| Family |
Zingiberaceae |
| English Name |
Black turmeric, Kali haldi |
| Malayalam Name |
Karimanjal |
| Tamil Name |
Karumanjal |
| Kannada Name |
Kariarishina, Naru kachora |
| Telugu Name |
Manupasupu, Nalla pasupu |
| Hindi Name |
Nar-kachura, Kali haldi |
| Sanskrit Name |
Narkachur |
| Trade Name |
Black turmeric, Kali haldi |
| Part Used |
Rhizome |
| In Wild |
NA |
| Under Cultivation |
NA |
| Temperature |
15 - 40 °C |
| Rainfall |
NA |
| Farmers |
NA |
| Traders |
NA |
| Institution |
NA |
| Individually |
NA |
| State/Region |
NA |
| District |
NA |
| Nursery Information |
NA |
| Yield |
Estimated yield of fresh rhizomes is 48 tonnes per hectare while dry rhizome yield is about 10
tonnes per hectare. |
| Economic of cultivation |
Market price: Dried rhizomes - ₹ 900-1200 per kg (as on 2019).
Total income: ₹ 90,00,000 - 1,20,00,000 per hectare.
|
| Quantitative quality standards |
1. Foreign material: Nil
2. Total ash: 9.028 per cent
3. Acid insoluble ash: 4.31 per cent
4. Alcohol soluble extractive: 6.17 per cent
5. Water soluble extractive: 13.68 per cent
6. Moisture content: 8.8 per cent
7. Loss on drying: 9.944 per cent |
| Description |
Rhizomatous herbs, rhizome, 5-6 × 9-10 cm, bluish inside. Leafy stem 70-100 cm high; sheaths green; Leaves 30-40 × 10-12 cm, oblong-lanceolate with purple or reddish-brown patch along the sides of the distal half of the mid rib. Inflorescence lateral, 25-30 cm long, spike 12-15 × 5 cm; coma bracts, pink to violet. Flowers 8-10 per bracts, 4.5-5 cm long. Corolla tube 3-3.3
cm long, pink. Labellum yellow with a deep yellow median band. Ovary 5 mm, long; style filiform; stigma bilipped, slightly exserted above the anther lobes. |
| Agro technology/Cultivation practices |
Curcuma caesia grows best in sandy or pebbly, loamy soil that is moist. It can withstand temperatures 15 - 40 °C and acidic soils of pH 4.5–6.5. It is a partial shade-loving species; however, it grows well in open sun under cultivated conditions.
Cultivation
The cultivation of Curcuma caesia is similar to that of common turmeric which is used in recipes.
1. Planting-stock production: Rhizome is the propagation material. Mature
rhizomes are collected in December or just before planting and
longitudinally sliced with one apical bud in each slice. Approximately,
2.2 tonnes of rhizomes are required per hectare for planting at spacing
of 30 cm × 30 cm. No particular treatment is given to the propagules
before planting.
2. Field planting: The land is ploughed, harrowed, and planked, mixed with
farmyard manure. If required, lime may applied to reduce excessive
acidity in soils, at least one month before planting. Middle of April is
the best time for raising the crop in North-east India, while in other
regions, it is the pre-monsoon period. The rhizomes sprout in about 15-
20 days. To reduce the crop-weed competition during the early stages of
growth, manual weeding at 60, 90 and 120 days after planting is
recommended.
3. Manuring/Fertilization: Organic manures are applied.
4. Irrigation: The crop is usually grown under rainfed conditions in high
rainfall tracts. Constant humidity is to be maintained in other areas
through regular irrigation. Sprinkler irrigation is the most suitable
method.
5. Diseases: Leaf spot (Tephrina sp., Coletotrichum sp.) and leaf blotch
(Corticium sp.) are sometimes observed on the crop. They can be
controlled by spraying of 1% Bordeaux mixture at monthly intervals. |
| Harversting |
The crop takes about nine months to mature. Harvesting is done in mid-January. Before digging the rhizomes, soil is moistened through irrigation, so that the rhizomes are not injured. |
| Processing |
In the fields, the rhizomes are washed thoroughly and are placed in a wide mouthed cauldron. The water is poured in the cauldron such that the rhizomes are completely sunk. The cauldron is covered with a lid, and the rhizomes are boiled for about 30 minutes until foam oozes out with strong odour. The rhizomes are taken out whilst the water is reduced to one-third of its content and when they turn soft with their inner portion decolorized from blue to dark or pale brown. The rhizomes are then dried in hot sun for 10 to 15 days until they are hardened. These dried rhizomes are then packed for marketing. The dried rhizomes are also powdered as Black turmeric powder. |
| References |
NA |
