Turmeric cultivation in India

Table of Content

• Haldi: The Golden Crop of India
• Turmeric Crop Varieties in India
• How to Cultivate Turmeric Crop in India
  • Soil & Climate Requirement for Turmeric Cultivation
  • Land Preparation for Turmeric
  • Turmeric Crop Plantation
  • Irrigation in Turmeric Farming
  • Cultural Practices in Turmeric Farming
  • Manuring & Fertilising in Turmeric Farming
  •  Cropping Systems in Turmeric Farming
  • Disease & Pest Management in Turmeric Cultivation
  • Harvesting of Turmeric Crops
  • Curing of Turmeric Crops
• Turmeric Production in India

Haldi: The Golden Crop of India

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is an ancient and sacred spice of India, commonly known as 'Indian saffron' or 'haldi.' It is one of the most important spice crops grown in India. Turmeric is widely used in various forms as a flavouring and colouring agent, as a condiment, and as a primary ingredient in Indian cuisine, such as curry powder. . Certain varieties of turmeric are also used for starch extraction. A particular type of turmeric is also used to extract a type of starch.

Turmeric Crop Varieties in India

A total of 30 different varieties of haldi  are cultivated in India according to the region, climate, and soil conditions. The popular ones amongst these are:

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

How to Cultivate Turmeric Crops in India

Turmeric is a valuable plant used for cooking and medicine purposes, and India is the global leader in production and export. While the plant can live for many years, farmers usually grow and harvest it every year. Here is a guide on how you can also grow turmeric in India

Soil & Climate Requirement for Turmeric Cultivation

The turmeric plantation requires a warm, humid climate. It can be planted in varied subtropical conditions at a height of 1500 m above 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  and clayey loams, and rich loamy soils having natural drainage and irrigation facilities are considered best for turmeric cultivation. However, it cannot tolerate water stagnation or soil alkalinity.:

Land Preparation for Turmeric

You need to adopt minimum tillage when preparing the land for turmeric. You need to prepare beds that are 15 cm high, 1 m wide, and of a convenient 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 solarise the beds to check for the multiplication of diseases and pests. Keep the polythene sheets that are used for solarisation away after completing the work.

Turmeric Crop Plantation

The best time to plant turmeric is between April and July, during the pre-monsoon rains. During planting, add 25 grams of powdered neem cake to the soil and mix well. After that, apply it in each pit, spacing it 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 contain 10 grams of compost and 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 mixture of cocopeat (100 grams) and P. fluorescens (1 gram) is used to place the sprouted single buds, which are then kept under a polythene sheet cover for 7 days. The turmeric seedlings will be ready for transplanting in 30 to 35 days.

Irrigation in Turmeric Farming

For irrigated crops, 15 to 23 irrigations are recommended for clayey soils and around 40 for sandy loam soils, depending on the weather. You can also use drip irrigation techniques daily or alternate days.

Cultural Practices in Turmeric Farming

After the planting is complete, mulch is applied to the raised bed with green leaves. It helps improve seed rhizome germination, prevents soil washoff during heavy rains, adds organic matter to the soil, and prevents moisture loss during dry periods. The first mulching should be done during planting with green leaves at the rate of 4 to 5 tonnes per acre.

Mulching is repeated at 2 tonnes per acre on the 50th day after planting. You can also pour cow dung slurry on the bed after each mulching to improve nutrient availability and microbial activity. Weeding should be done based on weed growth intensity, and proper drainage channels should be provided in the inter-rows to remove stagnant water.

Manuring & Fertilising in Turmeric Farming

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

Cropping Systems in Turmeric Farming

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 along the edges of irrigation channels to provide shade for turmeric crops.

It can also be grown in rotation with several crops, such as onion, chilli, sugarcane, elephant foot yam, garlic, wheat, pulses, vegetables, and maize. Turmeric is also cultivated as a subsidiary crop to ginger, chilli, and quick-growing 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 larva, and destroy it. You can also spray 0.5% neem oil, if required, at fortnightly intervals.

Common diseases affecting turmeric crops include leaf spot and leaf blotch. It can be controlled by restricting the use of Bordeaux mixture at 1%. Moreover, applying Trichoderma at planting can help reduce the incidence of rhizome rot.

Harvesting of Turmeric Crops

Turmeric crops are ready for harvest 7 to 10 months after sowing, depending on the variety. They are generally harvested between January and March. Turmeric crops must be harvested at the right maturity, which is achieved when the leaves turn dry and light brown to yellowish. Harvesting can be done manually or with a tractor. In manual harvesting, you need to plough the land first, then carefully lift the clumps with 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 roots are gathered by hand and cleaned of dirt and other debris.

Also, the average yield of pure turmeric crops varies from 8000 kg to 10,000 kg per acre. But if the conditions are extremely favourable, with abundant manuring and copious irrigation, the yield in turmeric farming can reach up to 12000 kg per acre.

Curing of Turmeric Crops

Once harvesting is complete, the turmeric rhizomes are cured into stable commodities before entering the market. The curing of turmeric involves boiling, drying, and polishing. The boiling is done within 3 to 4 days of harvest. The fingers and bulbs are separated and cured separately because the bulbs take 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 exterior that consists of scales and root bits. Thus, polishing is done on the outer surface using manual or mechanical rubbing to enhance its appearance.

Turmeric Production in India

According to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, GOI, the total turmeric production in India in 2024-2025 was around 1148 thousand MT, and the total area under turmeric production was 311 hundred hectares. The most popular states for turmeric production in India include Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.