A Farmer's Handbook Ecofriendly Cardamom Cultivation

Description

Small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) is a spice crop cultivated for more than a century in the high altitude (600 - 1200 m above msl) of Western Ghats of Southern India under shade of diverse species of trees. Even though Cardamom cultivation requires rational intervention with chemical pesticides and fertilizers to make the yield sustainable, excess use of these external inputs, as necessitated by intensive cultivation makes the cultivation nonviable. Hence an insight into Ecofriendly cultivation empower the farming community to adopt sustainable cultivation with minimum external inputs, soil health management, conservation of natural enemies of pests and diseases etc. for reaping economically sustainable yield. The most important points covered in the books are: low external inputs, reducing labourrequirements in an era of labour scarcity for farm works, reducing drudgery for farmers, practical and easy methods of improving the soil health as well as conservation of natural enemies of pests and pollinators etc. Such guidelines benefit farmers to reduce the cost of cultivation, produce pesticide residue-free cardamom and to have economically sustainable yield; also aid in conservation of the serene Western Ghats ecosystem for posterity. The present book is written in two parts, the main text and annexes. The main text contains the required information to farmers for Ecofriendly cultivation of cardamom. The annexes contain basic and relevant information on the subjects covered in the main text with a little more scientific terminology. The objective of the book is elaborated in the preface and introduction. A brief history of cardamom cultivation in India is outlined in the first chapter and basic information on cardamom is elaborated in the chapter on 'Know your cardamom' which would be very useful for farmers and the public who wish to know about the crop. The terminology used in this chapter helps to understand information provided in the ensuing chapters. The next chapter 'Planting and maintenance' elaborates on establishing a cardamom field even by a new farmer; methods of seed collection/planting material selection, production of planting materials, field preparation, planting and after care are the highlights in this chapter. The essence of Ecofriendly cardamom cultivation is elaborated in the chapter on 'Requirements for sustainable cultivation' and in the Annexes (I to XVI). Basic requirements for Ecofriendly cardamom cultivation are shade management, pest and disease management, soil health management, conservation and augmentation of natural enemies of pests and pollinators. One of the major problems faced by farmers is the crop loss due to fungal diseases; basic information on preventing/reducing the fungal diseases is addressed by way of practical methods of improving the soil health which in turn supports beneficial and disease antagonistic microbes. The annexes (Annexes I to XVI) are added to increase the value of the handbook; the information provided are for broadening the understanding of the basic concept of the book viz. 'Ecofriendly cardamom cultivation'. Several pictures are added in the annexes with an exclusive annexure on photo gallery for referring field problems. Pictorial information is provided on Large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) for comparison on the Ecofriendly cultivation being practiced in the sub Himalayan regions. The last chapter is Harvesting and post-harvest practices. Information is provided on the stage of harvest of cardamom capsules, methods of curing/drying, value addition during curing, polishing and storage for producing high quality green colour capsules to get premium price. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), References cited in the book as well as alphabetically arranged index for easy way of identifying related pages in the book are provided.