Back to activities

Large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb)

1 min Read

70% Complete

Large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb) is a high value cash crop and a main source of cash income for farmers in the eastern Himalayan region including Eastern #Nepal, #Sikkim and parts of #Darjeeling district in West Bengal of #India, and Southern #Bhutan. Presently, Nepal is the largest producer of large cardamom with 68% share in the global market, followed by India (22%) and Bhutan (9%).

It’s been reported that #cardamom production has been declining in a number of cardamom growing areas due to lack of proper orchard management. To ensure greater productivity, it is extremely important to ensure timely clearing, weeding, manuring and soil moisture conservation with proper mulching. Unfortunately many cardamom growers are not aware about soil nutrient management, which leads to poor yield. Many farmers are also growing cardamom in outdated orchards, which are more prone to pests, disease, and have lower productivity in general.

Clearing/cleaning and mulching are important practices for better cardamom productivity. Dry leaves of shade trees can be effectively utilized for mulching to increase soil moisture and reduce the effect of drought, especially in dry winter periods.

At our #KnowledgePark we demonstrate proper management of cardamom orchards on a season-wise basis. Here we also showcase the use of Utis (Alnus nepalensis) as a common shade tree which can also contribute in ensuring healthy sustainable cardamom production.

#SimpleSolutions #NatureKnowsBest #Godavari

3D or Vertical Farming

Taking vegetables to a third dimension seems like the stuff of sci-fi movies, but in reality there are very effective ...

17 Oct 2020 Biodiversity
Camera traps

Our ICIMOD Knowledge Park in #Godavari is a treasure trove of flora and fauna and we’ve ...

11 Dec 2019 Vegetation management
Different approaches of vegetation management

Different Approaches in the Different Physiographic Zones The site has an elevation range from 1,540 to 1,800 masl and ...

11 Dec 2019 Income generation
High Value Cash Crops

Cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants under agroforestry Medicinal and aromatic plants are not ...

11 Dec 2019 Soil management
Pusa vermicomposting

Vermicomposting, or worm composting is a simple technology for converting biodegradable waste into organic manure with the help of earthworms ...

Cover crops

Cover crops are essential for #soil health and varieties of white clover, peanut plants and alfa-alfa are demonstrated at our ...

11 Dec 2019 Scientific research
Biomass Study

A timeline study of the total biomass and the biodiversity per unit area at different sites is being carried out ...

11 Dec 2019 Soil management
Shelter/Protection Belts

Planting and maintenance of shelter or protection belts is another important method of soil and water management. Shelter belts are ...