of young pseudostem The pest completes one life cycle in 25-40 d ays The caterpillars bore into the central core of the pseudostems resulting in the death of central

Pr

spi laule and development of characteristic dead heart symptom In the case of capsules the caterp iJlars bore into them and feed on the seeds rendering them emptymiddot Extrusion of frass through the bore hole is the typical indication of the shoot borer infestation Mysorr varifty is found to be more susceptible

Control The pest can be effectively controlled by dusting 10 BHC or spraying monocrotophos (nuvacron) at 005 strength In addition to this removal of affected shoots having larvae and alternate host plants of the pest belongshying to the gel1~ra Alpinia Amomul11 Hedychium Aframoshymum Curcuma and Zi1giber from the planta tion will help to reduce the pest population

64 Capsule borer - a) Lycaenid borer (Jamides sp) Of all the insect enemies this is the most destructive pes t a ttackin g the cardamom plantatiom in Karnataka The caterpillars bore and feed on the flower buds flowers and capsules The adult butterflies lay eggs singly on all parts of in florescence The attacked capsules fail to develop The affected capsules are empty with a circular hole turn yellowish-brown which eventually decay and drop off in the rainy season The incidence of the pest is high from June till September Often the butterfly activity and maximum damage are seen in the bearing clumps especishyally in open pa tches where the sunlight is more Each larva damages 25-27 capsules during 18-20 days of its larval period This pest also breeds well on the inflorescence of different species of Amomum Hydychium and Apifia

Control Spraying with quinalphos or methyl parathion 05~~or carbaryl 01 ~~ during early blossoming period will help in reducing the damage

h Scolytid borer (Thamurgides cardamomi) This is a tiny dark brown cylindrical beetle with hairs all over the

Sr middot-13shy-12shyK

CI

body Both the adults and larvae are assoiated I It hPL

damage to capsules The beetIc drills into the immature D cardamom pods be lore the seeds turn black The holesD

are made at right angles to the plane as if shot by a bullet K The adults feed on the mucilage and white seeds and lay K eggs inside The larvae fCtd on the content and pupate

inside The damage due to this pest was found to be very high during July- August and particularly in the thickly shaded dark and damp val lies The clumps growing under the l1 atuTll shad e of Hanalthare tree (Tcrminalia sp ) and the panicles covered under nalmal leaf mulch

Tl suffer heavy damage Tenninalia tree serves as alternate dl host and the pest attacks its fruit s during off season ofBe Sc cardamom crop

U Control Judicious shade regulations coupled with s prayshyU[

ing with contact insecticides like quinalphos methyl parathion 005 ~~ during the crop period wiJ] help in reducing the damage due to thi s pest

65 Shootfly (Forrn asillLl flavipes) The shootfly larvae feed on the growing shoo t of the young cardamom suckers

Ec in the new plantation and ca lis e d ead heart The adult M fly lays cigar shaped white eggs in between th e kafsheath K and pscudostem on the top whorl from the margin either

singly or ill rows of 4 -6 eggs The emerging larva feeds on the central soft ti ssue Dnd pupates insid e the shoot usually at the base The damage is almost ltonfined to the newly planted clump~ The pest activity st arts during November and reaches its peak in the rnontbs of Marchshy

Ju April The pest disappears by May -June conciding with heavy parasiti sation by braconid parasite ith the onset of monsoon Nearly 50 - 60~ ~ of the clumps are affected due to this pes t resulting in gaps The severity of the pest is known to be more in the open areas where there is inadequate shade in the newly planted gardens

Pr Sf -14shyK

Cntrol I) Rem ove the affected shoots at ground level and destroy them 2) Spray dimcthoate or qu inalphos or methyl parathion 005 or apply CaTbofuran 3 G

20-25 kgha to get satisfactory control of the pest 3) Provide sufficient shade in the plantation

66 Root borer (Hilarograplza caminodes) The mOlh lays eggs on the exposed portions of root Tb e larvae th a t hatch out bore into the root making tunnel filled wi th frass the roots start dying fr om the tip backward s as shyresult of injury made by the pest The infestation rcsul ts in weakening of the plants considerably

The control measures suggested against nursery rhizome weevil (see 68 below) will be effective for this pest also

67 White flies (Dialourodes cardamomi) The pest has become a serious problem in some cardamom growing tracts of Kcrala Pest infestation is seen maximum during dry months Damage to the plant is cau sed by the depleshytion of sap from leaves In severe infest a tions the leaves become yellowish and the vigour and vitality of the plant get considerably reduced

The pest ca n be controlled by spraying methyl dimeton (metasys[ox) demethoate (Rogar) or phcsphamishydon (Dimecron) at 0 05 ~lt- concentration on the foliage

68 Rhizome wee vil (Prodioces haematicus) The adult weevil is brown and lay eggs in punctures made by it on the exposed port ion of the rhizome The grubs of this weevil tunnel into the rhizome a nd calise extensive damage The pest b~com es a serious menace in secondary nursery during Novcmber --January It becomes a problem in nurseries where the same site has been used for a number of years

- 15shy

C

Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

-17shy

CI

Ppound 43 Nursery D 431 Nursery site It is advantageous to select the D nursery site on gcntlr slopy lands having an easy access

K to a water source pound11 certain areas in Coorg the paddy fields are used by providing adequate drainage TheK nursery area should be cleared of all vegetation stumps roots stonesmiddot etc Raised bed$ are prepared after digging the land to a depth of 30-45 em The beds of 1 m width and convenieIlt length raised to a height of about 30 cm arc prepared A fine Jayer of humus-rich

TI forest soil is spread over the beds The treatment of dl b~ds with formaldehyde is essential when same nursery Be site is used repeatedly Drenching of soil in the seed Sc bed to a depth of 15 cm with I 50 formaldehyde solushyU U(

tion is found to be effective in controlling the damping off seedlings After this beds are to be covered with polythene sheets for 3 days for effective fumigation The seeds are sown after two weeks

432 Seed selection and seed treatment Seed capsules are selected from healthy and high yielding clumps

E Seeds are to be collected from well ripe capsules Immediately after harvesting the husk is removed andM

K the seeds are washed repeatedly in water for removing the mucilaginous coating After draining the water the seeds are to be mixed with woodash and dried in shade for a day In order to ensure uniform and early germination seeds should be sown immediately after extraction If the sewing season is delayed presowing

JIJ treatment of seeds with acid is advisable to get a quick and higher germination Seeds are to be treated with 25 nitric acid for 10 minutes to soften the seed coat and are washed thoroughly in running watcr for 30 minutes to remove the traces of acid Seeds thus treated should be sown immed iately Prolonged storage of

PI seeds after dehusking adversely affects the germination Sf K -4shy

43 3 Sowing The time of sowing varies according to areas Second fortnight of August September and early part of October are found to be ideal for sowing in Karnataka The germination will be poor if the sowing is delayed beyond October In Kerala however sowing is taken up even during NovembermiddotmiddotJanuary

Sowing of seeds is done in rows spaced 15 em apart and ] middot-2 cm apart within a row The common seed rate is 2 g per sqm for raising directly 10 months old seedlings and 10 g per sq m for transplanting to secondary nursery to raise 18- 22 months old s~edlings After sowing thin layer of fine sand or soil is covered and pressed gently Deep sowing of seeds bas to be avoided for better and quick germination Seed beds are to be dusted with BHC ]0 at the rate 60g5 sqm to prevent termites attack Beds are mulched to a thickness of 2 cm with paddy straw or Potha grass (Granotia stricta) or 10cDIly available material Thereshyafter beds are watered daily The germination commences in about 30 days and may continue for a month or two After germination the mulch is to be removed

43 4 Erection of pandal To protect seedlings from sun shade has to be provided by erecting a pandal Normally an overhead pandal to a height of 6-7is quite desirable Bam boos o~ the locally available wooden poles may be used for erecting the pandal It is advantageous to provide a net work of GI wire on the pandal and then cover with materials like coir mat knitted coconut fronds or locally available tree twigs which do not shed their leaves easily The coir mat is preferred as it allows uniform filtered sunlight which is most desirable for the growth of seedlings

435 Th inn ing and earthing up The excess seedlings are to be th inned out after 75-80 days of sowing The

-5shy

C

p thinned out seedlings may be used for gap filling with D in the nursery bed or for raising secondary nursery o When the seedlings attain 5middot-6 leaf stage light earthing

up is to be done This would encourage better tillering

K K

and proper growth of seedlings

436 Secondary nursery Generally in Kcrala and Tamil Nad u regions the seed lings arc transplanted to the secondary nursery when they attain four to six leaf stage The seedlings at this stage can withstand transshyplanting shock and establish well On an average 10

TI secondary beds are required for transplanting the seedshydl

lings from one bed of primary nursery The beds areBf prepared in the same manner as for 1he primarySc

U nursery A layer of well decomposed farm yard U( manure and wood ash may be spread over the secondary

nursery beds and mixed with the top J5 COl of soil Seedlings are transplanted in March- May at a spacing of 20 x 20 cm and mulched immediately Beds have to be covered with an over head pandal and are watered regularly

E

M 5 Establishing plantation K In Karnataka 10-month-old seedlings are used

for planting in the main field while in Kerala and Tamil Nadu 18 month - old seedlings are commonly used Seedlings raised in polythene bags ensure better field establishment

Ju 51 Preparation of land The initial work consists of clearing all under growth and thinmng out excess shade trees or branches in order to have an even overhead canopy If the land is slopy it is advisable to start the clearing from top downwards Pits of 45 x 45 x 30 cm size may be dug in April-May and filled with a

PI mixture of top soil and compost or well rotten farm Sr K -6shy

yard manure In slopy land contour tarraees may be made sufficiently in advance and rits may be taken along the contour Close planting (2m x 1m) is advisable along the contour The spacing adopted for IVlalabar type is 2) 2 m between plants and roWs in Karnataka In Kerala region 2-3 m from plant to plant and row to row is to be adopted The lines should be taken across the slope to minimise the soil erosion and to conserve moisture Staggered trenches may be taken across the slope The soil cole~ted in trenches may be utilised for earthing up during the post-monsoon period

52 Planting The normal season for planting is the rainy season commencing from Tune The ideal time for planting in the low lying areas would be affer the cessation of heavy monsoon showers Adequate drainshya ge has to be provided by opening the main and subsidiary drainage cbmll1c1s at appropriate intervals Cloudy days with light drizzles are ideal Cor planting

The usual practice is to make a small depression in the filled up soil and plant the seedlings up to collar region in the depression Deep planting shouid be avoided as it results in suppression of the growth of new shoots and may cause death of phmts due to decaying of underground rhizomes lrnmediet~ly after planting they should be supported by stakes and mulched

53 Cultural practices A regular schedule of cultural practices consisting of weeding mulching trashing shade regulation measures fertiliser application irrigashytion etc may be taken up from time to time for maintaining a good cardamom plantation a Mulching Make use of naturally fallen leaves of the shade trees for mulching Sufficient mulch should be applied after final round of harvesting to redu(e the

-7 shy

Pt iiI effect of drought which prevails for neady 4-5 months D in summer Exposing the panicle over the ll11ilch is D bcneflcial for bee pollinatioll Ci Kl h Weeding In the fIrst year of planting frequent K weeding is quite essential to eliminate rcot competition

between the cardamom s~edlings and the leeds Subshysequently depending upon the intensity of weeds 2 to 3 rounds of weeding in a yenr w()uldbe necessary The first round of weeding is to be carried in May-June the second in August - September and the third in

TI December-January In slopy lnd slash weeding is to dl be done to prevent soil erosio1 The weeds removedBe

may be heaped in the space between roWs and afterS( U decay they may be used as mulch U(

Weedicides can also be used for controlling weeds in the cardamom estates Spraying of weedicides like paraquat (Gramaxollc) may be done oniy in the inter spaces bet ween ros leaving 60 em around the plant base On an average 625 ml of paraquat in SUO litres of water is sufficient for one rOllnd of application

Ec per hectare Carcent should be taken to avoid spray drift

M to any part of cardamom plant Spraying may be taken K

up both in pre and post monsoon periods

c Trashin~ Trashing consists of removing old and drying shoots of the plant It should be carried out once in a year with the onset of monsoon

Ju d Shade regulation Light shade is more favourable in the initial stages to enhance vegetative growth In areas having sparse tree growth suitable quick growing shade trees have to be planted Permanent shade trees such as red cedar (Cedrella loona) Balangi (Acrocarpus fraxinifolillS) jack (Anocarpus heferophyllllS) or EJanhi

PI (Mesopsis eminie) would be sljtable The shade trees Sr K -8shy

like red cedar which shed their leaves in monsoon provide natural shade re gulation Tall trees havin g well distributed branching habit and small leaves are ideal for cardamom Tern porary shade trees like Erythrina sp can be removed hy the time the permanent shade trees develop sufficient canopy There shoul d be sufficient shade by the time the summer starts for providing protection from the hot SLln

In order to provide adequate light during monshySOOI1 shade regulation may be taken before thc onset of monsoon (May) The fallen shade trees shouldce removed immediately and fast growing shade trees may be planted in vacant areas Two tier conopy is dEsirable with a height not more than 3 m between the lower and higher conopy Areas exposed to western side should have more shade

e Earthing up A thin layer of fresh fertile soil rich in organic matter may be provided to the base of the clump covering up to the collar region by scraping between the rows or collecting soil from staggered trenchescheck pits The thin layer of soil applied in the centre of cillmps will not only keep thcm intact and cover the exposed roots but also will check walking habit of cardamom Care mllst be taken not to heap up the soil above collar region of the clump iest it tilts up the plant in course of time

f Irrigation In order to overcome the after effect of dry spell during summer it is necessary to irrigate the crop to get maximum production Depending on the moisture holding capacity of soil and topography of the estates they may be irrigated at an interval of 10-15 days till the onset of monsoon Regular irrigation (1-15 inches per irrigation) will help the initiation of panicles flowering and fruit setting

-9shy

PL 54 Manuring Considering the absorption of nutrient)

D by cardamom an d the factors a treciing the availability D of nutrients in soils a fertiliser dose of 75 kg N 75 kg C PO i and 150 kg K10 per h3 is recommended under K irrigated condition for high yielding plantations yieldshyK ing 100 kgha and above A fertilizer d o st of 3060 30

kgha is recommended for garde11S in Kerala Organic manures in the form of cattle manure or compost is iven at the rate of 5 kg per clump

Fertiliser is applied in two split doses The first application during ~middotIay will help in the production of

TI suckers and development o f capsules ~nd the seconddl

Be application during late Scptenlber to help the initiation Sc of panicles and Slickers Only half the dose of fertilizer U is to be applied during the first year and full dose is ur given from second year onwards

Cardamom is a surface feed~r hence deep placeshyment of fertiliser is not advisable The fertilisers is applied at a radius of 30 cm where most of the roots are present After applying the fertiliser it should be mixed and incorporated in the soil without distllrbing

E( the rootS M K 6 Pests

Among the 46 species 0 rinsects lnd 111 ites reported as p~sts of cardamom ill India the more important ones are () thrips (2) hai ry caterpillars (3) shoot and capsule borer (4) capsule borers (5) shootfLy (6) root borer (7) vhite flies (8) rhi zome vveevil and (9) mites

Ju 61 Thrips (Sciothrips cardarnomi) Thrips are the most destructive and pcrsi) tent pests of cardamom plants They brc~d insi de thl Iclf shea tIl s spindle of the pseudoshystem bracls pCltanth and novcr tubes Adult thrips are greyish brown in colour and measure 12-15 mm

Pr length They complete one life cycle in 27--30 days

Sr K - 10shy

Both lhe adults alld nymphs suck up sap and caUSi damage to leaves shoot inflorescence and capsules When the damage on capsules is very severe there ii enorm ous rconomic loss While feeding these insects lacerate the surface tissues of tender capsules causing injuries which develop as corky encrustations on pods These capsules appear stun te d malformed aT d shrivelled with gaping slits on the outer skin The seeds from such capsules are poor in aroma and few in number with low germination As a result of infestation the panicles become stunted with shedding offlowers and immature capsules red ueing the total num ber of capsules formed The extent of damage in terms of quality and quantity of the produce may go even up to 80-90 in some endeshymic areas In the field pest population is seen maximum during December-April Among the 3 varieties of cardamom Mysore recorded maximum capsule infestashyt ion w hile Vazhukka recorded maximum pseudostem inrestation

Contro l A package of the following practices has to be followed for an effective control of the pest (a) Regulashytion of shade in thickly shaded areas (b) removal of collateral hosts ofpest which include weeds like Pallicum ongipes and plants belonging to the genera Amomum Aframomum Hedychillm Romesatia Colocasia Aocasia Musa Zingiba Curcuma Costus Clobba and Crinum (c) spraying of insecticides like quinalphos (Ekalux) or dimethoate (Rogar)or methyl parathion (Metacid) at 005 or phosalone (zolone) at 007 concentration during March April May August and September In Kerala 7 iOunds of spraying per year are recommended

62 Hairy caterpillars These are the second major pests of cardamom and they are cyclic in nature middotappearing

11shy

I

p sporadically Seven species of hairy caterpillars have heen found to cause damage to cardamom plants TheD more potential enemies among them are EupteroteD

CI cardamomi E canarca and L~onodra vitfata These K appear sporudicalJy in enormous populations at intervals K of several years and cause untold havoc by the total

defoliation of plantation Caterpillars are gregarIous in habit and they congregate on the trunks of shade trees during day time and drop on The cardamom plants during night time lhe adult moths which merge in JuneJuly lay eggs in masses (300-800 eggs) on the undershy

TI surface of leaves of shade trees Eggs hatch in 13--20 d~

days and larval stage extends up to 97 -- 150 days with aB( number of instals Pupal periods lasts for 7- 8 monthsSc

U UsuaIJy the damage is observed during Octobershyur December

Control Dusting with BHe 10 dust in equal proportions or spraying one of the contact insecticides like methyl parathion (Metacid) O1 or quinalphos (Ekalux )005 are effective in controlling the pest To get 3 satisfactory

E( control of the pest it is essential to treat tho~( shade trees

M where caterpillars congregate in masses Mechanica I control of the larvae in masses luring the adults by light traps andK killing them can suppress the pest population

6 3 Shoot alld capsule borer (Dicho crocis pUllC~realis )

The pest attacks young pseudostems panicls and succul~nt capsules of grown up plants It also attack s

Ju seedlings of both primary and secondary nursery beds The adult is a medium sized yellow moth with a number of dark spots on wings Eggs are laid mostly on the top leaf of young pseudostem The pest completes one life cycle in 25-40 d ays The caterpillars bore into the central core of the pseudostems resulting in the death of central

Pr

spi laule and development of characteristic dead heart symptom In the case of capsules the caterp iJlars bore into them and feed on the seeds rendering them emptymiddot Extrusion of frass through the bore hole is the typical indication of the shoot borer infestation Mysorr varifty is found to be more susceptible

Control The pest can be effectively controlled by dusting 10 BHC or spraying monocrotophos (nuvacron) at 005 strength In addition to this removal of affected shoots having larvae and alternate host plants of the pest belongshying to the gel1~ra Alpinia Amomul11 Hedychium Aframoshymum Curcuma and Zi1giber from the planta tion will help to reduce the pest population

64 Capsule borer - a) Lycaenid borer (Jamides sp) Of all the insect enemies this is the most destructive pes t a ttackin g the cardamom plantatiom in Karnataka The caterpillars bore and feed on the flower buds flowers and capsules The adult butterflies lay eggs singly on all parts of in florescence The attacked capsules fail to develop The affected capsules are empty with a circular hole turn yellowish-brown which eventually decay and drop off in the rainy season The incidence of the pest is high from June till September Often the butterfly activity and maximum damage are seen in the bearing clumps especishyally in open pa tches where the sunlight is more Each larva damages 25-27 capsules during 18-20 days of its larval period This pest also breeds well on the inflorescence of different species of Amomum Hydychium and Apifia

Control Spraying with quinalphos or methyl parathion 05~~or carbaryl 01 ~~ during early blossoming period will help in reducing the damage

h Scolytid borer (Thamurgides cardamomi) This is a tiny dark brown cylindrical beetle with hairs all over the

Sr middot-13shy-12shyK

CI

body Both the adults and larvae are assoiated I It hPL

damage to capsules The beetIc drills into the immature D cardamom pods be lore the seeds turn black The holesD

are made at right angles to the plane as if shot by a bullet K The adults feed on the mucilage and white seeds and lay K eggs inside The larvae fCtd on the content and pupate

inside The damage due to this pest was found to be very high during July- August and particularly in the thickly shaded dark and damp val lies The clumps growing under the l1 atuTll shad e of Hanalthare tree (Tcrminalia sp ) and the panicles covered under nalmal leaf mulch

Tl suffer heavy damage Tenninalia tree serves as alternate dl host and the pest attacks its fruit s during off season ofBe Sc cardamom crop

U Control Judicious shade regulations coupled with s prayshyU[

ing with contact insecticides like quinalphos methyl parathion 005 ~~ during the crop period wiJ] help in reducing the damage due to thi s pest

65 Shootfly (Forrn asillLl flavipes) The shootfly larvae feed on the growing shoo t of the young cardamom suckers

Ec in the new plantation and ca lis e d ead heart The adult M fly lays cigar shaped white eggs in between th e kafsheath K and pscudostem on the top whorl from the margin either

singly or ill rows of 4 -6 eggs The emerging larva feeds on the central soft ti ssue Dnd pupates insid e the shoot usually at the base The damage is almost ltonfined to the newly planted clump~ The pest activity st arts during November and reaches its peak in the rnontbs of Marchshy

Ju April The pest disappears by May -June conciding with heavy parasiti sation by braconid parasite ith the onset of monsoon Nearly 50 - 60~ ~ of the clumps are affected due to this pes t resulting in gaps The severity of the pest is known to be more in the open areas where there is inadequate shade in the newly planted gardens

Pr Sf -14shyK

Cntrol I) Rem ove the affected shoots at ground level and destroy them 2) Spray dimcthoate or qu inalphos or methyl parathion 005 or apply CaTbofuran 3 G

20-25 kgha to get satisfactory control of the pest 3) Provide sufficient shade in the plantation

66 Root borer (Hilarograplza caminodes) The mOlh lays eggs on the exposed portions of root Tb e larvae th a t hatch out bore into the root making tunnel filled wi th frass the roots start dying fr om the tip backward s as shyresult of injury made by the pest The infestation rcsul ts in weakening of the plants considerably

The control measures suggested against nursery rhizome weevil (see 68 below) will be effective for this pest also

67 White flies (Dialourodes cardamomi) The pest has become a serious problem in some cardamom growing tracts of Kcrala Pest infestation is seen maximum during dry months Damage to the plant is cau sed by the depleshytion of sap from leaves In severe infest a tions the leaves become yellowish and the vigour and vitality of the plant get considerably reduced

The pest ca n be controlled by spraying methyl dimeton (metasys[ox) demethoate (Rogar) or phcsphamishydon (Dimecron) at 0 05 ~lt- concentration on the foliage

68 Rhizome wee vil (Prodioces haematicus) The adult weevil is brown and lay eggs in punctures made by it on the exposed port ion of the rhizome The grubs of this weevil tunnel into the rhizome a nd calise extensive damage The pest b~com es a serious menace in secondary nursery during Novcmber --January It becomes a problem in nurseries where the same site has been used for a number of years

- 15shy

C

Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

-17shy

C

p thinned out seedlings may be used for gap filling with D in the nursery bed or for raising secondary nursery o When the seedlings attain 5middot-6 leaf stage light earthing

up is to be done This would encourage better tillering

K K

and proper growth of seedlings

436 Secondary nursery Generally in Kcrala and Tamil Nad u regions the seed lings arc transplanted to the secondary nursery when they attain four to six leaf stage The seedlings at this stage can withstand transshyplanting shock and establish well On an average 10

TI secondary beds are required for transplanting the seedshydl

lings from one bed of primary nursery The beds areBf prepared in the same manner as for 1he primarySc

U nursery A layer of well decomposed farm yard U( manure and wood ash may be spread over the secondary

nursery beds and mixed with the top J5 COl of soil Seedlings are transplanted in March- May at a spacing of 20 x 20 cm and mulched immediately Beds have to be covered with an over head pandal and are watered regularly

E

M 5 Establishing plantation K In Karnataka 10-month-old seedlings are used

for planting in the main field while in Kerala and Tamil Nadu 18 month - old seedlings are commonly used Seedlings raised in polythene bags ensure better field establishment

Ju 51 Preparation of land The initial work consists of clearing all under growth and thinmng out excess shade trees or branches in order to have an even overhead canopy If the land is slopy it is advisable to start the clearing from top downwards Pits of 45 x 45 x 30 cm size may be dug in April-May and filled with a

PI mixture of top soil and compost or well rotten farm Sr K -6shy

yard manure In slopy land contour tarraees may be made sufficiently in advance and rits may be taken along the contour Close planting (2m x 1m) is advisable along the contour The spacing adopted for IVlalabar type is 2) 2 m between plants and roWs in Karnataka In Kerala region 2-3 m from plant to plant and row to row is to be adopted The lines should be taken across the slope to minimise the soil erosion and to conserve moisture Staggered trenches may be taken across the slope The soil cole~ted in trenches may be utilised for earthing up during the post-monsoon period

52 Planting The normal season for planting is the rainy season commencing from Tune The ideal time for planting in the low lying areas would be affer the cessation of heavy monsoon showers Adequate drainshya ge has to be provided by opening the main and subsidiary drainage cbmll1c1s at appropriate intervals Cloudy days with light drizzles are ideal Cor planting

The usual practice is to make a small depression in the filled up soil and plant the seedlings up to collar region in the depression Deep planting shouid be avoided as it results in suppression of the growth of new shoots and may cause death of phmts due to decaying of underground rhizomes lrnmediet~ly after planting they should be supported by stakes and mulched

53 Cultural practices A regular schedule of cultural practices consisting of weeding mulching trashing shade regulation measures fertiliser application irrigashytion etc may be taken up from time to time for maintaining a good cardamom plantation a Mulching Make use of naturally fallen leaves of the shade trees for mulching Sufficient mulch should be applied after final round of harvesting to redu(e the

-7 shy

Pt iiI effect of drought which prevails for neady 4-5 months D in summer Exposing the panicle over the ll11ilch is D bcneflcial for bee pollinatioll Ci Kl h Weeding In the fIrst year of planting frequent K weeding is quite essential to eliminate rcot competition

between the cardamom s~edlings and the leeds Subshysequently depending upon the intensity of weeds 2 to 3 rounds of weeding in a yenr w()uldbe necessary The first round of weeding is to be carried in May-June the second in August - September and the third in

TI December-January In slopy lnd slash weeding is to dl be done to prevent soil erosio1 The weeds removedBe

may be heaped in the space between roWs and afterS( U decay they may be used as mulch U(

Weedicides can also be used for controlling weeds in the cardamom estates Spraying of weedicides like paraquat (Gramaxollc) may be done oniy in the inter spaces bet ween ros leaving 60 em around the plant base On an average 625 ml of paraquat in SUO litres of water is sufficient for one rOllnd of application

Ec per hectare Carcent should be taken to avoid spray drift

M to any part of cardamom plant Spraying may be taken K

up both in pre and post monsoon periods

c Trashin~ Trashing consists of removing old and drying shoots of the plant It should be carried out once in a year with the onset of monsoon

Ju d Shade regulation Light shade is more favourable in the initial stages to enhance vegetative growth In areas having sparse tree growth suitable quick growing shade trees have to be planted Permanent shade trees such as red cedar (Cedrella loona) Balangi (Acrocarpus fraxinifolillS) jack (Anocarpus heferophyllllS) or EJanhi

PI (Mesopsis eminie) would be sljtable The shade trees Sr K -8shy

like red cedar which shed their leaves in monsoon provide natural shade re gulation Tall trees havin g well distributed branching habit and small leaves are ideal for cardamom Tern porary shade trees like Erythrina sp can be removed hy the time the permanent shade trees develop sufficient canopy There shoul d be sufficient shade by the time the summer starts for providing protection from the hot SLln

In order to provide adequate light during monshySOOI1 shade regulation may be taken before thc onset of monsoon (May) The fallen shade trees shouldce removed immediately and fast growing shade trees may be planted in vacant areas Two tier conopy is dEsirable with a height not more than 3 m between the lower and higher conopy Areas exposed to western side should have more shade

e Earthing up A thin layer of fresh fertile soil rich in organic matter may be provided to the base of the clump covering up to the collar region by scraping between the rows or collecting soil from staggered trenchescheck pits The thin layer of soil applied in the centre of cillmps will not only keep thcm intact and cover the exposed roots but also will check walking habit of cardamom Care mllst be taken not to heap up the soil above collar region of the clump iest it tilts up the plant in course of time

f Irrigation In order to overcome the after effect of dry spell during summer it is necessary to irrigate the crop to get maximum production Depending on the moisture holding capacity of soil and topography of the estates they may be irrigated at an interval of 10-15 days till the onset of monsoon Regular irrigation (1-15 inches per irrigation) will help the initiation of panicles flowering and fruit setting

-9shy

PL 54 Manuring Considering the absorption of nutrient)

D by cardamom an d the factors a treciing the availability D of nutrients in soils a fertiliser dose of 75 kg N 75 kg C PO i and 150 kg K10 per h3 is recommended under K irrigated condition for high yielding plantations yieldshyK ing 100 kgha and above A fertilizer d o st of 3060 30

kgha is recommended for garde11S in Kerala Organic manures in the form of cattle manure or compost is iven at the rate of 5 kg per clump

Fertiliser is applied in two split doses The first application during ~middotIay will help in the production of

TI suckers and development o f capsules ~nd the seconddl

Be application during late Scptenlber to help the initiation Sc of panicles and Slickers Only half the dose of fertilizer U is to be applied during the first year and full dose is ur given from second year onwards

Cardamom is a surface feed~r hence deep placeshyment of fertiliser is not advisable The fertilisers is applied at a radius of 30 cm where most of the roots are present After applying the fertiliser it should be mixed and incorporated in the soil without distllrbing

E( the rootS M K 6 Pests

Among the 46 species 0 rinsects lnd 111 ites reported as p~sts of cardamom ill India the more important ones are () thrips (2) hai ry caterpillars (3) shoot and capsule borer (4) capsule borers (5) shootfLy (6) root borer (7) vhite flies (8) rhi zome vveevil and (9) mites

Ju 61 Thrips (Sciothrips cardarnomi) Thrips are the most destructive and pcrsi) tent pests of cardamom plants They brc~d insi de thl Iclf shea tIl s spindle of the pseudoshystem bracls pCltanth and novcr tubes Adult thrips are greyish brown in colour and measure 12-15 mm

Pr length They complete one life cycle in 27--30 days

Sr K - 10shy

Both lhe adults alld nymphs suck up sap and caUSi damage to leaves shoot inflorescence and capsules When the damage on capsules is very severe there ii enorm ous rconomic loss While feeding these insects lacerate the surface tissues of tender capsules causing injuries which develop as corky encrustations on pods These capsules appear stun te d malformed aT d shrivelled with gaping slits on the outer skin The seeds from such capsules are poor in aroma and few in number with low germination As a result of infestation the panicles become stunted with shedding offlowers and immature capsules red ueing the total num ber of capsules formed The extent of damage in terms of quality and quantity of the produce may go even up to 80-90 in some endeshymic areas In the field pest population is seen maximum during December-April Among the 3 varieties of cardamom Mysore recorded maximum capsule infestashyt ion w hile Vazhukka recorded maximum pseudostem inrestation

Contro l A package of the following practices has to be followed for an effective control of the pest (a) Regulashytion of shade in thickly shaded areas (b) removal of collateral hosts ofpest which include weeds like Pallicum ongipes and plants belonging to the genera Amomum Aframomum Hedychillm Romesatia Colocasia Aocasia Musa Zingiba Curcuma Costus Clobba and Crinum (c) spraying of insecticides like quinalphos (Ekalux) or dimethoate (Rogar)or methyl parathion (Metacid) at 005 or phosalone (zolone) at 007 concentration during March April May August and September In Kerala 7 iOunds of spraying per year are recommended

62 Hairy caterpillars These are the second major pests of cardamom and they are cyclic in nature middotappearing

11shy

I

p sporadically Seven species of hairy caterpillars have heen found to cause damage to cardamom plants TheD more potential enemies among them are EupteroteD

CI cardamomi E canarca and L~onodra vitfata These K appear sporudicalJy in enormous populations at intervals K of several years and cause untold havoc by the total

defoliation of plantation Caterpillars are gregarIous in habit and they congregate on the trunks of shade trees during day time and drop on The cardamom plants during night time lhe adult moths which merge in JuneJuly lay eggs in masses (300-800 eggs) on the undershy

TI surface of leaves of shade trees Eggs hatch in 13--20 d~

days and larval stage extends up to 97 -- 150 days with aB( number of instals Pupal periods lasts for 7- 8 monthsSc

U UsuaIJy the damage is observed during Octobershyur December

Control Dusting with BHe 10 dust in equal proportions or spraying one of the contact insecticides like methyl parathion (Metacid) O1 or quinalphos (Ekalux )005 are effective in controlling the pest To get 3 satisfactory

E( control of the pest it is essential to treat tho~( shade trees

M where caterpillars congregate in masses Mechanica I control of the larvae in masses luring the adults by light traps andK killing them can suppress the pest population

6 3 Shoot alld capsule borer (Dicho crocis pUllC~realis )

The pest attacks young pseudostems panicls and succul~nt capsules of grown up plants It also attack s

Ju seedlings of both primary and secondary nursery beds The adult is a medium sized yellow moth with a number of dark spots on wings Eggs are laid mostly on the top leaf of young pseudostem The pest completes one life cycle in 25-40 d ays The caterpillars bore into the central core of the pseudostems resulting in the death of central

Pr

spi laule and development of characteristic dead heart symptom In the case of capsules the caterp iJlars bore into them and feed on the seeds rendering them emptymiddot Extrusion of frass through the bore hole is the typical indication of the shoot borer infestation Mysorr varifty is found to be more susceptible

Control The pest can be effectively controlled by dusting 10 BHC or spraying monocrotophos (nuvacron) at 005 strength In addition to this removal of affected shoots having larvae and alternate host plants of the pest belongshying to the gel1~ra Alpinia Amomul11 Hedychium Aframoshymum Curcuma and Zi1giber from the planta tion will help to reduce the pest population

64 Capsule borer - a) Lycaenid borer (Jamides sp) Of all the insect enemies this is the most destructive pes t a ttackin g the cardamom plantatiom in Karnataka The caterpillars bore and feed on the flower buds flowers and capsules The adult butterflies lay eggs singly on all parts of in florescence The attacked capsules fail to develop The affected capsules are empty with a circular hole turn yellowish-brown which eventually decay and drop off in the rainy season The incidence of the pest is high from June till September Often the butterfly activity and maximum damage are seen in the bearing clumps especishyally in open pa tches where the sunlight is more Each larva damages 25-27 capsules during 18-20 days of its larval period This pest also breeds well on the inflorescence of different species of Amomum Hydychium and Apifia

Control Spraying with quinalphos or methyl parathion 05~~or carbaryl 01 ~~ during early blossoming period will help in reducing the damage

h Scolytid borer (Thamurgides cardamomi) This is a tiny dark brown cylindrical beetle with hairs all over the

Sr middot-13shy-12shyK

CI

body Both the adults and larvae are assoiated I It hPL

damage to capsules The beetIc drills into the immature D cardamom pods be lore the seeds turn black The holesD

are made at right angles to the plane as if shot by a bullet K The adults feed on the mucilage and white seeds and lay K eggs inside The larvae fCtd on the content and pupate

inside The damage due to this pest was found to be very high during July- August and particularly in the thickly shaded dark and damp val lies The clumps growing under the l1 atuTll shad e of Hanalthare tree (Tcrminalia sp ) and the panicles covered under nalmal leaf mulch

Tl suffer heavy damage Tenninalia tree serves as alternate dl host and the pest attacks its fruit s during off season ofBe Sc cardamom crop

U Control Judicious shade regulations coupled with s prayshyU[

ing with contact insecticides like quinalphos methyl parathion 005 ~~ during the crop period wiJ] help in reducing the damage due to thi s pest

65 Shootfly (Forrn asillLl flavipes) The shootfly larvae feed on the growing shoo t of the young cardamom suckers

Ec in the new plantation and ca lis e d ead heart The adult M fly lays cigar shaped white eggs in between th e kafsheath K and pscudostem on the top whorl from the margin either

singly or ill rows of 4 -6 eggs The emerging larva feeds on the central soft ti ssue Dnd pupates insid e the shoot usually at the base The damage is almost ltonfined to the newly planted clump~ The pest activity st arts during November and reaches its peak in the rnontbs of Marchshy

Ju April The pest disappears by May -June conciding with heavy parasiti sation by braconid parasite ith the onset of monsoon Nearly 50 - 60~ ~ of the clumps are affected due to this pes t resulting in gaps The severity of the pest is known to be more in the open areas where there is inadequate shade in the newly planted gardens

Pr Sf -14shyK

Cntrol I) Rem ove the affected shoots at ground level and destroy them 2) Spray dimcthoate or qu inalphos or methyl parathion 005 or apply CaTbofuran 3 G

20-25 kgha to get satisfactory control of the pest 3) Provide sufficient shade in the plantation

66 Root borer (Hilarograplza caminodes) The mOlh lays eggs on the exposed portions of root Tb e larvae th a t hatch out bore into the root making tunnel filled wi th frass the roots start dying fr om the tip backward s as shyresult of injury made by the pest The infestation rcsul ts in weakening of the plants considerably

The control measures suggested against nursery rhizome weevil (see 68 below) will be effective for this pest also

67 White flies (Dialourodes cardamomi) The pest has become a serious problem in some cardamom growing tracts of Kcrala Pest infestation is seen maximum during dry months Damage to the plant is cau sed by the depleshytion of sap from leaves In severe infest a tions the leaves become yellowish and the vigour and vitality of the plant get considerably reduced

The pest ca n be controlled by spraying methyl dimeton (metasys[ox) demethoate (Rogar) or phcsphamishydon (Dimecron) at 0 05 ~lt- concentration on the foliage

68 Rhizome wee vil (Prodioces haematicus) The adult weevil is brown and lay eggs in punctures made by it on the exposed port ion of the rhizome The grubs of this weevil tunnel into the rhizome a nd calise extensive damage The pest b~com es a serious menace in secondary nursery during Novcmber --January It becomes a problem in nurseries where the same site has been used for a number of years

- 15shy

C

Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

-17shy

Pt iiI effect of drought which prevails for neady 4-5 months D in summer Exposing the panicle over the ll11ilch is D bcneflcial for bee pollinatioll Ci Kl h Weeding In the fIrst year of planting frequent K weeding is quite essential to eliminate rcot competition

between the cardamom s~edlings and the leeds Subshysequently depending upon the intensity of weeds 2 to 3 rounds of weeding in a yenr w()uldbe necessary The first round of weeding is to be carried in May-June the second in August - September and the third in

TI December-January In slopy lnd slash weeding is to dl be done to prevent soil erosio1 The weeds removedBe

may be heaped in the space between roWs and afterS( U decay they may be used as mulch U(

Weedicides can also be used for controlling weeds in the cardamom estates Spraying of weedicides like paraquat (Gramaxollc) may be done oniy in the inter spaces bet ween ros leaving 60 em around the plant base On an average 625 ml of paraquat in SUO litres of water is sufficient for one rOllnd of application

Ec per hectare Carcent should be taken to avoid spray drift

M to any part of cardamom plant Spraying may be taken K

up both in pre and post monsoon periods

c Trashin~ Trashing consists of removing old and drying shoots of the plant It should be carried out once in a year with the onset of monsoon

Ju d Shade regulation Light shade is more favourable in the initial stages to enhance vegetative growth In areas having sparse tree growth suitable quick growing shade trees have to be planted Permanent shade trees such as red cedar (Cedrella loona) Balangi (Acrocarpus fraxinifolillS) jack (Anocarpus heferophyllllS) or EJanhi

PI (Mesopsis eminie) would be sljtable The shade trees Sr K -8shy

like red cedar which shed their leaves in monsoon provide natural shade re gulation Tall trees havin g well distributed branching habit and small leaves are ideal for cardamom Tern porary shade trees like Erythrina sp can be removed hy the time the permanent shade trees develop sufficient canopy There shoul d be sufficient shade by the time the summer starts for providing protection from the hot SLln

In order to provide adequate light during monshySOOI1 shade regulation may be taken before thc onset of monsoon (May) The fallen shade trees shouldce removed immediately and fast growing shade trees may be planted in vacant areas Two tier conopy is dEsirable with a height not more than 3 m between the lower and higher conopy Areas exposed to western side should have more shade

e Earthing up A thin layer of fresh fertile soil rich in organic matter may be provided to the base of the clump covering up to the collar region by scraping between the rows or collecting soil from staggered trenchescheck pits The thin layer of soil applied in the centre of cillmps will not only keep thcm intact and cover the exposed roots but also will check walking habit of cardamom Care mllst be taken not to heap up the soil above collar region of the clump iest it tilts up the plant in course of time

f Irrigation In order to overcome the after effect of dry spell during summer it is necessary to irrigate the crop to get maximum production Depending on the moisture holding capacity of soil and topography of the estates they may be irrigated at an interval of 10-15 days till the onset of monsoon Regular irrigation (1-15 inches per irrigation) will help the initiation of panicles flowering and fruit setting

-9shy

PL 54 Manuring Considering the absorption of nutrient)

D by cardamom an d the factors a treciing the availability D of nutrients in soils a fertiliser dose of 75 kg N 75 kg C PO i and 150 kg K10 per h3 is recommended under K irrigated condition for high yielding plantations yieldshyK ing 100 kgha and above A fertilizer d o st of 3060 30

kgha is recommended for garde11S in Kerala Organic manures in the form of cattle manure or compost is iven at the rate of 5 kg per clump

Fertiliser is applied in two split doses The first application during ~middotIay will help in the production of

TI suckers and development o f capsules ~nd the seconddl

Be application during late Scptenlber to help the initiation Sc of panicles and Slickers Only half the dose of fertilizer U is to be applied during the first year and full dose is ur given from second year onwards

Cardamom is a surface feed~r hence deep placeshyment of fertiliser is not advisable The fertilisers is applied at a radius of 30 cm where most of the roots are present After applying the fertiliser it should be mixed and incorporated in the soil without distllrbing

E( the rootS M K 6 Pests

Among the 46 species 0 rinsects lnd 111 ites reported as p~sts of cardamom ill India the more important ones are () thrips (2) hai ry caterpillars (3) shoot and capsule borer (4) capsule borers (5) shootfLy (6) root borer (7) vhite flies (8) rhi zome vveevil and (9) mites

Ju 61 Thrips (Sciothrips cardarnomi) Thrips are the most destructive and pcrsi) tent pests of cardamom plants They brc~d insi de thl Iclf shea tIl s spindle of the pseudoshystem bracls pCltanth and novcr tubes Adult thrips are greyish brown in colour and measure 12-15 mm

Pr length They complete one life cycle in 27--30 days

Sr K - 10shy

Both lhe adults alld nymphs suck up sap and caUSi damage to leaves shoot inflorescence and capsules When the damage on capsules is very severe there ii enorm ous rconomic loss While feeding these insects lacerate the surface tissues of tender capsules causing injuries which develop as corky encrustations on pods These capsules appear stun te d malformed aT d shrivelled with gaping slits on the outer skin The seeds from such capsules are poor in aroma and few in number with low germination As a result of infestation the panicles become stunted with shedding offlowers and immature capsules red ueing the total num ber of capsules formed The extent of damage in terms of quality and quantity of the produce may go even up to 80-90 in some endeshymic areas In the field pest population is seen maximum during December-April Among the 3 varieties of cardamom Mysore recorded maximum capsule infestashyt ion w hile Vazhukka recorded maximum pseudostem inrestation

Contro l A package of the following practices has to be followed for an effective control of the pest (a) Regulashytion of shade in thickly shaded areas (b) removal of collateral hosts ofpest which include weeds like Pallicum ongipes and plants belonging to the genera Amomum Aframomum Hedychillm Romesatia Colocasia Aocasia Musa Zingiba Curcuma Costus Clobba and Crinum (c) spraying of insecticides like quinalphos (Ekalux) or dimethoate (Rogar)or methyl parathion (Metacid) at 005 or phosalone (zolone) at 007 concentration during March April May August and September In Kerala 7 iOunds of spraying per year are recommended

62 Hairy caterpillars These are the second major pests of cardamom and they are cyclic in nature middotappearing

11shy

I

p sporadically Seven species of hairy caterpillars have heen found to cause damage to cardamom plants TheD more potential enemies among them are EupteroteD

CI cardamomi E canarca and L~onodra vitfata These K appear sporudicalJy in enormous populations at intervals K of several years and cause untold havoc by the total

defoliation of plantation Caterpillars are gregarIous in habit and they congregate on the trunks of shade trees during day time and drop on The cardamom plants during night time lhe adult moths which merge in JuneJuly lay eggs in masses (300-800 eggs) on the undershy

TI surface of leaves of shade trees Eggs hatch in 13--20 d~

days and larval stage extends up to 97 -- 150 days with aB( number of instals Pupal periods lasts for 7- 8 monthsSc

U UsuaIJy the damage is observed during Octobershyur December

Control Dusting with BHe 10 dust in equal proportions or spraying one of the contact insecticides like methyl parathion (Metacid) O1 or quinalphos (Ekalux )005 are effective in controlling the pest To get 3 satisfactory

E( control of the pest it is essential to treat tho~( shade trees

M where caterpillars congregate in masses Mechanica I control of the larvae in masses luring the adults by light traps andK killing them can suppress the pest population

6 3 Shoot alld capsule borer (Dicho crocis pUllC~realis )

The pest attacks young pseudostems panicls and succul~nt capsules of grown up plants It also attack s

Ju seedlings of both primary and secondary nursery beds The adult is a medium sized yellow moth with a number of dark spots on wings Eggs are laid mostly on the top leaf of young pseudostem The pest completes one life cycle in 25-40 d ays The caterpillars bore into the central core of the pseudostems resulting in the death of central

Pr

spi laule and development of characteristic dead heart symptom In the case of capsules the caterp iJlars bore into them and feed on the seeds rendering them emptymiddot Extrusion of frass through the bore hole is the typical indication of the shoot borer infestation Mysorr varifty is found to be more susceptible

Control The pest can be effectively controlled by dusting 10 BHC or spraying monocrotophos (nuvacron) at 005 strength In addition to this removal of affected shoots having larvae and alternate host plants of the pest belongshying to the gel1~ra Alpinia Amomul11 Hedychium Aframoshymum Curcuma and Zi1giber from the planta tion will help to reduce the pest population

64 Capsule borer - a) Lycaenid borer (Jamides sp) Of all the insect enemies this is the most destructive pes t a ttackin g the cardamom plantatiom in Karnataka The caterpillars bore and feed on the flower buds flowers and capsules The adult butterflies lay eggs singly on all parts of in florescence The attacked capsules fail to develop The affected capsules are empty with a circular hole turn yellowish-brown which eventually decay and drop off in the rainy season The incidence of the pest is high from June till September Often the butterfly activity and maximum damage are seen in the bearing clumps especishyally in open pa tches where the sunlight is more Each larva damages 25-27 capsules during 18-20 days of its larval period This pest also breeds well on the inflorescence of different species of Amomum Hydychium and Apifia

Control Spraying with quinalphos or methyl parathion 05~~or carbaryl 01 ~~ during early blossoming period will help in reducing the damage

h Scolytid borer (Thamurgides cardamomi) This is a tiny dark brown cylindrical beetle with hairs all over the

Sr middot-13shy-12shyK

CI

body Both the adults and larvae are assoiated I It hPL

damage to capsules The beetIc drills into the immature D cardamom pods be lore the seeds turn black The holesD

are made at right angles to the plane as if shot by a bullet K The adults feed on the mucilage and white seeds and lay K eggs inside The larvae fCtd on the content and pupate

inside The damage due to this pest was found to be very high during July- August and particularly in the thickly shaded dark and damp val lies The clumps growing under the l1 atuTll shad e of Hanalthare tree (Tcrminalia sp ) and the panicles covered under nalmal leaf mulch

Tl suffer heavy damage Tenninalia tree serves as alternate dl host and the pest attacks its fruit s during off season ofBe Sc cardamom crop

U Control Judicious shade regulations coupled with s prayshyU[

ing with contact insecticides like quinalphos methyl parathion 005 ~~ during the crop period wiJ] help in reducing the damage due to thi s pest

65 Shootfly (Forrn asillLl flavipes) The shootfly larvae feed on the growing shoo t of the young cardamom suckers

Ec in the new plantation and ca lis e d ead heart The adult M fly lays cigar shaped white eggs in between th e kafsheath K and pscudostem on the top whorl from the margin either

singly or ill rows of 4 -6 eggs The emerging larva feeds on the central soft ti ssue Dnd pupates insid e the shoot usually at the base The damage is almost ltonfined to the newly planted clump~ The pest activity st arts during November and reaches its peak in the rnontbs of Marchshy

Ju April The pest disappears by May -June conciding with heavy parasiti sation by braconid parasite ith the onset of monsoon Nearly 50 - 60~ ~ of the clumps are affected due to this pes t resulting in gaps The severity of the pest is known to be more in the open areas where there is inadequate shade in the newly planted gardens

Pr Sf -14shyK

Cntrol I) Rem ove the affected shoots at ground level and destroy them 2) Spray dimcthoate or qu inalphos or methyl parathion 005 or apply CaTbofuran 3 G

20-25 kgha to get satisfactory control of the pest 3) Provide sufficient shade in the plantation

66 Root borer (Hilarograplza caminodes) The mOlh lays eggs on the exposed portions of root Tb e larvae th a t hatch out bore into the root making tunnel filled wi th frass the roots start dying fr om the tip backward s as shyresult of injury made by the pest The infestation rcsul ts in weakening of the plants considerably

The control measures suggested against nursery rhizome weevil (see 68 below) will be effective for this pest also

67 White flies (Dialourodes cardamomi) The pest has become a serious problem in some cardamom growing tracts of Kcrala Pest infestation is seen maximum during dry months Damage to the plant is cau sed by the depleshytion of sap from leaves In severe infest a tions the leaves become yellowish and the vigour and vitality of the plant get considerably reduced

The pest ca n be controlled by spraying methyl dimeton (metasys[ox) demethoate (Rogar) or phcsphamishydon (Dimecron) at 0 05 ~lt- concentration on the foliage

68 Rhizome wee vil (Prodioces haematicus) The adult weevil is brown and lay eggs in punctures made by it on the exposed port ion of the rhizome The grubs of this weevil tunnel into the rhizome a nd calise extensive damage The pest b~com es a serious menace in secondary nursery during Novcmber --January It becomes a problem in nurseries where the same site has been used for a number of years

- 15shy

C

Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

-17shy

PL 54 Manuring Considering the absorption of nutrient)

D by cardamom an d the factors a treciing the availability D of nutrients in soils a fertiliser dose of 75 kg N 75 kg C PO i and 150 kg K10 per h3 is recommended under K irrigated condition for high yielding plantations yieldshyK ing 100 kgha and above A fertilizer d o st of 3060 30

kgha is recommended for garde11S in Kerala Organic manures in the form of cattle manure or compost is iven at the rate of 5 kg per clump

Fertiliser is applied in two split doses The first application during ~middotIay will help in the production of

TI suckers and development o f capsules ~nd the seconddl

Be application during late Scptenlber to help the initiation Sc of panicles and Slickers Only half the dose of fertilizer U is to be applied during the first year and full dose is ur given from second year onwards

Cardamom is a surface feed~r hence deep placeshyment of fertiliser is not advisable The fertilisers is applied at a radius of 30 cm where most of the roots are present After applying the fertiliser it should be mixed and incorporated in the soil without distllrbing

E( the rootS M K 6 Pests

Among the 46 species 0 rinsects lnd 111 ites reported as p~sts of cardamom ill India the more important ones are () thrips (2) hai ry caterpillars (3) shoot and capsule borer (4) capsule borers (5) shootfLy (6) root borer (7) vhite flies (8) rhi zome vveevil and (9) mites

Ju 61 Thrips (Sciothrips cardarnomi) Thrips are the most destructive and pcrsi) tent pests of cardamom plants They brc~d insi de thl Iclf shea tIl s spindle of the pseudoshystem bracls pCltanth and novcr tubes Adult thrips are greyish brown in colour and measure 12-15 mm

Pr length They complete one life cycle in 27--30 days

Sr K - 10shy

Both lhe adults alld nymphs suck up sap and caUSi damage to leaves shoot inflorescence and capsules When the damage on capsules is very severe there ii enorm ous rconomic loss While feeding these insects lacerate the surface tissues of tender capsules causing injuries which develop as corky encrustations on pods These capsules appear stun te d malformed aT d shrivelled with gaping slits on the outer skin The seeds from such capsules are poor in aroma and few in number with low germination As a result of infestation the panicles become stunted with shedding offlowers and immature capsules red ueing the total num ber of capsules formed The extent of damage in terms of quality and quantity of the produce may go even up to 80-90 in some endeshymic areas In the field pest population is seen maximum during December-April Among the 3 varieties of cardamom Mysore recorded maximum capsule infestashyt ion w hile Vazhukka recorded maximum pseudostem inrestation

Contro l A package of the following practices has to be followed for an effective control of the pest (a) Regulashytion of shade in thickly shaded areas (b) removal of collateral hosts ofpest which include weeds like Pallicum ongipes and plants belonging to the genera Amomum Aframomum Hedychillm Romesatia Colocasia Aocasia Musa Zingiba Curcuma Costus Clobba and Crinum (c) spraying of insecticides like quinalphos (Ekalux) or dimethoate (Rogar)or methyl parathion (Metacid) at 005 or phosalone (zolone) at 007 concentration during March April May August and September In Kerala 7 iOunds of spraying per year are recommended

62 Hairy caterpillars These are the second major pests of cardamom and they are cyclic in nature middotappearing

11shy

I

p sporadically Seven species of hairy caterpillars have heen found to cause damage to cardamom plants TheD more potential enemies among them are EupteroteD

CI cardamomi E canarca and L~onodra vitfata These K appear sporudicalJy in enormous populations at intervals K of several years and cause untold havoc by the total

defoliation of plantation Caterpillars are gregarIous in habit and they congregate on the trunks of shade trees during day time and drop on The cardamom plants during night time lhe adult moths which merge in JuneJuly lay eggs in masses (300-800 eggs) on the undershy

TI surface of leaves of shade trees Eggs hatch in 13--20 d~

days and larval stage extends up to 97 -- 150 days with aB( number of instals Pupal periods lasts for 7- 8 monthsSc

U UsuaIJy the damage is observed during Octobershyur December

Control Dusting with BHe 10 dust in equal proportions or spraying one of the contact insecticides like methyl parathion (Metacid) O1 or quinalphos (Ekalux )005 are effective in controlling the pest To get 3 satisfactory

E( control of the pest it is essential to treat tho~( shade trees

M where caterpillars congregate in masses Mechanica I control of the larvae in masses luring the adults by light traps andK killing them can suppress the pest population

6 3 Shoot alld capsule borer (Dicho crocis pUllC~realis )

The pest attacks young pseudostems panicls and succul~nt capsules of grown up plants It also attack s

Ju seedlings of both primary and secondary nursery beds The adult is a medium sized yellow moth with a number of dark spots on wings Eggs are laid mostly on the top leaf of young pseudostem The pest completes one life cycle in 25-40 d ays The caterpillars bore into the central core of the pseudostems resulting in the death of central

Pr

spi laule and development of characteristic dead heart symptom In the case of capsules the caterp iJlars bore into them and feed on the seeds rendering them emptymiddot Extrusion of frass through the bore hole is the typical indication of the shoot borer infestation Mysorr varifty is found to be more susceptible

Control The pest can be effectively controlled by dusting 10 BHC or spraying monocrotophos (nuvacron) at 005 strength In addition to this removal of affected shoots having larvae and alternate host plants of the pest belongshying to the gel1~ra Alpinia Amomul11 Hedychium Aframoshymum Curcuma and Zi1giber from the planta tion will help to reduce the pest population

64 Capsule borer - a) Lycaenid borer (Jamides sp) Of all the insect enemies this is the most destructive pes t a ttackin g the cardamom plantatiom in Karnataka The caterpillars bore and feed on the flower buds flowers and capsules The adult butterflies lay eggs singly on all parts of in florescence The attacked capsules fail to develop The affected capsules are empty with a circular hole turn yellowish-brown which eventually decay and drop off in the rainy season The incidence of the pest is high from June till September Often the butterfly activity and maximum damage are seen in the bearing clumps especishyally in open pa tches where the sunlight is more Each larva damages 25-27 capsules during 18-20 days of its larval period This pest also breeds well on the inflorescence of different species of Amomum Hydychium and Apifia

Control Spraying with quinalphos or methyl parathion 05~~or carbaryl 01 ~~ during early blossoming period will help in reducing the damage

h Scolytid borer (Thamurgides cardamomi) This is a tiny dark brown cylindrical beetle with hairs all over the

Sr middot-13shy-12shyK

CI

body Both the adults and larvae are assoiated I It hPL

damage to capsules The beetIc drills into the immature D cardamom pods be lore the seeds turn black The holesD

are made at right angles to the plane as if shot by a bullet K The adults feed on the mucilage and white seeds and lay K eggs inside The larvae fCtd on the content and pupate

inside The damage due to this pest was found to be very high during July- August and particularly in the thickly shaded dark and damp val lies The clumps growing under the l1 atuTll shad e of Hanalthare tree (Tcrminalia sp ) and the panicles covered under nalmal leaf mulch

Tl suffer heavy damage Tenninalia tree serves as alternate dl host and the pest attacks its fruit s during off season ofBe Sc cardamom crop

U Control Judicious shade regulations coupled with s prayshyU[

ing with contact insecticides like quinalphos methyl parathion 005 ~~ during the crop period wiJ] help in reducing the damage due to thi s pest

65 Shootfly (Forrn asillLl flavipes) The shootfly larvae feed on the growing shoo t of the young cardamom suckers

Ec in the new plantation and ca lis e d ead heart The adult M fly lays cigar shaped white eggs in between th e kafsheath K and pscudostem on the top whorl from the margin either

singly or ill rows of 4 -6 eggs The emerging larva feeds on the central soft ti ssue Dnd pupates insid e the shoot usually at the base The damage is almost ltonfined to the newly planted clump~ The pest activity st arts during November and reaches its peak in the rnontbs of Marchshy

Ju April The pest disappears by May -June conciding with heavy parasiti sation by braconid parasite ith the onset of monsoon Nearly 50 - 60~ ~ of the clumps are affected due to this pes t resulting in gaps The severity of the pest is known to be more in the open areas where there is inadequate shade in the newly planted gardens

Pr Sf -14shyK

Cntrol I) Rem ove the affected shoots at ground level and destroy them 2) Spray dimcthoate or qu inalphos or methyl parathion 005 or apply CaTbofuran 3 G

20-25 kgha to get satisfactory control of the pest 3) Provide sufficient shade in the plantation

66 Root borer (Hilarograplza caminodes) The mOlh lays eggs on the exposed portions of root Tb e larvae th a t hatch out bore into the root making tunnel filled wi th frass the roots start dying fr om the tip backward s as shyresult of injury made by the pest The infestation rcsul ts in weakening of the plants considerably

The control measures suggested against nursery rhizome weevil (see 68 below) will be effective for this pest also

67 White flies (Dialourodes cardamomi) The pest has become a serious problem in some cardamom growing tracts of Kcrala Pest infestation is seen maximum during dry months Damage to the plant is cau sed by the depleshytion of sap from leaves In severe infest a tions the leaves become yellowish and the vigour and vitality of the plant get considerably reduced

The pest ca n be controlled by spraying methyl dimeton (metasys[ox) demethoate (Rogar) or phcsphamishydon (Dimecron) at 0 05 ~lt- concentration on the foliage

68 Rhizome wee vil (Prodioces haematicus) The adult weevil is brown and lay eggs in punctures made by it on the exposed port ion of the rhizome The grubs of this weevil tunnel into the rhizome a nd calise extensive damage The pest b~com es a serious menace in secondary nursery during Novcmber --January It becomes a problem in nurseries where the same site has been used for a number of years

- 15shy

C

Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

-17shy

I

p sporadically Seven species of hairy caterpillars have heen found to cause damage to cardamom plants TheD more potential enemies among them are EupteroteD

CI cardamomi E canarca and L~onodra vitfata These K appear sporudicalJy in enormous populations at intervals K of several years and cause untold havoc by the total

defoliation of plantation Caterpillars are gregarIous in habit and they congregate on the trunks of shade trees during day time and drop on The cardamom plants during night time lhe adult moths which merge in JuneJuly lay eggs in masses (300-800 eggs) on the undershy

TI surface of leaves of shade trees Eggs hatch in 13--20 d~

days and larval stage extends up to 97 -- 150 days with aB( number of instals Pupal periods lasts for 7- 8 monthsSc

U UsuaIJy the damage is observed during Octobershyur December

Control Dusting with BHe 10 dust in equal proportions or spraying one of the contact insecticides like methyl parathion (Metacid) O1 or quinalphos (Ekalux )005 are effective in controlling the pest To get 3 satisfactory

E( control of the pest it is essential to treat tho~( shade trees

M where caterpillars congregate in masses Mechanica I control of the larvae in masses luring the adults by light traps andK killing them can suppress the pest population

6 3 Shoot alld capsule borer (Dicho crocis pUllC~realis )

The pest attacks young pseudostems panicls and succul~nt capsules of grown up plants It also attack s

Ju seedlings of both primary and secondary nursery beds The adult is a medium sized yellow moth with a number of dark spots on wings Eggs are laid mostly on the top leaf of young pseudostem The pest completes one life cycle in 25-40 d ays The caterpillars bore into the central core of the pseudostems resulting in the death of central

Pr

spi laule and development of characteristic dead heart symptom In the case of capsules the caterp iJlars bore into them and feed on the seeds rendering them emptymiddot Extrusion of frass through the bore hole is the typical indication of the shoot borer infestation Mysorr varifty is found to be more susceptible

Control The pest can be effectively controlled by dusting 10 BHC or spraying monocrotophos (nuvacron) at 005 strength In addition to this removal of affected shoots having larvae and alternate host plants of the pest belongshying to the gel1~ra Alpinia Amomul11 Hedychium Aframoshymum Curcuma and Zi1giber from the planta tion will help to reduce the pest population

64 Capsule borer - a) Lycaenid borer (Jamides sp) Of all the insect enemies this is the most destructive pes t a ttackin g the cardamom plantatiom in Karnataka The caterpillars bore and feed on the flower buds flowers and capsules The adult butterflies lay eggs singly on all parts of in florescence The attacked capsules fail to develop The affected capsules are empty with a circular hole turn yellowish-brown which eventually decay and drop off in the rainy season The incidence of the pest is high from June till September Often the butterfly activity and maximum damage are seen in the bearing clumps especishyally in open pa tches where the sunlight is more Each larva damages 25-27 capsules during 18-20 days of its larval period This pest also breeds well on the inflorescence of different species of Amomum Hydychium and Apifia

Control Spraying with quinalphos or methyl parathion 05~~or carbaryl 01 ~~ during early blossoming period will help in reducing the damage

h Scolytid borer (Thamurgides cardamomi) This is a tiny dark brown cylindrical beetle with hairs all over the

Sr middot-13shy-12shyK

CI

body Both the adults and larvae are assoiated I It hPL

damage to capsules The beetIc drills into the immature D cardamom pods be lore the seeds turn black The holesD

are made at right angles to the plane as if shot by a bullet K The adults feed on the mucilage and white seeds and lay K eggs inside The larvae fCtd on the content and pupate

inside The damage due to this pest was found to be very high during July- August and particularly in the thickly shaded dark and damp val lies The clumps growing under the l1 atuTll shad e of Hanalthare tree (Tcrminalia sp ) and the panicles covered under nalmal leaf mulch

Tl suffer heavy damage Tenninalia tree serves as alternate dl host and the pest attacks its fruit s during off season ofBe Sc cardamom crop

U Control Judicious shade regulations coupled with s prayshyU[

ing with contact insecticides like quinalphos methyl parathion 005 ~~ during the crop period wiJ] help in reducing the damage due to thi s pest

65 Shootfly (Forrn asillLl flavipes) The shootfly larvae feed on the growing shoo t of the young cardamom suckers

Ec in the new plantation and ca lis e d ead heart The adult M fly lays cigar shaped white eggs in between th e kafsheath K and pscudostem on the top whorl from the margin either

singly or ill rows of 4 -6 eggs The emerging larva feeds on the central soft ti ssue Dnd pupates insid e the shoot usually at the base The damage is almost ltonfined to the newly planted clump~ The pest activity st arts during November and reaches its peak in the rnontbs of Marchshy

Ju April The pest disappears by May -June conciding with heavy parasiti sation by braconid parasite ith the onset of monsoon Nearly 50 - 60~ ~ of the clumps are affected due to this pes t resulting in gaps The severity of the pest is known to be more in the open areas where there is inadequate shade in the newly planted gardens

Pr Sf -14shyK

Cntrol I) Rem ove the affected shoots at ground level and destroy them 2) Spray dimcthoate or qu inalphos or methyl parathion 005 or apply CaTbofuran 3 G

20-25 kgha to get satisfactory control of the pest 3) Provide sufficient shade in the plantation

66 Root borer (Hilarograplza caminodes) The mOlh lays eggs on the exposed portions of root Tb e larvae th a t hatch out bore into the root making tunnel filled wi th frass the roots start dying fr om the tip backward s as shyresult of injury made by the pest The infestation rcsul ts in weakening of the plants considerably

The control measures suggested against nursery rhizome weevil (see 68 below) will be effective for this pest also

67 White flies (Dialourodes cardamomi) The pest has become a serious problem in some cardamom growing tracts of Kcrala Pest infestation is seen maximum during dry months Damage to the plant is cau sed by the depleshytion of sap from leaves In severe infest a tions the leaves become yellowish and the vigour and vitality of the plant get considerably reduced

The pest ca n be controlled by spraying methyl dimeton (metasys[ox) demethoate (Rogar) or phcsphamishydon (Dimecron) at 0 05 ~lt- concentration on the foliage

68 Rhizome wee vil (Prodioces haematicus) The adult weevil is brown and lay eggs in punctures made by it on the exposed port ion of the rhizome The grubs of this weevil tunnel into the rhizome a nd calise extensive damage The pest b~com es a serious menace in secondary nursery during Novcmber --January It becomes a problem in nurseries where the same site has been used for a number of years

- 15shy

C

Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

-17shy

CI

body Both the adults and larvae are assoiated I It hPL

damage to capsules The beetIc drills into the immature D cardamom pods be lore the seeds turn black The holesD

are made at right angles to the plane as if shot by a bullet K The adults feed on the mucilage and white seeds and lay K eggs inside The larvae fCtd on the content and pupate

inside The damage due to this pest was found to be very high during July- August and particularly in the thickly shaded dark and damp val lies The clumps growing under the l1 atuTll shad e of Hanalthare tree (Tcrminalia sp ) and the panicles covered under nalmal leaf mulch

Tl suffer heavy damage Tenninalia tree serves as alternate dl host and the pest attacks its fruit s during off season ofBe Sc cardamom crop

U Control Judicious shade regulations coupled with s prayshyU[

ing with contact insecticides like quinalphos methyl parathion 005 ~~ during the crop period wiJ] help in reducing the damage due to thi s pest

65 Shootfly (Forrn asillLl flavipes) The shootfly larvae feed on the growing shoo t of the young cardamom suckers

Ec in the new plantation and ca lis e d ead heart The adult M fly lays cigar shaped white eggs in between th e kafsheath K and pscudostem on the top whorl from the margin either

singly or ill rows of 4 -6 eggs The emerging larva feeds on the central soft ti ssue Dnd pupates insid e the shoot usually at the base The damage is almost ltonfined to the newly planted clump~ The pest activity st arts during November and reaches its peak in the rnontbs of Marchshy

Ju April The pest disappears by May -June conciding with heavy parasiti sation by braconid parasite ith the onset of monsoon Nearly 50 - 60~ ~ of the clumps are affected due to this pes t resulting in gaps The severity of the pest is known to be more in the open areas where there is inadequate shade in the newly planted gardens

Pr Sf -14shyK

Cntrol I) Rem ove the affected shoots at ground level and destroy them 2) Spray dimcthoate or qu inalphos or methyl parathion 005 or apply CaTbofuran 3 G

20-25 kgha to get satisfactory control of the pest 3) Provide sufficient shade in the plantation

66 Root borer (Hilarograplza caminodes) The mOlh lays eggs on the exposed portions of root Tb e larvae th a t hatch out bore into the root making tunnel filled wi th frass the roots start dying fr om the tip backward s as shyresult of injury made by the pest The infestation rcsul ts in weakening of the plants considerably

The control measures suggested against nursery rhizome weevil (see 68 below) will be effective for this pest also

67 White flies (Dialourodes cardamomi) The pest has become a serious problem in some cardamom growing tracts of Kcrala Pest infestation is seen maximum during dry months Damage to the plant is cau sed by the depleshytion of sap from leaves In severe infest a tions the leaves become yellowish and the vigour and vitality of the plant get considerably reduced

The pest ca n be controlled by spraying methyl dimeton (metasys[ox) demethoate (Rogar) or phcsphamishydon (Dimecron) at 0 05 ~lt- concentration on the foliage

68 Rhizome wee vil (Prodioces haematicus) The adult weevil is brown and lay eggs in punctures made by it on the exposed port ion of the rhizome The grubs of this weevil tunnel into the rhizome a nd calise extensive damage The pest b~com es a serious menace in secondary nursery during Novcmber --January It becomes a problem in nurseries where the same site has been used for a number of years

- 15shy

C

Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

-17shy

C

Destruction of infected rhizomes with immature

D stages of the pest and drenching the base of tbe clumps with 02 BHC will keep the pest undu check Only

P

D healthy rhizomes collected from non-infested areas should

K be used for replanting The transportation of plant K malerial f ro m affected gardens is to be avoided

69 Mite Mite attack is noticed in nurseries during November-April It can be controlled by spraying dicofol (KeJthane) at the rate of 15 ml per litre of water per bed at monthly intervals Application of wettable sulphur at

TJ the rate of 15 kgha is also effective dl Be 610 Aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) S It is important in that it acts as a vector of the U mosaic or Katte disease of cardamom Bo th nymphs and U(

adults suck up plant sap Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudostems Pentalonia nigronervosa F cdadii has been found in hosts like cardamom and colocasia whereas the form commonly found on banana is P nigronervosa F typica The control measures against aphids include

Ec removal of partially decayed pseudostems which harbour

M the colonies of aphids and spraying 005 dimethoate or K

phosphamidon

7 Nematodes 71 Nematodes in nursery Root knot n~matodes are found both in primary and secondary nurseries The affected plants exhibit the following symptoms a) heavyJu galling and nodulation on root b) exc~ssive branching of roots (Witches broom type) c) stun ti ng and poor growth d) yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins e) poor establishment after transplanting in secondary nursery and field and f) cuding ofnewly emerging leaves after transplanta tionPr

Sr -16shyK

Contro i 1 Methyl bromide(MBR)fumigation should be taken lip in p rimary and secondary nurs~ries Methyl broshymide fumigation 500 g lOO sq ft under polythene covershying for 72 hiS controls nematodes with an increase in seed germination The i crease in cost for fumigation both primary and secondary nurseries will only be 50 paise per seedling at a treatment cost of 50 paisc sqft The additioshynal cost is negligible considering the advantage of control of nematodes weeds etc

2 Drenching the nursery beds with 2 Formalin and covering with polythene for 72 hrs and raking the soil to liberate the formalin gas follcwed by planting after 15 days of drenching may be adopted in case MBr fumigation is not possible

3 If the above two methods cannot be adopted plants may be treated with aldicarb 5 kg jha ie 30 g6xl M bed after 10 days of germination along the row and this is repeated after 3 months In the secondary nursery application is done 10 kg aiJha ie 60 g6 xl M bed after transplanting and is repeated after every three months around the Il1div id ual plants

4 Site for nurseries may be selected away from nematode-infested location The sanJe site should not be used year after year

72 Nematode h plantati on Root knot nematodes namely AfelJidogyne sp are the predominent parasites of cardamom roots and are widely d istributed all over the cardamom tract DUe to their microscopic size and hidden habitat in the soil the growers fail to recognise the importance of pJant parasitic nematodes as a limiting factor in cHdamom production The damage caused by n~matodes is manifested by stunted growth with small or

-17shy

C

P rolled up leaves (funnelling of leaf) and dryi ng of leattips Infested plants exhibi[ excessive branching near the rootD

D tips or II along the entire root at different intervals instead of galling T he bunch of rootlets emerging little

K above the root tips is readily discernible from other K htalthy roots as they are devoid of hairs and are milky

white in colour Among the sp~cjes of root knot nematodes recorded in cardamom Meloidogyne illcognila is most widely distributed Whiic 11 javanicl is prevalent in Calieut and Palghat district8 of Kerail M arenara occurs in Ramnad district of Tamil Nadu on ly

TI dl Be Shedding of immature Sc observed in nematode infested U drop generally occurs localised U(

capsules is commonly cardamom field Fruit or in patches where

stunting of clumps are commonly observed Heavy infestation of nematodes at times produces ster ile tillen in masses No yield can be obtained from such ti ll ers Progressive reduction in yield is a common phenomenon due to parasitisation by nematode Cardamom plants interplanted in arecanut a nd coffee plantations harbour

E other nematodes like burrowing nematodes (Radopholus M similis) and lesion nematodes (PraryeneHls sp) respectivelyK along with root knot nematodes Stunting poor tillering

wilting and fruit drops are commonly observed in cardamom plants

Root knot infested seedling used for planting in the main field serves as an important source of inoculum in theJu plantation Once introduced nematode can spread rapidly through out the field Some shade trees like Erythrina sp (dadaps) Vernonia sp Ficus sp and Cedrella sp are naturally infested with root knot nematodes A mong the shade trees Erythrilla sp are highly susceptible to root knot nematodesPr

Sr K -18-middot

Contro l UsualJ y nematode infestation is not uniformly spread over a field but occurs in patches 1n s1]ch cases control measures mu st be initiated without any delay in t hese infested patches Granular nematicides can be appl ied after 0pening a basin of 3-5 em deep to expose roo t system around the pseudostem and again covered wi th the same ~oil Sufficient moisture may be ensured in the soil so as to facilitate release of the active ingredient from the nematicide granules Plants may be treated with CarbofuranPhorate 5 kg ai ha around individ ual pla nt preferably after a few showers in May and repeated after 3 months Neem oil cake at the rate of 1 kgplant Cl n a lso be applied which is found to be beneficial in increasing yield and reducing nematode population Carboruran or Phorate 15 gpit before planting is advisa ble to minimise the nematode population Planting of shade trees which are highly susceptible to nematodes may be avoided Clean weeding in the plantation would help to reduce the build up of root knot nematodes to an ex tent

8 Diseases

eardamorn plants are affected by a number of diseases caused by virus fungi and bacteria

81 Katte disease (Mosaic or marble disease)

It is localiy known as Katte disease in Kannada meaning a d i~o rder The disease is prevalent in all cardamom growi ng areas

The fi rst visible symptom appears on the youngest leaf of the affected t ille r as spindle shaped sle nder chlorotic flecks measuring 2- 5 mm in length Later these flecks develop into pale green discontinuous

-19shy

C

p stripe The stripes J un parallel to the vt~in from the

D midrib to leaf margin All the subsequently emerging D new leaves show characteristic mosaic symptoms with

stripes of grcin tissue Often mottlirg is seen on theK K leaf sheath and young pseudostem As the leaf matures

the mosaic symptoms aie more or less masked Infection

is systemic in nature and it gradually spreads to all the tillers in a clump You nge r seedlings express symptoms earlier than g rown lip clumps Invariably infected clumps are st unkd and sm L1 ller in size with a few slender tillrrsTI

dl and shorter panicles Plants never die du e to Katte Be infectivn but survive for many years and serve as sourcesS(

of inoculumU U[

If the plants are infected in the seedling stage or the same year of planting the loss will be t0tal In bearing clumps the loss will be upto 68 in three years after infection The loss will be even more at later stages

Ec It is a virus disease It spreads through aphid M vector Pentalonia nigronervosa f caladii and also by the K

use of infected planting material All stages of the aphid can transmit the disease The virus is nonshypersi stent and sylet borne This disease is not transmitted through seed or soil however the disease has adverse effect on seed germination

Ju All the cardamom cultivars are susceptible to the

disease Other Zingiberaceous host like Amomum cannaecarpum Ainl1olucratum A micrlstephenum Alpinia nltans and Curcuma neilgherrensis are susceptible to

Pr Katte and may act as additional hosts to the disease

Sf K -20shy

Mar lement of the disease

Studies on Katte eradication in affected gardens

revealed that the disease could be kept at a very low levtl by regular roguing Regular removal of affected plants at monthly intervals and replanting the existing gaps wit h healthy plants during the planting season helped 11 bri llging do wn the disease incidence below one perce1t irrespective of the iniiial level of inoculummiddot Only health y seedlings are t o be used for gap filling and clones collected from the diseased plots should never be used Retenti on of Katte affected plants in the plantation i) not only uneconomical but also serves as a source of inoculum for furthe r spread of the disease (Please rern to our Technical Bulletin No 11 for details on Katte disease and

management)

82 Nilgiris Necrosis of cardamom

A new diseJse of cardamom was noticed during a sLUvey conduted in 1984 in the cardamom plantations of Valpara i and Nilgiris The disease incidence varied from 01 to 5 per cent in different plantations The presence of the di sease was also observed in 18 months old nursery

Affected plants showed visible symptoms on the youngest leaf as elongated discon tinuous yellow patches which later turned necrotic The leaves prodllced thereafter are very much reduced in size Soon the yellow lesions become white in colour and later tu rn into necrotic patches Affected leaves are brittle and the mature leaves shred followed by premature drying Infection is systemic in nature and gradually

-21shy

C

p spreads to all the tillers As the infection advancen the affected clumps produce numerous short tillers Nith

D brown discolouration at th~ base The affected tillersD break easily A drastic reduction in growth coupled with

K complete cessation of penicle production was noticed in K severely affected clumps If infection occurs in yielding

clumps it results in the fcrmation ofa few shorter panicles with smaIJer deformed capsules Brown patches are seen on the surface of capsules in affected clumps Seeds in the affected capsules are reduced in number and fail to mature

TI dl The disease differs from Katte in that there is no Bf typical mosaic symptom of dark green interspersed withS(

light green patches on the leafand on pseudostem UnlikeU UI Katte disease the decline in growth and production is

very fast ie within one year the clump becomes unprodushyctive The type of the symptoms and nature of spread EM observations etc suggest the association of a virus with this disease

Precautionary measures recommended 1 Regular surveyE for tracing of new infections 2 ahecking of seedlings M in nurseries before planting into the main field 3 KeepingK strict vigilance in affected cardamom plantations and

roguing of the affected clumps 4 Taking care that no planting material should move out from the affected gardens to other cardamom growing areas

83 Nursery leaf spot The disease is caused by fungusJu Phylosticta elettariae It is the most destructive disease and often poses a threat to successful raising of the seedlings especially in Karnataka The disease is noticed in February-April with the receipt of summer showers and becomes more serious during monsoon period from June-AugustPr

Sr -22shyK

The disease commences as minute wate r

soulcd spots on the under surface of the leaf and later

turn into necrotic spots surrounded with water soaked

area If wet weather prevails these spots gradually

enlarge and result in blighting or rotting of the entire leaf

During dry period spots remain more or less circular in

shape greyish in colour with numerous black sunken

pycnidia in the centres If the infection is severe death

of seedlings is seen in the primary nursery Only young

leaves a re prone to infection and the seedlings develop

tole ranceresistance as they grow old The disease is

primarily soil borne and spreads mainly through rain

splash

Spray the seedlings with 1 ~Io Bordcam~ mix ture

or 02 Captafol (Difolat an) or 0 1 Bavistin First

spray is to be applied in March- April depend ing on

summer showas and subsequent ~ prays at 15 duys interva ls

While spraying care should be taken to cover both

surfaces of the young leaves Tn addition to fungicidal

spray the following measures are [0 be adopted to get an effective control of the disease

1 Tak-c up early sowing of seeds in August-September

to get sufficient growth before the onset of monsoon so tha t

~eed)jngs develop tolerance 2 Avoid direct sunlight

from top or sides Use coir mat or coconut fronds (Thatti)

or jungle leaves to provide uniform shade J Do not

ra ise nursery continuously in the same site since the

pathogen multiples in the soil 4 Raise nursery in wel

fert ile soil and encourage good growth by periodica i application of manures

-23shy

PJ 84 Azhukal or capsule rot The disease is m stly

D prevalent in hills of Idukki and Wynad areas in Kerala ft is known as Azhukal (means rotting) caused by aD

C fungus Phytophthora nicotianae var nicotianae pythium Ie vexans also has been found to be associated with the K dis~ase Usually the disease starts with the onset of the

south-west monsoon becomes severe during AugustshySeptember and continues to prevail up to December if the weather is favoura bie T he pathogen affects all the plant parts

The symptoms appear first on exposed portion ofTI

immature unopened leaves as dark green water soakeddL B( lesions and later enlarge and decay In the opened Sc leaves the affected area turns necrotic shrivels and gradually U shreds Finally t he affected leaves break at the base of U[ the peti ole and remain ha nging Affected pseudostems

and leaf sheaths show reddish pink discolouration and break at the collar region by the slightest disturbance Rotting sympto ms are seen on roots and ri1izc)mes which emit foul smell The panicles and capsules of all stag(s of maturity are infected I~ffected immature capsules fall

E off within 3 to 5 days while mature capsules get shrivelled M on drying Infecti on on panicles appears on a ny portion K and such infected panicles dry up All the three types

viz Mal abar Mysore and Vazhukk a a re susceptible

The disease can be controlled by spraying 1 Bordeaux mixture or Copper oxychloride (02 ~~) with a wetting agent or Di thane M-~15 (025) First spraying a nd drenching around the dump may be done in May-Juneiu before the onset of monsoon after trashing a nd second spray in the early August when the rains b l eak A third round of spray may be given ir September if the monsoon is prolonged and di sease is sti ll persisten t Application of neem cake as soil am endment was fou nd to be effective in reducing the populat io n of the pa thogen in th e soil Pr

Sr -24shyK

8r Damping off and Rhizome ro t This disea se takes a heavy toll in the old

nu rseries The fungi Pythium sp and Rhizoctonia soani

are found aswciated with the diseased seedlings Exces sive

soil moisture lack of proper drainage and thick population

of seed lings in the nursery are the predisposing factors

for Pythium infection whf reas Rhizoctonia damping off

appears when soil [emperatu re is slightly high

Th e initial disease symptoms arc notictd on

leaves which show slight paleness and yellowing at the top

Grad wdly yellowing spreads into leaf blades and leaf

shea ths followed by withering of seedlings In primary

nursery infected seedlings eventuaHy cnl1apse at collar

region and d ie in patches In grown up

infection starts from coll a r an d spreads

which first bcomes discoloured and decay

clonia infection is indicated in the form

seedlings the

into rhizome

The Rhizoshy

of brownish

d iscolouration in tbecollar whereas pinkish discolouralion

and soft decay is the symptom of Pythium infection

In the nurseries with previous hi story of disease

d rench ing with I 50 forl11ald ~ hyde 151 sqm before

sowing eff~ctively minimises soil borne infection As the

fungicidal application is less effective after noticing tbe

infec tion prophylactic drenching has to be taken immediashy

tely after the germination of seedlings Drenching with

025 Dithane M-45 or 1 Bordeaux mixture for the

c ontrol of Pytlzium sp followed by drenching with 025 p eNB (Brassicol 8 lit q m_) after 15 days for Rhizoctotlia

sp control the disease There should be good drainage

provision in the nursery Thin sowing has to be adopted

to avoid over population in tbe nursery beds

-25shy

--

p~

D D Ci K K

TI dl Be 8lt U uI

E

M K

Jt

Sphceloma leaf spot (Sph aceloma cardam0171i)8S Clump rot This is a fungal disease causal by appears as scattered spherical blotches measuring a fewPythiu111 veXUI1S occasionally seen in the plantation mm in diameter and later several spots coalesce to formwhere there is improper drainage Primary symptoms large necrotic patchesinclude slight paleness followed by yellowing of kaves

from the tip Decaying of rhizomes starts a t soil surface Cercospora leaf spot (Cer cosp ora z ingiberiJ isThe pse udostems and rhizomes become soft ultimately

common in nurseries and main plantations Initially it resulting in the death of the clump

starts as wate r soaked lesions which soon turn muddy red l Re moval of aflected clumps along with The lesions are rectangular in shape running along the

rhizomes and theJr destruciion 2 Drenching with 1 veins As the disease advances the a ffected lesions turn Bo rd ea ux mixlure helps in pren nting the spread of the brown and dry up Disease is more severe when plants disease 3 Provide proper drainage are directly exposed to sun

87 Minor diseases Leaf blotch disease (Phaeodactylium venkatesanum) Chental disease is caused by a gram POSIOVC rod starts as blotches involving leaf margin and leaf tip and later

shaped bacterium (CorYMbacterium sp) It is known to develops cha racteristic whitish fungal growth on the undershybe prevaleot in a ll the ca rdamom growing tracts but surface of tbe blighted area The disease can be controlled severity is more in the high ranges of Kerala by spraying the fungicides like Hinosan 03 ~~ Bordeaux

mixture 1 Difolatan O2~ or Dithane M-45 0 3 initial symptom of the disease is the appearance of elongated wa ter soaked lesio ns of varying sizes on the Leaf rust (Phakopsora eiettariae) is often seen on lower surfaces of young leaves Later these lesions turn the mat ure leaves as whitish powdery mass on the under brow n to duk with a pale yellow halo In severe cases surface of the leaves with the cc rresponding uppt r surface it leads to vithering of leaves and wilting of pseudostem showing yellow necrotic patches In the diseased clumps flowers fail to develop into capsules and pa nicle dries up from the tip downwards Intensity of 9 Bee Pollination diseas e is found to be high in the plantations where there Though self compatible cardamom is a cross is less or no shade with low canopy and regular manuring poI1j na ted crop as self pollination is prevented in the with inorganic fertiiisers The disea se can be kept under fl ower due to slight protrusion of the stigma above the check by providing adequate shade and an application of stamen Studies showed that the honey bees (Apis cerana)bone meal or neem cake or any o rganic manure are the principal pollinators of cardamom flowers It was

Bacterial canker (Xanthomonas sp) on the capsules found that significant increase in fruit setting could be is common in Wynad area during monsoon period ob tained in bee pollinated flowers compared to the flowers Disease starts as a small water soaked lesion on pericarp which were prevented from bee visits Mulching of the

panicles during flovering period resulted in i high reductshyof the capsuk s and later devel ops a yellow halo which is ion of capsule setting Maximum foraging activity ofmore conspicLlous on drying

- 26- 27shy

-

PI

Sf K

II

I

I

bee wac found in h 2 morning h)Us middotofthe day Card ltt11o m flowers remai n in bloom for 15 - J8 hours and s1iglilatic receptivity and pollen vi ( bility reco rded maximum during morning hours Four bee hives l1a of the plantation should be maintained for getting suH-icienr number of pollinators The following guideJines for insecticide management in cardamom are recomm ended 1 As dust formulations are more harmful to bees formulations of emulsions and granul es are preferrtd 2 During flocring period apply I insecticides onlv in he evening h Durs of the dav 3 When

bull - J

spraying is undertaken bees should be prevented from visiting the treated fi elds by closing the hive entrance for 24 hours The closing should be done in the evening (after sun)el) of the pj- middot~~djng day of spraying Water and sugar syrup should be provided to the colony I 10 Harvest and processing

Cardamom plants normally st a rt bearing capsules from third year of plan ting However satisfactory yields are obtained from the fourth year onwards In most of the areas the peak period ofharvcSi is in October-November Picking is carried out at an intcrvcd uf 15-middot20 days in Karnataka and 30 days in Kerala Capsules just short of full ripeness are harvestedlin order to get maximum green colour during curing o~pe lding on the seaso the h Hvesting starts from July and continues upto FebruaryshyMarch

After harvestingcapsules are dried either in fud ki ln or el ~ctrical d rier or in th ~~ sun When drier is used it

ushould be dried at 5S e for 14-18 hrs whiJl~ for kiln overshynight drying at 50 -60

u C is required The capsules kept

for drying ar spread thinly and stirred frequenlly to ensure uniform drying This process helps to retain the green colour of capsules which fetches better price in the market

middot-28 shy

T dried cap~l1les are rubbed with hands or rough coil mat or wiremesh and winnowed to remove the ends and other foreign matter They are then sorted out according to size and colour It has been found that soaking the fre shly harvested green cardamom capsules in 2 washing soda solution for 10 minutes prior to drying helps to retain original green colour during dryingmiddot After curing the dried capsules are stored in black polythene lined gunny bags to retain the green middot colour during storage These bags are then kept in wooden chambers

11 Economics

Cardamom is one of the most delicate small holder plantation crops grown in the tropical rainforest Care and management play very importart role in determining the productivity as well as the profitablity of cardamom production The study of economics of cardamom proshyduction reveals that the crop can ensure an average annual margin of Rs 3900iha under the present level of factor costs and price of Rs lOu- Kg of cardamom when the cultishyvation is done under a reasonably good management level The financial analysis ot cardamom cultivation has been worked out under the following assumptions and presented in this section

) Ecological condition

2 I rr igation Sy ste 111

3 Plant density 4 Fert il iser dose 5 Labour wages 6 Cost of other inputs

7 Price of Cardamom

8 Life cycle

Cardamom growing tract of South India Sprinkler 4500ha 75Kg75Kg 150Kg N PK jha

Rs 25day A s per 1985 price Rs 100 Kg 12 years

9 I ncome from shade trees at the end of 1 ] ife cycle Rs 1000011[1

- 29shy

Cost-benefit Analysis of Cardamom Cultivation Lril

Year Cost from (Rs) plantshying -~-- shy -- shy _- _-

Yield (kgha)

R eturn (Rs)

Net profit (Rs)

Discounted Net profit

14DF (Rs)

---~--------

1 37150 - 37150 -32580 2 7850 75 7500 -350 -2 69 ) 8500 150 15000 6500 4370 4 10900 250 25000 14100 8362 5~ 10800 300 30000 19200 9964 6 10800 300 30000 19200 8755 7 i0800 300 30000 19200 7680 8 10800 300 30000 19200 6739 9 ]0600 250 25000 14400 4435

10 10500 200 20000 9500 2565 11 10400 12) 12500 2100 497 12 10300 80 8000 7700 1601

Including the cost of sprinkler irrigation system at the rate of Rs 20000jha If the Plantation is of large size the unit cost of irrigatiun could come down considerably_ Including the income from the shade trees

------ -~ ~-- -- --shyNet present worth Rs 22IO() Benltfit cost ratio 128 Internal rate of return ( ~~) 22 Average annual margin Rs 3900ha

For further details contact

Head Divi sion of Exten sion Central Plantation Crops Research Institute Kasaragod -670 bull 24

- 30 ~

bull

C

p stripe The stripes J un parallel to the vt~in from the

D midrib to leaf margin All the subsequently emerging D new leaves show characteristic mosaic symptoms with

stripes of grcin tissue Often mottlirg is seen on theK K leaf sheath and young pseudostem As the leaf matures

the mosaic symptoms aie more or less masked Infection

is systemic in nature and it gradually spreads to all the tillers in a clump You nge r seedlings express symptoms earlier than g rown lip clumps Invariably infected clumps are st unkd and sm L1 ller in size with a few slender tillrrsTI

dl and shorter panicles Plants never die du e to Katte Be infectivn but survive for many years and serve as sourcesS(

of inoculumU U[

If the plants are infected in the seedling stage or the same year of planting the loss will be t0tal In bearing clumps the loss will be upto 68 in three years after infection The loss will be even more at later stages

Ec It is a virus disease It spreads through aphid M vector Pentalonia nigronervosa f caladii and also by the K

use of infected planting material All stages of the aphid can transmit the disease The virus is nonshypersi stent and sylet borne This disease is not transmitted through seed or soil however the disease has adverse effect on seed germination

Ju All the cardamom cultivars are susceptible to the

disease Other Zingiberaceous host like Amomum cannaecarpum Ainl1olucratum A micrlstephenum Alpinia nltans and Curcuma neilgherrensis are susceptible to

Pr Katte and may act as additional hosts to the disease

Sf K -20shy

Mar lement of the disease

Studies on Katte eradication in affected gardens

revealed that the disease could be kept at a very low levtl by regular roguing Regular removal of affected plants at monthly intervals and replanting the existing gaps wit h healthy plants during the planting season helped 11 bri llging do wn the disease incidence below one perce1t irrespective of the iniiial level of inoculummiddot Only health y seedlings are t o be used for gap filling and clones collected from the diseased plots should never be used Retenti on of Katte affected plants in the plantation i) not only uneconomical but also serves as a source of inoculum for furthe r spread of the disease (Please rern to our Technical Bulletin No 11 for details on Katte disease and

management)

82 Nilgiris Necrosis of cardamom

A new diseJse of cardamom was noticed during a sLUvey conduted in 1984 in the cardamom plantations of Valpara i and Nilgiris The disease incidence varied from 01 to 5 per cent in different plantations The presence of the di sease was also observed in 18 months old nursery

Affected plants showed visible symptoms on the youngest leaf as elongated discon tinuous yellow patches which later turned necrotic The leaves prodllced thereafter are very much reduced in size Soon the yellow lesions become white in colour and later tu rn into necrotic patches Affected leaves are brittle and the mature leaves shred followed by premature drying Infection is systemic in nature and gradually

-21shy

C

p spreads to all the tillers As the infection advancen the affected clumps produce numerous short tillers Nith

D brown discolouration at th~ base The affected tillersD break easily A drastic reduction in growth coupled with

K complete cessation of penicle production was noticed in K severely affected clumps If infection occurs in yielding

clumps it results in the fcrmation ofa few shorter panicles with smaIJer deformed capsules Brown patches are seen on the surface of capsules in affected clumps Seeds in the affected capsules are reduced in number and fail to mature

TI dl The disease differs from Katte in that there is no Bf typical mosaic symptom of dark green interspersed withS(

light green patches on the leafand on pseudostem UnlikeU UI Katte disease the decline in growth and production is

very fast ie within one year the clump becomes unprodushyctive The type of the symptoms and nature of spread EM observations etc suggest the association of a virus with this disease

Precautionary measures recommended 1 Regular surveyE for tracing of new infections 2 ahecking of seedlings M in nurseries before planting into the main field 3 KeepingK strict vigilance in affected cardamom plantations and

roguing of the affected clumps 4 Taking care that no planting material should move out from the affected gardens to other cardamom growing areas

83 Nursery leaf spot The disease is caused by fungusJu Phylosticta elettariae It is the most destructive disease and often poses a threat to successful raising of the seedlings especially in Karnataka The disease is noticed in February-April with the receipt of summer showers and becomes more serious during monsoon period from June-AugustPr

Sr -22shyK

The disease commences as minute wate r

soulcd spots on the under surface of the leaf and later

turn into necrotic spots surrounded with water soaked

area If wet weather prevails these spots gradually

enlarge and result in blighting or rotting of the entire leaf

During dry period spots remain more or less circular in

shape greyish in colour with numerous black sunken

pycnidia in the centres If the infection is severe death

of seedlings is seen in the primary nursery Only young

leaves a re prone to infection and the seedlings develop

tole ranceresistance as they grow old The disease is

primarily soil borne and spreads mainly through rain

splash

Spray the seedlings with 1 ~Io Bordcam~ mix ture

or 02 Captafol (Difolat an) or 0 1 Bavistin First

spray is to be applied in March- April depend ing on

summer showas and subsequent ~ prays at 15 duys interva ls

While spraying care should be taken to cover both

surfaces of the young leaves Tn addition to fungicidal

spray the following measures are [0 be adopted to get an effective control of the disease

1 Tak-c up early sowing of seeds in August-September

to get sufficient growth before the onset of monsoon so tha t

~eed)jngs develop tolerance 2 Avoid direct sunlight

from top or sides Use coir mat or coconut fronds (Thatti)

or jungle leaves to provide uniform shade J Do not

ra ise nursery continuously in the same site since the

pathogen multiples in the soil 4 Raise nursery in wel

fert ile soil and encourage good growth by periodica i application of manures

-23shy

PJ 84 Azhukal or capsule rot The disease is m stly

D prevalent in hills of Idukki and Wynad areas in Kerala ft is known as Azhukal (means rotting) caused by aD

C fungus Phytophthora nicotianae var nicotianae pythium Ie vexans also has been found to be associated with the K dis~ase Usually the disease starts with the onset of the

south-west monsoon becomes severe during AugustshySeptember and continues to prevail up to December if the weather is favoura bie T he pathogen affects all the plant parts

The symptoms appear first on exposed portion ofTI

immature unopened leaves as dark green water soakeddL B( lesions and later enlarge and decay In the opened Sc leaves the affected area turns necrotic shrivels and gradually U shreds Finally t he affected leaves break at the base of U[ the peti ole and remain ha nging Affected pseudostems

and leaf sheaths show reddish pink discolouration and break at the collar region by the slightest disturbance Rotting sympto ms are seen on roots and ri1izc)mes which emit foul smell The panicles and capsules of all stag(s of maturity are infected I~ffected immature capsules fall

E off within 3 to 5 days while mature capsules get shrivelled M on drying Infecti on on panicles appears on a ny portion K and such infected panicles dry up All the three types

viz Mal abar Mysore and Vazhukk a a re susceptible

The disease can be controlled by spraying 1 Bordeaux mixture or Copper oxychloride (02 ~~) with a wetting agent or Di thane M-~15 (025) First spraying a nd drenching around the dump may be done in May-Juneiu before the onset of monsoon after trashing a nd second spray in the early August when the rains b l eak A third round of spray may be given ir September if the monsoon is prolonged and di sease is sti ll persisten t Application of neem cake as soil am endment was fou nd to be effective in reducing the populat io n of the pa thogen in th e soil Pr

Sr -24shyK

8r Damping off and Rhizome ro t This disea se takes a heavy toll in the old

nu rseries The fungi Pythium sp and Rhizoctonia soani

are found aswciated with the diseased seedlings Exces sive

soil moisture lack of proper drainage and thick population

of seed lings in the nursery are the predisposing factors

for Pythium infection whf reas Rhizoctonia damping off

appears when soil [emperatu re is slightly high

Th e initial disease symptoms arc notictd on

leaves which show slight paleness and yellowing at the top

Grad wdly yellowing spreads into leaf blades and leaf

shea ths followed by withering of seedlings In primary

nursery infected seedlings eventuaHy cnl1apse at collar

region and d ie in patches In grown up

infection starts from coll a r an d spreads

which first bcomes discoloured and decay

clonia infection is indicated in the form

seedlings the

into rhizome

The Rhizoshy

of brownish

d iscolouration in tbecollar whereas pinkish discolouralion

and soft decay is the symptom of Pythium infection

In the nurseries with previous hi story of disease

d rench ing with I 50 forl11ald ~ hyde 151 sqm before

sowing eff~ctively minimises soil borne infection As the

fungicidal application is less effective after noticing tbe

infec tion prophylactic drenching has to be taken immediashy

tely after the germination of seedlings Drenching with

025 Dithane M-45 or 1 Bordeaux mixture for the

c ontrol of Pytlzium sp followed by drenching with 025 p eNB (Brassicol 8 lit q m_) after 15 days for Rhizoctotlia

sp control the disease There should be good drainage

provision in the nursery Thin sowing has to be adopted

to avoid over population in tbe nursery beds

-25shy

--

p~

D D Ci K K

TI dl Be 8lt U uI

E

M K

Jt

Sphceloma leaf spot (Sph aceloma cardam0171i)8S Clump rot This is a fungal disease causal by appears as scattered spherical blotches measuring a fewPythiu111 veXUI1S occasionally seen in the plantation mm in diameter and later several spots coalesce to formwhere there is improper drainage Primary symptoms large necrotic patchesinclude slight paleness followed by yellowing of kaves

from the tip Decaying of rhizomes starts a t soil surface Cercospora leaf spot (Cer cosp ora z ingiberiJ isThe pse udostems and rhizomes become soft ultimately

common in nurseries and main plantations Initially it resulting in the death of the clump

starts as wate r soaked lesions which soon turn muddy red l Re moval of aflected clumps along with The lesions are rectangular in shape running along the

rhizomes and theJr destruciion 2 Drenching with 1 veins As the disease advances the a ffected lesions turn Bo rd ea ux mixlure helps in pren nting the spread of the brown and dry up Disease is more severe when plants disease 3 Provide proper drainage are directly exposed to sun

87 Minor diseases Leaf blotch disease (Phaeodactylium venkatesanum) Chental disease is caused by a gram POSIOVC rod starts as blotches involving leaf margin and leaf tip and later

shaped bacterium (CorYMbacterium sp) It is known to develops cha racteristic whitish fungal growth on the undershybe prevaleot in a ll the ca rdamom growing tracts but surface of tbe blighted area The disease can be controlled severity is more in the high ranges of Kerala by spraying the fungicides like Hinosan 03 ~~ Bordeaux

mixture 1 Difolatan O2~ or Dithane M-45 0 3 initial symptom of the disease is the appearance of elongated wa ter soaked lesio ns of varying sizes on the Leaf rust (Phakopsora eiettariae) is often seen on lower surfaces of young leaves Later these lesions turn the mat ure leaves as whitish powdery mass on the under brow n to duk with a pale yellow halo In severe cases surface of the leaves with the cc rresponding uppt r surface it leads to vithering of leaves and wilting of pseudostem showing yellow necrotic patches In the diseased clumps flowers fail to develop into capsules and pa nicle dries up from the tip downwards Intensity of 9 Bee Pollination diseas e is found to be high in the plantations where there Though self compatible cardamom is a cross is less or no shade with low canopy and regular manuring poI1j na ted crop as self pollination is prevented in the with inorganic fertiiisers The disea se can be kept under fl ower due to slight protrusion of the stigma above the check by providing adequate shade and an application of stamen Studies showed that the honey bees (Apis cerana)bone meal or neem cake or any o rganic manure are the principal pollinators of cardamom flowers It was

Bacterial canker (Xanthomonas sp) on the capsules found that significant increase in fruit setting could be is common in Wynad area during monsoon period ob tained in bee pollinated flowers compared to the flowers Disease starts as a small water soaked lesion on pericarp which were prevented from bee visits Mulching of the

panicles during flovering period resulted in i high reductshyof the capsuk s and later devel ops a yellow halo which is ion of capsule setting Maximum foraging activity ofmore conspicLlous on drying

- 26- 27shy

-

PI

Sf K

II

I

I

bee wac found in h 2 morning h)Us middotofthe day Card ltt11o m flowers remai n in bloom for 15 - J8 hours and s1iglilatic receptivity and pollen vi ( bility reco rded maximum during morning hours Four bee hives l1a of the plantation should be maintained for getting suH-icienr number of pollinators The following guideJines for insecticide management in cardamom are recomm ended 1 As dust formulations are more harmful to bees formulations of emulsions and granul es are preferrtd 2 During flocring period apply I insecticides onlv in he evening h Durs of the dav 3 When

bull - J

spraying is undertaken bees should be prevented from visiting the treated fi elds by closing the hive entrance for 24 hours The closing should be done in the evening (after sun)el) of the pj- middot~~djng day of spraying Water and sugar syrup should be provided to the colony I 10 Harvest and processing

Cardamom plants normally st a rt bearing capsules from third year of plan ting However satisfactory yields are obtained from the fourth year onwards In most of the areas the peak period ofharvcSi is in October-November Picking is carried out at an intcrvcd uf 15-middot20 days in Karnataka and 30 days in Kerala Capsules just short of full ripeness are harvestedlin order to get maximum green colour during curing o~pe lding on the seaso the h Hvesting starts from July and continues upto FebruaryshyMarch

After harvestingcapsules are dried either in fud ki ln or el ~ctrical d rier or in th ~~ sun When drier is used it

ushould be dried at 5S e for 14-18 hrs whiJl~ for kiln overshynight drying at 50 -60

u C is required The capsules kept

for drying ar spread thinly and stirred frequenlly to ensure uniform drying This process helps to retain the green colour of capsules which fetches better price in the market

middot-28 shy

T dried cap~l1les are rubbed with hands or rough coil mat or wiremesh and winnowed to remove the ends and other foreign matter They are then sorted out according to size and colour It has been found that soaking the fre shly harvested green cardamom capsules in 2 washing soda solution for 10 minutes prior to drying helps to retain original green colour during dryingmiddot After curing the dried capsules are stored in black polythene lined gunny bags to retain the green middot colour during storage These bags are then kept in wooden chambers

11 Economics

Cardamom is one of the most delicate small holder plantation crops grown in the tropical rainforest Care and management play very importart role in determining the productivity as well as the profitablity of cardamom production The study of economics of cardamom proshyduction reveals that the crop can ensure an average annual margin of Rs 3900iha under the present level of factor costs and price of Rs lOu- Kg of cardamom when the cultishyvation is done under a reasonably good management level The financial analysis ot cardamom cultivation has been worked out under the following assumptions and presented in this section

) Ecological condition

2 I rr igation Sy ste 111

3 Plant density 4 Fert il iser dose 5 Labour wages 6 Cost of other inputs

7 Price of Cardamom

8 Life cycle

Cardamom growing tract of South India Sprinkler 4500ha 75Kg75Kg 150Kg N PK jha

Rs 25day A s per 1985 price Rs 100 Kg 12 years

9 I ncome from shade trees at the end of 1 ] ife cycle Rs 1000011[1

- 29shy

Cost-benefit Analysis of Cardamom Cultivation Lril

Year Cost from (Rs) plantshying -~-- shy -- shy _- _-

Yield (kgha)

R eturn (Rs)

Net profit (Rs)

Discounted Net profit

14DF (Rs)

---~--------

1 37150 - 37150 -32580 2 7850 75 7500 -350 -2 69 ) 8500 150 15000 6500 4370 4 10900 250 25000 14100 8362 5~ 10800 300 30000 19200 9964 6 10800 300 30000 19200 8755 7 i0800 300 30000 19200 7680 8 10800 300 30000 19200 6739 9 ]0600 250 25000 14400 4435

10 10500 200 20000 9500 2565 11 10400 12) 12500 2100 497 12 10300 80 8000 7700 1601

Including the cost of sprinkler irrigation system at the rate of Rs 20000jha If the Plantation is of large size the unit cost of irrigatiun could come down considerably_ Including the income from the shade trees

------ -~ ~-- -- --shyNet present worth Rs 22IO() Benltfit cost ratio 128 Internal rate of return ( ~~) 22 Average annual margin Rs 3900ha

For further details contact

Head Divi sion of Exten sion Central Plantation Crops Research Institute Kasaragod -670 bull 24

- 30 ~

bull

C

p spreads to all the tillers As the infection advancen the affected clumps produce numerous short tillers Nith

D brown discolouration at th~ base The affected tillersD break easily A drastic reduction in growth coupled with

K complete cessation of penicle production was noticed in K severely affected clumps If infection occurs in yielding

clumps it results in the fcrmation ofa few shorter panicles with smaIJer deformed capsules Brown patches are seen on the surface of capsules in affected clumps Seeds in the affected capsules are reduced in number and fail to mature

TI dl The disease differs from Katte in that there is no Bf typical mosaic symptom of dark green interspersed withS(

light green patches on the leafand on pseudostem UnlikeU UI Katte disease the decline in growth and production is

very fast ie within one year the clump becomes unprodushyctive The type of the symptoms and nature of spread EM observations etc suggest the association of a virus with this disease

Precautionary measures recommended 1 Regular surveyE for tracing of new infections 2 ahecking of seedlings M in nurseries before planting into the main field 3 KeepingK strict vigilance in affected cardamom plantations and

roguing of the affected clumps 4 Taking care that no planting material should move out from the affected gardens to other cardamom growing areas

83 Nursery leaf spot The disease is caused by fungusJu Phylosticta elettariae It is the most destructive disease and often poses a threat to successful raising of the seedlings especially in Karnataka The disease is noticed in February-April with the receipt of summer showers and becomes more serious during monsoon period from June-AugustPr

Sr -22shyK

The disease commences as minute wate r

soulcd spots on the under surface of the leaf and later

turn into necrotic spots surrounded with water soaked

area If wet weather prevails these spots gradually

enlarge and result in blighting or rotting of the entire leaf

During dry period spots remain more or less circular in

shape greyish in colour with numerous black sunken

pycnidia in the centres If the infection is severe death

of seedlings is seen in the primary nursery Only young

leaves a re prone to infection and the seedlings develop

tole ranceresistance as they grow old The disease is

primarily soil borne and spreads mainly through rain

splash

Spray the seedlings with 1 ~Io Bordcam~ mix ture

or 02 Captafol (Difolat an) or 0 1 Bavistin First

spray is to be applied in March- April depend ing on

summer showas and subsequent ~ prays at 15 duys interva ls

While spraying care should be taken to cover both

surfaces of the young leaves Tn addition to fungicidal

spray the following measures are [0 be adopted to get an effective control of the disease

1 Tak-c up early sowing of seeds in August-September

to get sufficient growth before the onset of monsoon so tha t

~eed)jngs develop tolerance 2 Avoid direct sunlight

from top or sides Use coir mat or coconut fronds (Thatti)

or jungle leaves to provide uniform shade J Do not

ra ise nursery continuously in the same site since the

pathogen multiples in the soil 4 Raise nursery in wel

fert ile soil and encourage good growth by periodica i application of manures

-23shy

PJ 84 Azhukal or capsule rot The disease is m stly

D prevalent in hills of Idukki and Wynad areas in Kerala ft is known as Azhukal (means rotting) caused by aD

C fungus Phytophthora nicotianae var nicotianae pythium Ie vexans also has been found to be associated with the K dis~ase Usually the disease starts with the onset of the

south-west monsoon becomes severe during AugustshySeptember and continues to prevail up to December if the weather is favoura bie T he pathogen affects all the plant parts

The symptoms appear first on exposed portion ofTI

immature unopened leaves as dark green water soakeddL B( lesions and later enlarge and decay In the opened Sc leaves the affected area turns necrotic shrivels and gradually U shreds Finally t he affected leaves break at the base of U[ the peti ole and remain ha nging Affected pseudostems

and leaf sheaths show reddish pink discolouration and break at the collar region by the slightest disturbance Rotting sympto ms are seen on roots and ri1izc)mes which emit foul smell The panicles and capsules of all stag(s of maturity are infected I~ffected immature capsules fall

E off within 3 to 5 days while mature capsules get shrivelled M on drying Infecti on on panicles appears on a ny portion K and such infected panicles dry up All the three types

viz Mal abar Mysore and Vazhukk a a re susceptible

The disease can be controlled by spraying 1 Bordeaux mixture or Copper oxychloride (02 ~~) with a wetting agent or Di thane M-~15 (025) First spraying a nd drenching around the dump may be done in May-Juneiu before the onset of monsoon after trashing a nd second spray in the early August when the rains b l eak A third round of spray may be given ir September if the monsoon is prolonged and di sease is sti ll persisten t Application of neem cake as soil am endment was fou nd to be effective in reducing the populat io n of the pa thogen in th e soil Pr

Sr -24shyK

8r Damping off and Rhizome ro t This disea se takes a heavy toll in the old

nu rseries The fungi Pythium sp and Rhizoctonia soani

are found aswciated with the diseased seedlings Exces sive

soil moisture lack of proper drainage and thick population

of seed lings in the nursery are the predisposing factors

for Pythium infection whf reas Rhizoctonia damping off

appears when soil [emperatu re is slightly high

Th e initial disease symptoms arc notictd on

leaves which show slight paleness and yellowing at the top

Grad wdly yellowing spreads into leaf blades and leaf

shea ths followed by withering of seedlings In primary

nursery infected seedlings eventuaHy cnl1apse at collar

region and d ie in patches In grown up

infection starts from coll a r an d spreads

which first bcomes discoloured and decay

clonia infection is indicated in the form

seedlings the

into rhizome

The Rhizoshy

of brownish

d iscolouration in tbecollar whereas pinkish discolouralion

and soft decay is the symptom of Pythium infection

In the nurseries with previous hi story of disease

d rench ing with I 50 forl11ald ~ hyde 151 sqm before

sowing eff~ctively minimises soil borne infection As the

fungicidal application is less effective after noticing tbe

infec tion prophylactic drenching has to be taken immediashy

tely after the germination of seedlings Drenching with

025 Dithane M-45 or 1 Bordeaux mixture for the

c ontrol of Pytlzium sp followed by drenching with 025 p eNB (Brassicol 8 lit q m_) after 15 days for Rhizoctotlia

sp control the disease There should be good drainage

provision in the nursery Thin sowing has to be adopted

to avoid over population in tbe nursery beds

-25shy

--

p~

D D Ci K K

TI dl Be 8lt U uI

E

M K

Jt

Sphceloma leaf spot (Sph aceloma cardam0171i)8S Clump rot This is a fungal disease causal by appears as scattered spherical blotches measuring a fewPythiu111 veXUI1S occasionally seen in the plantation mm in diameter and later several spots coalesce to formwhere there is improper drainage Primary symptoms large necrotic patchesinclude slight paleness followed by yellowing of kaves

from the tip Decaying of rhizomes starts a t soil surface Cercospora leaf spot (Cer cosp ora z ingiberiJ isThe pse udostems and rhizomes become soft ultimately

common in nurseries and main plantations Initially it resulting in the death of the clump

starts as wate r soaked lesions which soon turn muddy red l Re moval of aflected clumps along with The lesions are rectangular in shape running along the

rhizomes and theJr destruciion 2 Drenching with 1 veins As the disease advances the a ffected lesions turn Bo rd ea ux mixlure helps in pren nting the spread of the brown and dry up Disease is more severe when plants disease 3 Provide proper drainage are directly exposed to sun

87 Minor diseases Leaf blotch disease (Phaeodactylium venkatesanum) Chental disease is caused by a gram POSIOVC rod starts as blotches involving leaf margin and leaf tip and later

shaped bacterium (CorYMbacterium sp) It is known to develops cha racteristic whitish fungal growth on the undershybe prevaleot in a ll the ca rdamom growing tracts but surface of tbe blighted area The disease can be controlled severity is more in the high ranges of Kerala by spraying the fungicides like Hinosan 03 ~~ Bordeaux

mixture 1 Difolatan O2~ or Dithane M-45 0 3 initial symptom of the disease is the appearance of elongated wa ter soaked lesio ns of varying sizes on the Leaf rust (Phakopsora eiettariae) is often seen on lower surfaces of young leaves Later these lesions turn the mat ure leaves as whitish powdery mass on the under brow n to duk with a pale yellow halo In severe cases surface of the leaves with the cc rresponding uppt r surface it leads to vithering of leaves and wilting of pseudostem showing yellow necrotic patches In the diseased clumps flowers fail to develop into capsules and pa nicle dries up from the tip downwards Intensity of 9 Bee Pollination diseas e is found to be high in the plantations where there Though self compatible cardamom is a cross is less or no shade with low canopy and regular manuring poI1j na ted crop as self pollination is prevented in the with inorganic fertiiisers The disea se can be kept under fl ower due to slight protrusion of the stigma above the check by providing adequate shade and an application of stamen Studies showed that the honey bees (Apis cerana)bone meal or neem cake or any o rganic manure are the principal pollinators of cardamom flowers It was

Bacterial canker (Xanthomonas sp) on the capsules found that significant increase in fruit setting could be is common in Wynad area during monsoon period ob tained in bee pollinated flowers compared to the flowers Disease starts as a small water soaked lesion on pericarp which were prevented from bee visits Mulching of the

panicles during flovering period resulted in i high reductshyof the capsuk s and later devel ops a yellow halo which is ion of capsule setting Maximum foraging activity ofmore conspicLlous on drying

- 26- 27shy

-

PI

Sf K

II

I

I

bee wac found in h 2 morning h)Us middotofthe day Card ltt11o m flowers remai n in bloom for 15 - J8 hours and s1iglilatic receptivity and pollen vi ( bility reco rded maximum during morning hours Four bee hives l1a of the plantation should be maintained for getting suH-icienr number of pollinators The following guideJines for insecticide management in cardamom are recomm ended 1 As dust formulations are more harmful to bees formulations of emulsions and granul es are preferrtd 2 During flocring period apply I insecticides onlv in he evening h Durs of the dav 3 When

bull - J

spraying is undertaken bees should be prevented from visiting the treated fi elds by closing the hive entrance for 24 hours The closing should be done in the evening (after sun)el) of the pj- middot~~djng day of spraying Water and sugar syrup should be provided to the colony I 10 Harvest and processing

Cardamom plants normally st a rt bearing capsules from third year of plan ting However satisfactory yields are obtained from the fourth year onwards In most of the areas the peak period ofharvcSi is in October-November Picking is carried out at an intcrvcd uf 15-middot20 days in Karnataka and 30 days in Kerala Capsules just short of full ripeness are harvestedlin order to get maximum green colour during curing o~pe lding on the seaso the h Hvesting starts from July and continues upto FebruaryshyMarch

After harvestingcapsules are dried either in fud ki ln or el ~ctrical d rier or in th ~~ sun When drier is used it

ushould be dried at 5S e for 14-18 hrs whiJl~ for kiln overshynight drying at 50 -60

u C is required The capsules kept

for drying ar spread thinly and stirred frequenlly to ensure uniform drying This process helps to retain the green colour of capsules which fetches better price in the market

middot-28 shy

T dried cap~l1les are rubbed with hands or rough coil mat or wiremesh and winnowed to remove the ends and other foreign matter They are then sorted out according to size and colour It has been found that soaking the fre shly harvested green cardamom capsules in 2 washing soda solution for 10 minutes prior to drying helps to retain original green colour during dryingmiddot After curing the dried capsules are stored in black polythene lined gunny bags to retain the green middot colour during storage These bags are then kept in wooden chambers

11 Economics

Cardamom is one of the most delicate small holder plantation crops grown in the tropical rainforest Care and management play very importart role in determining the productivity as well as the profitablity of cardamom production The study of economics of cardamom proshyduction reveals that the crop can ensure an average annual margin of Rs 3900iha under the present level of factor costs and price of Rs lOu- Kg of cardamom when the cultishyvation is done under a reasonably good management level The financial analysis ot cardamom cultivation has been worked out under the following assumptions and presented in this section

) Ecological condition

2 I rr igation Sy ste 111

3 Plant density 4 Fert il iser dose 5 Labour wages 6 Cost of other inputs

7 Price of Cardamom

8 Life cycle

Cardamom growing tract of South India Sprinkler 4500ha 75Kg75Kg 150Kg N PK jha

Rs 25day A s per 1985 price Rs 100 Kg 12 years

9 I ncome from shade trees at the end of 1 ] ife cycle Rs 1000011[1

- 29shy

Cost-benefit Analysis of Cardamom Cultivation Lril

Year Cost from (Rs) plantshying -~-- shy -- shy _- _-

Yield (kgha)

R eturn (Rs)

Net profit (Rs)

Discounted Net profit

14DF (Rs)

---~--------

1 37150 - 37150 -32580 2 7850 75 7500 -350 -2 69 ) 8500 150 15000 6500 4370 4 10900 250 25000 14100 8362 5~ 10800 300 30000 19200 9964 6 10800 300 30000 19200 8755 7 i0800 300 30000 19200 7680 8 10800 300 30000 19200 6739 9 ]0600 250 25000 14400 4435

10 10500 200 20000 9500 2565 11 10400 12) 12500 2100 497 12 10300 80 8000 7700 1601

Including the cost of sprinkler irrigation system at the rate of Rs 20000jha If the Plantation is of large size the unit cost of irrigatiun could come down considerably_ Including the income from the shade trees

------ -~ ~-- -- --shyNet present worth Rs 22IO() Benltfit cost ratio 128 Internal rate of return ( ~~) 22 Average annual margin Rs 3900ha

For further details contact

Head Divi sion of Exten sion Central Plantation Crops Research Institute Kasaragod -670 bull 24

- 30 ~

bull

PJ 84 Azhukal or capsule rot The disease is m stly

D prevalent in hills of Idukki and Wynad areas in Kerala ft is known as Azhukal (means rotting) caused by aD

C fungus Phytophthora nicotianae var nicotianae pythium Ie vexans also has been found to be associated with the K dis~ase Usually the disease starts with the onset of the

south-west monsoon becomes severe during AugustshySeptember and continues to prevail up to December if the weather is favoura bie T he pathogen affects all the plant parts

The symptoms appear first on exposed portion ofTI

immature unopened leaves as dark green water soakeddL B( lesions and later enlarge and decay In the opened Sc leaves the affected area turns necrotic shrivels and gradually U shreds Finally t he affected leaves break at the base of U[ the peti ole and remain ha nging Affected pseudostems

and leaf sheaths show reddish pink discolouration and break at the collar region by the slightest disturbance Rotting sympto ms are seen on roots and ri1izc)mes which emit foul smell The panicles and capsules of all stag(s of maturity are infected I~ffected immature capsules fall

E off within 3 to 5 days while mature capsules get shrivelled M on drying Infecti on on panicles appears on a ny portion K and such infected panicles dry up All the three types

viz Mal abar Mysore and Vazhukk a a re susceptible

The disease can be controlled by spraying 1 Bordeaux mixture or Copper oxychloride (02 ~~) with a wetting agent or Di thane M-~15 (025) First spraying a nd drenching around the dump may be done in May-Juneiu before the onset of monsoon after trashing a nd second spray in the early August when the rains b l eak A third round of spray may be given ir September if the monsoon is prolonged and di sease is sti ll persisten t Application of neem cake as soil am endment was fou nd to be effective in reducing the populat io n of the pa thogen in th e soil Pr

Sr -24shyK

8r Damping off and Rhizome ro t This disea se takes a heavy toll in the old

nu rseries The fungi Pythium sp and Rhizoctonia soani

are found aswciated with the diseased seedlings Exces sive

soil moisture lack of proper drainage and thick population

of seed lings in the nursery are the predisposing factors

for Pythium infection whf reas Rhizoctonia damping off

appears when soil [emperatu re is slightly high

Th e initial disease symptoms arc notictd on

leaves which show slight paleness and yellowing at the top

Grad wdly yellowing spreads into leaf blades and leaf

shea ths followed by withering of seedlings In primary

nursery infected seedlings eventuaHy cnl1apse at collar

region and d ie in patches In grown up

infection starts from coll a r an d spreads

which first bcomes discoloured and decay

clonia infection is indicated in the form

seedlings the

into rhizome

The Rhizoshy

of brownish

d iscolouration in tbecollar whereas pinkish discolouralion

and soft decay is the symptom of Pythium infection

In the nurseries with previous hi story of disease

d rench ing with I 50 forl11ald ~ hyde 151 sqm before

sowing eff~ctively minimises soil borne infection As the

fungicidal application is less effective after noticing tbe

infec tion prophylactic drenching has to be taken immediashy

tely after the germination of seedlings Drenching with

025 Dithane M-45 or 1 Bordeaux mixture for the

c ontrol of Pytlzium sp followed by drenching with 025 p eNB (Brassicol 8 lit q m_) after 15 days for Rhizoctotlia

sp control the disease There should be good drainage

provision in the nursery Thin sowing has to be adopted

to avoid over population in tbe nursery beds

-25shy

--

p~

D D Ci K K

TI dl Be 8lt U uI

E

M K

Jt

Sphceloma leaf spot (Sph aceloma cardam0171i)8S Clump rot This is a fungal disease causal by appears as scattered spherical blotches measuring a fewPythiu111 veXUI1S occasionally seen in the plantation mm in diameter and later several spots coalesce to formwhere there is improper drainage Primary symptoms large necrotic patchesinclude slight paleness followed by yellowing of kaves

from the tip Decaying of rhizomes starts a t soil surface Cercospora leaf spot (Cer cosp ora z ingiberiJ isThe pse udostems and rhizomes become soft ultimately

common in nurseries and main plantations Initially it resulting in the death of the clump

starts as wate r soaked lesions which soon turn muddy red l Re moval of aflected clumps along with The lesions are rectangular in shape running along the

rhizomes and theJr destruciion 2 Drenching with 1 veins As the disease advances the a ffected lesions turn Bo rd ea ux mixlure helps in pren nting the spread of the brown and dry up Disease is more severe when plants disease 3 Provide proper drainage are directly exposed to sun

87 Minor diseases Leaf blotch disease (Phaeodactylium venkatesanum) Chental disease is caused by a gram POSIOVC rod starts as blotches involving leaf margin and leaf tip and later

shaped bacterium (CorYMbacterium sp) It is known to develops cha racteristic whitish fungal growth on the undershybe prevaleot in a ll the ca rdamom growing tracts but surface of tbe blighted area The disease can be controlled severity is more in the high ranges of Kerala by spraying the fungicides like Hinosan 03 ~~ Bordeaux

mixture 1 Difolatan O2~ or Dithane M-45 0 3 initial symptom of the disease is the appearance of elongated wa ter soaked lesio ns of varying sizes on the Leaf rust (Phakopsora eiettariae) is often seen on lower surfaces of young leaves Later these lesions turn the mat ure leaves as whitish powdery mass on the under brow n to duk with a pale yellow halo In severe cases surface of the leaves with the cc rresponding uppt r surface it leads to vithering of leaves and wilting of pseudostem showing yellow necrotic patches In the diseased clumps flowers fail to develop into capsules and pa nicle dries up from the tip downwards Intensity of 9 Bee Pollination diseas e is found to be high in the plantations where there Though self compatible cardamom is a cross is less or no shade with low canopy and regular manuring poI1j na ted crop as self pollination is prevented in the with inorganic fertiiisers The disea se can be kept under fl ower due to slight protrusion of the stigma above the check by providing adequate shade and an application of stamen Studies showed that the honey bees (Apis cerana)bone meal or neem cake or any o rganic manure are the principal pollinators of cardamom flowers It was

Bacterial canker (Xanthomonas sp) on the capsules found that significant increase in fruit setting could be is common in Wynad area during monsoon period ob tained in bee pollinated flowers compared to the flowers Disease starts as a small water soaked lesion on pericarp which were prevented from bee visits Mulching of the

panicles during flovering period resulted in i high reductshyof the capsuk s and later devel ops a yellow halo which is ion of capsule setting Maximum foraging activity ofmore conspicLlous on drying

- 26- 27shy

-

PI

Sf K

II

I

I

bee wac found in h 2 morning h)Us middotofthe day Card ltt11o m flowers remai n in bloom for 15 - J8 hours and s1iglilatic receptivity and pollen vi ( bility reco rded maximum during morning hours Four bee hives l1a of the plantation should be maintained for getting suH-icienr number of pollinators The following guideJines for insecticide management in cardamom are recomm ended 1 As dust formulations are more harmful to bees formulations of emulsions and granul es are preferrtd 2 During flocring period apply I insecticides onlv in he evening h Durs of the dav 3 When

bull - J

spraying is undertaken bees should be prevented from visiting the treated fi elds by closing the hive entrance for 24 hours The closing should be done in the evening (after sun)el) of the pj- middot~~djng day of spraying Water and sugar syrup should be provided to the colony I 10 Harvest and processing

Cardamom plants normally st a rt bearing capsules from third year of plan ting However satisfactory yields are obtained from the fourth year onwards In most of the areas the peak period ofharvcSi is in October-November Picking is carried out at an intcrvcd uf 15-middot20 days in Karnataka and 30 days in Kerala Capsules just short of full ripeness are harvestedlin order to get maximum green colour during curing o~pe lding on the seaso the h Hvesting starts from July and continues upto FebruaryshyMarch

After harvestingcapsules are dried either in fud ki ln or el ~ctrical d rier or in th ~~ sun When drier is used it

ushould be dried at 5S e for 14-18 hrs whiJl~ for kiln overshynight drying at 50 -60

u C is required The capsules kept

for drying ar spread thinly and stirred frequenlly to ensure uniform drying This process helps to retain the green colour of capsules which fetches better price in the market

middot-28 shy

T dried cap~l1les are rubbed with hands or rough coil mat or wiremesh and winnowed to remove the ends and other foreign matter They are then sorted out according to size and colour It has been found that soaking the fre shly harvested green cardamom capsules in 2 washing soda solution for 10 minutes prior to drying helps to retain original green colour during dryingmiddot After curing the dried capsules are stored in black polythene lined gunny bags to retain the green middot colour during storage These bags are then kept in wooden chambers

11 Economics

Cardamom is one of the most delicate small holder plantation crops grown in the tropical rainforest Care and management play very importart role in determining the productivity as well as the profitablity of cardamom production The study of economics of cardamom proshyduction reveals that the crop can ensure an average annual margin of Rs 3900iha under the present level of factor costs and price of Rs lOu- Kg of cardamom when the cultishyvation is done under a reasonably good management level The financial analysis ot cardamom cultivation has been worked out under the following assumptions and presented in this section

) Ecological condition

2 I rr igation Sy ste 111

3 Plant density 4 Fert il iser dose 5 Labour wages 6 Cost of other inputs

7 Price of Cardamom

8 Life cycle

Cardamom growing tract of South India Sprinkler 4500ha 75Kg75Kg 150Kg N PK jha

Rs 25day A s per 1985 price Rs 100 Kg 12 years

9 I ncome from shade trees at the end of 1 ] ife cycle Rs 1000011[1

- 29shy

Cost-benefit Analysis of Cardamom Cultivation Lril

Year Cost from (Rs) plantshying -~-- shy -- shy _- _-

Yield (kgha)

R eturn (Rs)

Net profit (Rs)

Discounted Net profit

14DF (Rs)

---~--------

1 37150 - 37150 -32580 2 7850 75 7500 -350 -2 69 ) 8500 150 15000 6500 4370 4 10900 250 25000 14100 8362 5~ 10800 300 30000 19200 9964 6 10800 300 30000 19200 8755 7 i0800 300 30000 19200 7680 8 10800 300 30000 19200 6739 9 ]0600 250 25000 14400 4435

10 10500 200 20000 9500 2565 11 10400 12) 12500 2100 497 12 10300 80 8000 7700 1601

Including the cost of sprinkler irrigation system at the rate of Rs 20000jha If the Plantation is of large size the unit cost of irrigatiun could come down considerably_ Including the income from the shade trees

------ -~ ~-- -- --shyNet present worth Rs 22IO() Benltfit cost ratio 128 Internal rate of return ( ~~) 22 Average annual margin Rs 3900ha

For further details contact

Head Divi sion of Exten sion Central Plantation Crops Research Institute Kasaragod -670 bull 24

- 30 ~

bull

--

p~

D D Ci K K

TI dl Be 8lt U uI

E

M K

Jt

Sphceloma leaf spot (Sph aceloma cardam0171i)8S Clump rot This is a fungal disease causal by appears as scattered spherical blotches measuring a fewPythiu111 veXUI1S occasionally seen in the plantation mm in diameter and later several spots coalesce to formwhere there is improper drainage Primary symptoms large necrotic patchesinclude slight paleness followed by yellowing of kaves

from the tip Decaying of rhizomes starts a t soil surface Cercospora leaf spot (Cer cosp ora z ingiberiJ isThe pse udostems and rhizomes become soft ultimately

common in nurseries and main plantations Initially it resulting in the death of the clump

starts as wate r soaked lesions which soon turn muddy red l Re moval of aflected clumps along with The lesions are rectangular in shape running along the

rhizomes and theJr destruciion 2 Drenching with 1 veins As the disease advances the a ffected lesions turn Bo rd ea ux mixlure helps in pren nting the spread of the brown and dry up Disease is more severe when plants disease 3 Provide proper drainage are directly exposed to sun

87 Minor diseases Leaf blotch disease (Phaeodactylium venkatesanum) Chental disease is caused by a gram POSIOVC rod starts as blotches involving leaf margin and leaf tip and later

shaped bacterium (CorYMbacterium sp) It is known to develops cha racteristic whitish fungal growth on the undershybe prevaleot in a ll the ca rdamom growing tracts but surface of tbe blighted area The disease can be controlled severity is more in the high ranges of Kerala by spraying the fungicides like Hinosan 03 ~~ Bordeaux

mixture 1 Difolatan O2~ or Dithane M-45 0 3 initial symptom of the disease is the appearance of elongated wa ter soaked lesio ns of varying sizes on the Leaf rust (Phakopsora eiettariae) is often seen on lower surfaces of young leaves Later these lesions turn the mat ure leaves as whitish powdery mass on the under brow n to duk with a pale yellow halo In severe cases surface of the leaves with the cc rresponding uppt r surface it leads to vithering of leaves and wilting of pseudostem showing yellow necrotic patches In the diseased clumps flowers fail to develop into capsules and pa nicle dries up from the tip downwards Intensity of 9 Bee Pollination diseas e is found to be high in the plantations where there Though self compatible cardamom is a cross is less or no shade with low canopy and regular manuring poI1j na ted crop as self pollination is prevented in the with inorganic fertiiisers The disea se can be kept under fl ower due to slight protrusion of the stigma above the check by providing adequate shade and an application of stamen Studies showed that the honey bees (Apis cerana)bone meal or neem cake or any o rganic manure are the principal pollinators of cardamom flowers It was

Bacterial canker (Xanthomonas sp) on the capsules found that significant increase in fruit setting could be is common in Wynad area during monsoon period ob tained in bee pollinated flowers compared to the flowers Disease starts as a small water soaked lesion on pericarp which were prevented from bee visits Mulching of the

panicles during flovering period resulted in i high reductshyof the capsuk s and later devel ops a yellow halo which is ion of capsule setting Maximum foraging activity ofmore conspicLlous on drying

- 26- 27shy

-

PI

Sf K

II

I

I

bee wac found in h 2 morning h)Us middotofthe day Card ltt11o m flowers remai n in bloom for 15 - J8 hours and s1iglilatic receptivity and pollen vi ( bility reco rded maximum during morning hours Four bee hives l1a of the plantation should be maintained for getting suH-icienr number of pollinators The following guideJines for insecticide management in cardamom are recomm ended 1 As dust formulations are more harmful to bees formulations of emulsions and granul es are preferrtd 2 During flocring period apply I insecticides onlv in he evening h Durs of the dav 3 When

bull - J

spraying is undertaken bees should be prevented from visiting the treated fi elds by closing the hive entrance for 24 hours The closing should be done in the evening (after sun)el) of the pj- middot~~djng day of spraying Water and sugar syrup should be provided to the colony I 10 Harvest and processing

Cardamom plants normally st a rt bearing capsules from third year of plan ting However satisfactory yields are obtained from the fourth year onwards In most of the areas the peak period ofharvcSi is in October-November Picking is carried out at an intcrvcd uf 15-middot20 days in Karnataka and 30 days in Kerala Capsules just short of full ripeness are harvestedlin order to get maximum green colour during curing o~pe lding on the seaso the h Hvesting starts from July and continues upto FebruaryshyMarch

After harvestingcapsules are dried either in fud ki ln or el ~ctrical d rier or in th ~~ sun When drier is used it

ushould be dried at 5S e for 14-18 hrs whiJl~ for kiln overshynight drying at 50 -60

u C is required The capsules kept

for drying ar spread thinly and stirred frequenlly to ensure uniform drying This process helps to retain the green colour of capsules which fetches better price in the market

middot-28 shy

T dried cap~l1les are rubbed with hands or rough coil mat or wiremesh and winnowed to remove the ends and other foreign matter They are then sorted out according to size and colour It has been found that soaking the fre shly harvested green cardamom capsules in 2 washing soda solution for 10 minutes prior to drying helps to retain original green colour during dryingmiddot After curing the dried capsules are stored in black polythene lined gunny bags to retain the green middot colour during storage These bags are then kept in wooden chambers

11 Economics

Cardamom is one of the most delicate small holder plantation crops grown in the tropical rainforest Care and management play very importart role in determining the productivity as well as the profitablity of cardamom production The study of economics of cardamom proshyduction reveals that the crop can ensure an average annual margin of Rs 3900iha under the present level of factor costs and price of Rs lOu- Kg of cardamom when the cultishyvation is done under a reasonably good management level The financial analysis ot cardamom cultivation has been worked out under the following assumptions and presented in this section

) Ecological condition

2 I rr igation Sy ste 111

3 Plant density 4 Fert il iser dose 5 Labour wages 6 Cost of other inputs

7 Price of Cardamom

8 Life cycle

Cardamom growing tract of South India Sprinkler 4500ha 75Kg75Kg 150Kg N PK jha

Rs 25day A s per 1985 price Rs 100 Kg 12 years

9 I ncome from shade trees at the end of 1 ] ife cycle Rs 1000011[1

- 29shy

Cost-benefit Analysis of Cardamom Cultivation Lril

Year Cost from (Rs) plantshying -~-- shy -- shy _- _-

Yield (kgha)

R eturn (Rs)

Net profit (Rs)

Discounted Net profit

14DF (Rs)

---~--------

1 37150 - 37150 -32580 2 7850 75 7500 -350 -2 69 ) 8500 150 15000 6500 4370 4 10900 250 25000 14100 8362 5~ 10800 300 30000 19200 9964 6 10800 300 30000 19200 8755 7 i0800 300 30000 19200 7680 8 10800 300 30000 19200 6739 9 ]0600 250 25000 14400 4435

10 10500 200 20000 9500 2565 11 10400 12) 12500 2100 497 12 10300 80 8000 7700 1601

Including the cost of sprinkler irrigation system at the rate of Rs 20000jha If the Plantation is of large size the unit cost of irrigatiun could come down considerably_ Including the income from the shade trees

------ -~ ~-- -- --shyNet present worth Rs 22IO() Benltfit cost ratio 128 Internal rate of return ( ~~) 22 Average annual margin Rs 3900ha

For further details contact

Head Divi sion of Exten sion Central Plantation Crops Research Institute Kasaragod -670 bull 24

- 30 ~

bull

II

I

I

bee wac found in h 2 morning h)Us middotofthe day Card ltt11o m flowers remai n in bloom for 15 - J8 hours and s1iglilatic receptivity and pollen vi ( bility reco rded maximum during morning hours Four bee hives l1a of the plantation should be maintained for getting suH-icienr number of pollinators The following guideJines for insecticide management in cardamom are recomm ended 1 As dust formulations are more harmful to bees formulations of emulsions and granul es are preferrtd 2 During flocring period apply I insecticides onlv in he evening h Durs of the dav 3 When

bull - J

spraying is undertaken bees should be prevented from visiting the treated fi elds by closing the hive entrance for 24 hours The closing should be done in the evening (after sun)el) of the pj- middot~~djng day of spraying Water and sugar syrup should be provided to the colony I 10 Harvest and processing

Cardamom plants normally st a rt bearing capsules from third year of plan ting However satisfactory yields are obtained from the fourth year onwards In most of the areas the peak period ofharvcSi is in October-November Picking is carried out at an intcrvcd uf 15-middot20 days in Karnataka and 30 days in Kerala Capsules just short of full ripeness are harvestedlin order to get maximum green colour during curing o~pe lding on the seaso the h Hvesting starts from July and continues upto FebruaryshyMarch

After harvestingcapsules are dried either in fud ki ln or el ~ctrical d rier or in th ~~ sun When drier is used it

ushould be dried at 5S e for 14-18 hrs whiJl~ for kiln overshynight drying at 50 -60

u C is required The capsules kept

for drying ar spread thinly and stirred frequenlly to ensure uniform drying This process helps to retain the green colour of capsules which fetches better price in the market

middot-28 shy

T dried cap~l1les are rubbed with hands or rough coil mat or wiremesh and winnowed to remove the ends and other foreign matter They are then sorted out according to size and colour It has been found that soaking the fre shly harvested green cardamom capsules in 2 washing soda solution for 10 minutes prior to drying helps to retain original green colour during dryingmiddot After curing the dried capsules are stored in black polythene lined gunny bags to retain the green middot colour during storage These bags are then kept in wooden chambers

11 Economics

Cardamom is one of the most delicate small holder plantation crops grown in the tropical rainforest Care and management play very importart role in determining the productivity as well as the profitablity of cardamom production The study of economics of cardamom proshyduction reveals that the crop can ensure an average annual margin of Rs 3900iha under the present level of factor costs and price of Rs lOu- Kg of cardamom when the cultishyvation is done under a reasonably good management level The financial analysis ot cardamom cultivation has been worked out under the following assumptions and presented in this section

) Ecological condition

2 I rr igation Sy ste 111

3 Plant density 4 Fert il iser dose 5 Labour wages 6 Cost of other inputs

7 Price of Cardamom

8 Life cycle

Cardamom growing tract of South India Sprinkler 4500ha 75Kg75Kg 150Kg N PK jha

Rs 25day A s per 1985 price Rs 100 Kg 12 years

9 I ncome from shade trees at the end of 1 ] ife cycle Rs 1000011[1

- 29shy

Cost-benefit Analysis of Cardamom Cultivation Lril

Year Cost from (Rs) plantshying -~-- shy -- shy _- _-

Yield (kgha)

R eturn (Rs)

Net profit (Rs)

Discounted Net profit

14DF (Rs)

---~--------

1 37150 - 37150 -32580 2 7850 75 7500 -350 -2 69 ) 8500 150 15000 6500 4370 4 10900 250 25000 14100 8362 5~ 10800 300 30000 19200 9964 6 10800 300 30000 19200 8755 7 i0800 300 30000 19200 7680 8 10800 300 30000 19200 6739 9 ]0600 250 25000 14400 4435

10 10500 200 20000 9500 2565 11 10400 12) 12500 2100 497 12 10300 80 8000 7700 1601

Including the cost of sprinkler irrigation system at the rate of Rs 20000jha If the Plantation is of large size the unit cost of irrigatiun could come down considerably_ Including the income from the shade trees

------ -~ ~-- -- --shyNet present worth Rs 22IO() Benltfit cost ratio 128 Internal rate of return ( ~~) 22 Average annual margin Rs 3900ha

For further details contact

Head Divi sion of Exten sion Central Plantation Crops Research Institute Kasaragod -670 bull 24

- 30 ~

bull

Cost-benefit Analysis of Cardamom Cultivation Lril

Year Cost from (Rs) plantshying -~-- shy -- shy _- _-

Yield (kgha)

R eturn (Rs)

Net profit (Rs)

Discounted Net profit

14DF (Rs)

---~--------

1 37150 - 37150 -32580 2 7850 75 7500 -350 -2 69 ) 8500 150 15000 6500 4370 4 10900 250 25000 14100 8362 5~ 10800 300 30000 19200 9964 6 10800 300 30000 19200 8755 7 i0800 300 30000 19200 7680 8 10800 300 30000 19200 6739 9 ]0600 250 25000 14400 4435

10 10500 200 20000 9500 2565 11 10400 12) 12500 2100 497 12 10300 80 8000 7700 1601

Including the cost of sprinkler irrigation system at the rate of Rs 20000jha If the Plantation is of large size the unit cost of irrigatiun could come down considerably_ Including the income from the shade trees

------ -~ ~-- -- --shyNet present worth Rs 22IO() Benltfit cost ratio 128 Internal rate of return ( ~~) 22 Average annual margin Rs 3900ha

For further details contact

Head Divi sion of Exten sion Central Plantation Crops Research Institute Kasaragod -670 bull 24

- 30 ~

bull