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Panniyur 1 to 9 black pepper hybrids (KAU)
The Panniyur series is a numbered set of black pepper (Piper nigrum) cultivars released by the Pepper Research Station, Panniyur, Kannur (Kerala Agricultural University) between 1971 and 2015. Panniyur 1, the first true hybrid pepper bred in India, remains a reference cultivar for high yield and bold berry; the series now extends to Panniyur 9. Together with the IISR releases, the Panniyur cultivars define the modern improved cultivar segment of Indian black pepper.
Key characteristics
| Cultivar | Year | Parentage / origin | Notable traits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panniyur 1 | 1971 | Uthirankotta × Cheriyakaniyakkadan | Bold spike (~13 cm); ~1242 kg dry/ha; piperine 5.3% |
| Panniyur 2 | 1990 | open-pollinated selection of Balankotta | Shade-tolerant; recommended for arecanut / coconut intercrop |
| Panniyur 3 | 1990 | Uthirankotta × Cheriyakaniyakkadan | Long spike (13.5 cm); late maturing; piperine 5.2% |
| Panniyur 4 | 1996 | clonal selection of Kuthiravally | Stable yields; tolerant to drought |
| Panniyur 5 | 1996 | open-pollinated of Perumkodi | High dry recovery (~36%); pollu-tolerant |
| Panniyur 6 | 1996 | clonal selection of Karimunda | Bold berry; for open cultivation |
| Panniyur 7 | 1996 | clonal selection of Kalluvally | High piperine; drought-tolerant |
| Panniyur 8 | 2004 | Panniyur 1 × Panniyur 3 | Early bearing; shade-tolerant |
| Panniyur 9 | 2015 | hybrid from Panniyur breeding programme | High yield, oleoresin ~13% |
Average dry-yield potential of the series is 1,000-1,300 kg/ha. Berries are bold (4.5-5.0 mm), with piperine typically 4.5-5.5% and oleoresin 11-13%.
Cultivation
Panniyur cultivars are propagated through 2-3 node runner cuttings rooted under shade in polythene bags for 3-4 months before transplanting onto live or non-live standards. Panniyur 1, 3, 5, 6, 9 perform best under open conditions; Panniyur 2, 4 and 8 are recommended for shaded/intercrop systems with arecanut, coconut and silver oak. The KAU package-of-practices recommends 100:40:140 g NPK/vine/year for bearing vines.
Pest and disease profile
Susceptibility to [[black-pepper-foot-rot-phytophthora-capsici|Phytophthora foot rot]] varies across the series: Panniyur 2, 5 and 8 are field-tolerant; Panniyur 1 is highly susceptible. All cultivars are damaged by [[black-pepper-pollu-beetle-longitarsus|pollu beetle]], with Panniyur 5 the relatively most tolerant.
Adoption
Panniyur 1 dominated plantation-scale planting in the 1990s; with rising foot rot incidence newer Panniyur and [[black-pepper-iisr-thevam-girimunda|IISR releases]] are now preferred for replanting in disease-prone gardens.
Related entries
See also: Black Pepper Karimunda Traditional, Black Pepper Iisr Thevam Girimunda, Black Pepper Foot Rot Phytophthora Capsici, Black Pepper Pollu Beetle Longitarsus.
References
- Pepper Research Station Panniyur - KAU. https://kau.in/pepper-research-station-panniyur
- Released varieties of black pepper - ICAR-IISR Calicut. https://www.spices.res.in/research/pepper