Turmeric cultivation in India

Table of Content

• Introduction
• What are the Steps Involved in Turmeric Cultivation
  • Soil & Climate Requirement for Turmeric Cultivation
  • Turmeric Varieties
  • Land Preparation for Turmeric
  • Turmeric Plantation
  • Irrigation in Turmeric Farming
  • Cultural Practices in Turmeric Farming
  • Manuring & Fertilizing in Turmeric
  • Cropping Systems in Turmeric
  • Disease & Pest Management in Turmeric Cultivation
  • Harvesting of Turmeric Crops
  • Curing of Turmeric Crops

Introduction

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is an ancient and sacred spice of India, which is popularly known as 'Indian saffron' or 'Haldi.' It is one of the most important spice crops grown in India. Turmeric is widely used in diversified forms as a flavouring and colouring agent, as a condiment, and as a primary ingredient in Indian food as curry powder. It is also used in the drug and cosmetic industry because of its anti-cancer and anti-viral activities. A particular turmeric is also used to extract a type of starch.

According to Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, GOI, the total turmeric production in India in 2022-2023 was around 1130 thousand MT, and the total area under turmeric production was 324 hundred hectares. The average yield of pure turmeric crops varies from 8000 kg to 10,000 kg per acre. If the conditions are extremely favourable by abundant manuring and copious irrigation, the yield in turmeric farming can reach up to 12000 kg per acre.

What are the steps involved in Turmeric Cultivation?

Soil & Climate Requirement for Turmeric Cultivation

The turmeric plantation needs a warm and humid climate. It can be planted in varied subtropical conditions at a height of 1500 m from sea level. It requires 20 to 30 °C of temperature and 1500 mm or more rainfall annually or under irrigated conditions. Haldi farming can be done in different types of soil. Soil types such as light black loam, red soils to clayey loams, and rich loamy soils having natural drainage and irrigation facilities are considered best for turmeric cultivation. However, it cannot stand water stagnation or alkalinity in the soil.

Turmeric Varieties

Different haldi varieties are cultivated in India according to the region, climate and soil condition. The popular ones are:

• Duggirala
• Tekkurpet
• Sugandham
• Amalapuram
• Erode local
• Salem
• Alleppey
• Moovattupuzha
• Lakdong

Land Preparation for Turmeric

You need to adopt a minimum tillage operation while preparing the land for turmeric. You need to prepare the beds to be 15 cm high, 1 m wide, and convenient in length. The spacing between two beds should be at least 15 cm. If the crops are irrigated, you need to prepare ridges and furrows and plant the rhizomes in swallow pits on the top of the ridges. You need to keep a spacing of 45 to 60 cm between the ridges and 15 to 20 cm between the crops. You can also solarize the beds to check the multiplication of diseases and pests producing organisms. Keep the polythene sheets that are used for solarization away after completing the work.

Turmeric Plantation

The best time for planting turmeric is between April and July, with the availability of pre-monsoon rains. During plantation time, take 25 grams of powdered neem cake and mix it well with soil. After that, apply it in each pit taken at a spacing of 20 to 25 cm within and between the rows. You need to put the seed rhizomes in shallow pits covered with well-rotten cattle manure or compost combined with Trichoderma. The mixture should have a proportion of 10 grams of compost mixed with Trichoderma.

A seed rate of 1000 kg rhizomes is needed to plant one acre of land. If the turmeric is planted as an intercrop in a fruit garden, then the seed rate could be 125 to 200 kg per acre.

Turmeric plantation is also done using a new technology called Pro-tray technology. In this method, a portray filled with a mixture of cocopeat (100 grams) and P. fluorescens (1 gram) is used to place the sprouted single buds and kept in cover using polythene sheets for 7 days. The turmeric seedlings will be ready for transplanting in 30 to 35 days.

Irrigation in Turmeric Farming

In the case of irrigated crops, 15 to 23 irrigations should be provided in clayey soils and 40 irrigations in sandy loams, depending on the weather. You can also use drip irrigation techniques on a daily basis or alternate days.

Cultural Practices in Turmeric Farming

After the plantation is complete, mulching is done on the raised bed with green leaves. It helps improve the germination of seed rhizomes, prevents soil washoff because of heavy rains, adds organic matter in the soil and prevents moisture during dry periods. The first mulching should be done during planting with green leaves at the rate of 4 to 5 tonnes per acre. The mulching is repeated again at 2 tonnes per acre on the 50^th day after the plantation. You can also pour cow dung slurry on the bed after each mulching to improve nutrient availability and microbial activity.

Weeding should be done according to the weed growth intensity, and proper drainage channels should be provided in the inter rows to remove the stagnant water.

Manuring & Fertilizing in Turmeric

The turmeric crops require heavy manuring. Thus, you need to give well rotten cow dung or compost at 2 to 3 tonnes per acre as basal dose during rhizomes plantation in the pits. Additionally, you can also apply neem cake at the rate of 0.8 tonnes per acre.

Cropping Systems in Turmeric

Turmeric can be grown with intercropping/companion cropping and crop rotation. It can be planted as an intercrop along with other organically grown crops. In some regions, turmeric is grown as an intercrop with jack, mango, and litchi, and on the west coast, it is grown with arecanut and coconut. Mostly, pigeon peas and castor are grown on the borders of irrigation channels to offer shade to turmeric crops.

It can also be grown in rotation with several crops, such as onion, chilli, sugarcane, elephant foot yam, garlic, wheat, pulses, vegetables, garlic and maize. Turmeric is also cultivated as a subsidiary crop to ginger, chilli, and quick-grown vegetables in many regions.

Disease & Pest Management in Turmeric Cultivation

Turmeric crops are prone to common pests and diseases. If shoot borer incidence is observed, then cut the shoots open, pick out the larve, and destroy it. You can also spray 0.5% neem oil, if required, at fortnightly intervals.

The common diseases that occur in turmeric crops are leaf sport and leaf blotch. It can be controlled by restricted use of Bordeaux mixture 1%. Moreover, applying Trichoderma during plantation can check the occurrence of rhizome rot.

Harvesting of Turmeric Crops

The turmeric crops get ready for harvesting in 7 to 9 months after sowing, depending upon the variety. The crops are generally harvested between January and March. They must be harvested at the right maturity, which is achieved when the leaves turn dry and light brown to yellowish in colour. Harvesting can be done either manually or by using a tractor. In manual harvesting, you need to plough the land first, then carefully lift the clumps with the spade and gather the rhizomes by hand picking. In tractor harvesting, a tractor is attached to a turmeric harvester and takes the raised beds. The harvested rhizomes are then gathered manually, and the extraneous matters adhering to them are cleared.

Curing of Turmeric Crops

Once the harvesting process is completed, the harvested turmeric rhizomes are transformed into stable commodities through the curing process before entering the market. The curing of turmeric crops involves boiling, drying, and polishing turmeric. The boiling is done within 3 to 4 days of harvest. The fingers and bulbs are separated from each other and cured separately because the bulb takes longer to cook. The recovery of dry products varies in different turmeric varieties, ranging from 19% to 23%. The dried turmeric has a poor appearance, with a rough, dull colour outside the surface that consists of scales and root bits. Thus, polishing is done on the outer surface using manual or mechanical rubbing to enhance its appearance.