CULTIVATION OF TERMERIC

               Turmeric, an orange yellow powder, a popular ingredient of Indian and Asian cuisine obtained from rhizomes of plant Curcuma longa L. This adds natural color and flavors to variety of dishes, especially curries. Most of the Hindu rituals remains incomplete in the absence of turmeric powder along with Kumkum, a red sacred powder to symbolize auspiciousness. Presence of Kumkum on their forehead or between parted hair is essentials of married Hindu women. Not only at household, turmeric is also known for industrial use. In food and beverage industries turmeric is used as natural coloring and flavoring agent. It is also an imperative ingredient in preparation of Pickles, Sauces, dairy product and baked items.  With clinically proven medicinal quality, the  turmeric also widely used in variety of Ayurvedic formulations.  Being bestowed with  anti oxidants and anti-microbial property,  turmeric is used widely  in cosmetic and skincare industries. 

Scenario of  worldwide cultivation of turmeric:

          India is the largest producer of turmeric, contributing around 70-80% of total production. Other counties contributing are China,  Myanmar,  Nigeria, Bangladesh.  India is the biggest exporter of turmeric too, in the form of   processed rhizome or value added products.  Major importer of turmeric from India is UAE,  importing 18-20% of the total,  followed by USA.  In India  major Turmeric cultivating state is Maharashtra  followed by  Karnataka and Tamilnadu.

Climatic and Soil requirement of turmeric

                   Turmeric is a tropical crop which thrives well in warm humid climate and prefers temperature of 20–30°C along with annual precipitation more than 1500 mm. The crop can sustain temperature up to 35 °C , the temperature exceeding it along with lower humidity affect the growth of the plant. Soil selected to cultivate turmeric should ensure proper growth of the plant along with rhizome formation and its growth. Thus red loamy or sandy loam or clay loamy soils are considered as best suited. Soil ph. should be in the range of 4.5 to 7.5. The crop does not tolerate condition of waterlogging and soil alkalinity.

Cultivation aspects of Turmeric

                             Rhizome is the propagation material in case of turmeric. Seed rate required is 2000-2500 kg of to cultivate one hectare of crop. Whole or spit finger rhizomes are used for sowing. In case of split, at least one healthy bud is ensured. For sowing either raised bed or flat bed or ridges and furrow methods are used,  depending on type of soil. In light soil raised bed with with 10 cm height of suitable dimension are prepared and  planting of rhizome with 20cm x  30cm apart  is done. In Heavy soils,  ridges and furrows are prepared at  a  distances of  45- 60 cm and rhizomes are sown at 15-20cm apart on ridges. On loamy soil,  rhizomes are planted on furrows prepared at 30  cm apart  on which rhizomes are planted at 15 cm space.   

Plant Protection in Turmeric Cultivation

Diseases and their management:

        Being warm humid crop become susceptible to quite a few number of disease, especially fungal counterpart. Important among them are, leaf blight, leaf spot, leaf blotch and rhizome rot.

Leaf blight: The disease Caused by fungus Rhizoctania solini, the disease is characteristics of appearance of necrotic spot with papery white center on leaves. Under severe condition entire plant looks blighted. The illness can be managed by spraying with mancozeb 0.2% or copper oxy chloride 0.25%.

Leaf spots: The ailment is symptomatic of appearance of brown small irregular spots with pale or whitish centre, which later coalesces to form entire leaf. Symptoms appears usually on younger leaves on their upper surface. Affected leaves wither and dry. The disease is managed by application of copper oxychloride (0.2%) or propiconazole 0.1% .

Leaf blotch: Thaphrina maculans is the fungus which causes the disease. The disease is characteristics of formation small irregular or round shaped brown patches on both the side of the leaves. Affected leaves become yellowish, blotch and dry. Spray with mancozeb 0.2% or copper oxy chloride 0.25% or propiconazole 0.1% at fortnight intervals may take care of illness.

Rhizome rot: It is an important fungal disease caused by phythium aphanidermatum. The disease is charecteristics of appearence of water soaked lesion at collar region of pseudo stem. Later the same spread to both shoot and rhizomes. Lower leaves start showing yellowing of tip which later spread past to entire leaf. Under sever conditions entire shoot becomes yellow and withered. At rhizome. the same become soft and start rotting. Plant may collapse at collar region as disease advances. The management of disease involves treatment of rhizome with mancozeb 0.3% or copper oxychloride 0.25% for 30 minutes before planting. In field condition application of oxychloride 0.25% or metalaxyl -mancozeb 0.125%. will taken care of the disorders.

Nematode infestations:

If unattended the nematode infestation at underground portion of crop may cause considerable damage to quantity and quality of turmeric production. Nematodes like Meloidogyne sps, Radopholus sps, Prtatylenchus sps attack heavily on underground portion of pseudo-stem, roots and tender rhizomes. Affected plants start showing symptoms aerially and underground. Plants starts showing yellowing, chlorosis, stunted growth and reduced tillering. Below the ground rhizomes start showing water soaked lesions, formation of galls and rotting's.

To manage the disease it is recommended to apply neem cake @ 150/kg/Ha, Planting of repellent plants like Marigold as inter or boarder crops.

Pests attacking Turmeric:

There are various pests, especially insect keep attacking turmeric crops in field or in storage. Shoot borer and rhizome scales are main insects where as insects like leaf rollers, thrips may cause some damage.

Shoot borer: The larvae of shoot borer, Conogethes functiferalis, bores the soft pseudo stem of the crops. Affected plants loose its vigor, wither and die.

Rhizome scale: Rhizome scale (Aspidiella hartii) is a sap sucking pests, conglomerate on rhizome, both in field and storage. The affected rhizomes become under developed, desiccated, malformed.

Aftercare in turmeric cultivation

        Once turmeric is sown or transplanted in main field, proper care to be taken for better yield. It may water management or fertilizer management or weed management or intercultural operations.  Recommended fertilizer application to be applied to enrich the soil nutrients as basal dose and top dresser,  as per the soil nutrient status. Application of  micronutrients at regular interval ensured higher yield.    Crops are properly irrigated as per soil moisture status, stage of the crops.  Mulching is essential immediately  after planting or after fertilizer application or weeding or inter cultivation.     

Post harvesting Processing in Turmeric:

           Well raised turmeric crop ready to harvest with in seven to nine month. Yellowing and drying of leaves indicates maturity of crops. Rhizomes are carefully harvested manually or with machinary.

            Processing is important post harvest step to make turmeric as store worthy, merchantable and keep the aroma, color and quality intact for a longer time. Fingers to be separated from mother rhizome as cooking time varies for them while processing. Recovery percentage of processed and dried turmeric varies with the variety, from 20 to 23%.

          First step of processing is boiling. Turmeric are boiled using galvanized iron vessels. Boiling reduces drying time, imparts bright yellow color. Boiling considered suitable for fingers is 45 to 60 minutes and the same is 90 minutes to mother rhizomes. Turmeric boiled in water filled vessels till froth is formed and white fume with pleasant aroma start emitting. Physical completion of boiling is checked by inserting pointed sticks, where stick easily pierce the rhizomes. Or the same is checked by pressing the boiled rhizomes between index finger and thumb. Change of pulp color from red to yellow is also an indication of completion of boiling. Improved steam boilers are being used for turmeric processing in large scale cultivation.

       Next stage of boiling or cocking in turmeric processing is drying. Cocked turmeric is dried under sun on clean floor for 10 to 15 days. Turmeric are spread in 5-7 layers for drying where spreading in thinner layers are not desirable. Spread rhizomes are compulsorily heaped and covered during times. For proper drying the spread is intermittently turned. The mother and finger rhizomes are dried separately as mother rhizomes takes longer period to dry.

            Polishing is the last stage of processing. This is done with hand or power operated drums,  mounted on central axis. The rhizome filled drums are made to rotate and polished by rubbing each other. The polishing loss considered to be  7 to 8%.  Here the scales, root bits attached to dried rhizomes are removed and bright yellow color is imparted.    On completion of  polishing,  the rhizomes are sprinkled with powdered turmeric to improve their appearance, aroma and color.