CARDAMOM

Varieties (contd)

Cultivar Malabar

•  These cardamom plants have medium size and attain 2-3 m height on maturity.

•  The dorsal side of leaves may be pubescent or glabrous.

•  The panicles are prostrate and the fruits are globose to oblong shaped.

•  Better suited to areas of 600 to 1200 m elevation.

•  Relatively less susceptible to thrips.

•  It can thrive under low rainfall and seasonal rainfall conditions.

•  This type is mostly cultivated in Karnataka and to a lesser extent in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Cultivar Mysore

•  Plants are robust and attain 3-4 m height.

•  The leaves are lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate or glabrous on both sides.

•  The panicles are erect and the capsules are ovoid bold and dark green in colour.

•  Better adapted to altitudes ranging from 900 to 1200 m from MSL

•  Thrive well under assured, well-distributed rainfall conditions.

•  Mostly cultivated in Kerala and in certain pockets of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Cultivar Vazhukka

•  This is considered to be the natural hybrid of Malabar and Mysore types and consequently, the plants belonging to this group exhibit various characteristics intermediate to Mysore and Malabar types.

•  The plants are robust like Mysore type.

•  Leaves are deep green, oblong-lanceolate or ovate, panicles are semi-erect (pendent) in nature and capsules are bold globose or ovoid in shape.

•  Extensively cultivated in Kerala and Tamil Nadu at elevations ranging from 900-1200 m above MSL.

 

High yielding varieties and selections

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