TURMERIC TECHNICAL

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Introduction

Turmeric (Curcuma langa, L.) is an important condiment and a useful dye, with varied uses in drug and cosmetic industries. It is used medicinally for external application and taken internally as a stimulant. `Kum-kum’, popular with every house wife, is also a by product of turmeric. It finds a place in offerings on religious and ceremonial occasions. A type of starch can also be extracted from a particular type of turmeric. India is one of the leading growers, with about 79,300 ha under this crop, producing 1,43,900 tonnes per annum. In the international market, turmeric with high curcmin content is preferred as with the use of only a small quantity of this turmeric a strong natural golden yellow colour can be obtained in prepare foods without affecting the taste and flavour. The alleppey finger turmeric, which has a curcmin content of 5.5 per cent or more, is most sought after. However, the production and supply of this variety of turmeric in the country is low.

 
Varieties

About 50 different types of turmeric cultivars belonging to C. Longa and C. Aromatica are identified in India. Some of the more popular ones among these are Amalapuram. Armour, Dindigam, Erode, Krishna, Kodur, Vontimitra, P317, GL Purm I and II, RH2 and RH10. The 'Krishna' variety gives the highest yield of green turmeric but since in India most of the turmeric used is of dried cured variety, the 'Erode' variety is the best and more popular. Died turmeric is prepared by boiling green rhizomes with water and drying them in sun for about 10 days till they are hard and brittle. More than 690 germplasm of turmeric are maintained at the IISR, Calicut. In addition 186 accessions of turmeric are in Pottangi, 146 in Solan and 147 in Jagtial.

 
Vartietal Improvements

Through concerted research, 16 high-yielding varieties or hybrids in turmeric namely CO1, Krishha, Sugandham, BSR 1, Suvarna, Roma, Suroma, Rajendra Sonia, Suguna, Sudarshana, Ranga, Rasmi, IISR Prabha, IISR Prathibha, Mega Turmeric, RCT 1 have been identified. According to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, ICAR, Government of India, a turmeric line Sonali (27 tonnes fresh rhizome/ha,) having high yield potential was identified. Alleppey finger turmeric `Acc. 585’ continued to maintain superiority in yield and quality.

 
Fertilizer and Nutrition Management

Turmeric needs heavy manuring. It is not a common practice to manure turmeric with chemical fertilizers. Usually, 40-50 tonnes of farmyard manure is applied at the time of preparing the land. About 1,200-,1800 kg of groundnut-cake is also applied after planting, in two split doses, the first two months after planting and the second a month and a half later. However, instead of groundnut-cake chemical fertilizers to supply 30 kg each of N, and P2O5 and 60 kg of K2O per he may also be applied in split doses as in the case of ginger.  
  Nutrient recommendations for Turmeric
  Organic (tonnes/ha) Inorganic (kg/ha) Total (kg/ha) Average yield (kg/ha)
Spice FYM Leaf mulch N P K N P K  
Turmeric 20 5 60 50 120 280 155 325 10,700

According to the DARE, supplication of NPK @ 150:125:125 kg/ha is recommended for turmeric at Raigarh.

 
Value Added Products

India is the global leader in value-added products development and exports. Germplasm accessions of turmeric were categorized based on levels of essential oil, oleoresins and pungent principles. Value added products from turmeric include Curcuminoids, dehydrated turmeric powder, oils, and oleoresin.

 
Disease and Pest Management

Major diseases of turmeric are rhizome rot and wilts. Experts recommend that seed rhizome treatment with Mancozeb (0.25%) and Carbendazim (1%) can effectively control this disease. According to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, ICAR, Government of India, the major insect pests of turmeric include pollu beetle, top shoot-borer, scale insects and leaf fall thrips on black pepper, cardamom thrips. Moreover, rhizome scales grub on ginger and turmeric. Technologies for management of these pests have been developed. Advances have been made to locate source(s) or resistance/tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Integrated disease management (IDM) has also been formulated against major diseases. Likewise advances have been made in biocontrol and pests of major spices. products (botanicals) were tried against pests/diseases of black pepper. Many nematode pests damaging spices have been identified. Natural enemy complex of insect pests was also located. They have tremendous potential for pest management through IPM approach.
Technologies developed at the IISR for managing major insect pests of Turmeric
Spices Pest Control
Ginger and Turmeric Shoot-borer Spray Monocrotophos 0.05% or Malathion 0.1%
  Rhizome scale Dip seed rhizomes in Quinalphos 0.1%

Source(s) of resistance or tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses in Turmeric

Spice Disease pest stress Source of resistance or tolerance
Turmeric Rhizome rot PCT 13, PCT 14

Biocontrol agents for diseases and pests

Disease/pest Biocontrol agents identified
Shoot-borer of ginger and turmeric Hexamermis sp, hymenoteran parasitoids

 
Quality-Clean Spices

Quality has become the key word and the focal point for production, processing, transport and retailing. ‘Consumer Friendly’, ‘Zero Defect Concept’, ‘Due Deligence’, ‘Security’, ‘Quality from Group up’, ‘Total Quality Management,’ ‘ISO Certification’, ‘BIS Specification’ etc. have become watch-dogs for stricter compliance of specifications for the hygienic standards of spices in majority of the importing countries. Occurrence and detection of aflatoxins in nutmeg, high bacteria content in black pepper, notified viruses in ginger and turmeric rhizomes have forced importing countries to enforce Quality Policies’. Unified provisions are being worked out.

  • Regulation on maximum pesticide residue
  • Regulation on aflatoxins
  • Specifications on microbiology, especially Salmonella
  • General hygienic standards for food stuffs
    • The concept of quality policy in enterprises comprises following steps:
  • Risk analysis during production and marketing (HACCP concept)
  • Implementation of quality system according to ISO 9000 requirements
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