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An Idukki farmer's innovative approach has yielded results benefiting many cardamom growers in Kerala and its neighbouring States.
The farmer-scientist, Rejimon Joseph Njallaniyil's innovation of a high-yielding hybrid variety “Njallani Green Gold” cardamom has nearly revolutionised the cardamom cultivation in the country, of late, many planters in Kumily and Vandanmettu told Business Line .
A good majority of the growers – both small and medium – has planted this variety “and we are benefited by it”, they said.
Of late, he has come out with three new planting methods and around 95 per cent of the cardamom farming community, they said, has whole-heartedly accepted the findings, and consequently could raise the production by five-fold.
More yield
“Today about 90 per cent of the total area under cardamom cultivation in Kerala is under “Njallani'” and the Indian Cardamom Research Institute confirms that the variety yields more than that of the traditional varieties. As against a conventional yield of 200 kg/hectare, Njallani yields 1,500 kg or even more, official sources said.
According to Regimon, “all the Spices Board award winning farmers over the past one decade are cultivating Njallani variety with an yield of about 3,000 kg a hectare”.
Different methods
He said the three methods – Ottachimpan (single sucker) planting method, Pathiyan (channel) planting method and Kuzhiyilla (pitless) planting method – have been accepted by fellow farmers. The “pitless” planting method cuts down the labour cost significantly as it costs only Rs 1,500 for a planting of 1,000 suckers, whereas the traditional system would cost around Rs 25,000, he said.
Cost criterion
The gestation period for single sucker method is two years against four years needed for the traditional method. The cost involved for planting for single sucker method is estimated at Rs 30,000 a hectare whereas, under the traditional method it would come to around Rs 1.8 lakh, he claimed.
All the three methods are cost-effective apart from enhancing productivity, added Rejimon Joseph who has won the first price from the National Innovation Foundation, India at the National Level for his new cardamom variety “Njallani”.
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