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Njallani Green Gold cardamom (Idukki farmer selection) Photo: placeholder pending image-fill pass

Njallani Green Gold cardamom (Idukki farmer selection)

Njallani Green Gold, also written "NJ-1", is a high-yielding small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) clonal selection developed in the late 1990s by Sebastian Joseph, a farmer at Njallani estate, Kattappana, Idukki district, Kerala. It is the single most widely planted improved small-cardamom genotype in the Cardamom Hills today, and is the de-facto benchmark in farmer trials against ICAR-IISR releases.

Key characteristics

  • Type: clonal farmer-selection (not formally released)
  • Origin: Njallani estate, Kattappana, Idukki (1998-2002)
  • Plant habit: vigorous, multi-tillering Malabar-Vazhukka intermediate type
  • Panicle: long prostrate-flexuose; bears multiple racemes per clump
  • Capsule: bold, parrot-green, three-locular, retains colour after curing
  • Average dry yield: 1,500-2,000 kg/ha under good management (vs. ~250-500 kg/ha typical for the region)
  • Recovery: ~22-24% dry from fresh
  • Essential oil: 6-9% in dry capsule; alpha-terpinyl acetate and 1,8-cineole dominant

Cultivation

Njallani is propagated only by sucker division — true-to-type seedlings cannot be raised by seed. The recommended spacing is 2 × 2 m (about 2,500 clumps/ha) on shaded slopes between 800 and 1,300 m elevation in the Cardamom Hills of Kerala (Idukki, Wayanad), Tamil Nadu (lower Pulney) and Karnataka (Kodagu). Like other small cardamom genotypes the crop requires 60-70% overhead shade, typically from Vernonia arborea, Erythrina and silver oak, and supplementary sprinkler irrigation during the December-May dry months. ICAR-IISR fertiliser schedule of 75:75:150 kg/ha NPK in three splits is used.

Pest and disease profile

Njallani is highly responsive to inputs but is not bred for resistance. It is susceptible to [[cardamom-leaf-blight|katte virus (mosaic) and azhukal (Phytophthora capsule rot)]], [[cardamom-root-rot|rhizome rot]] and to thrips and shoot/capsule borer. Heavy yield draws on rhizome reserves, so on poorly managed plantations bushes deteriorate after 4-5 high-yielding years, which has driven a continuous demand for fresh planting material.

Adoption

Njallani is estimated to occupy a substantial share of new small-cardamom plantings in Kerala from the mid-2000s and continues to be the variety against which ICAR-IISR releases — Appangala-1, Avinash, ICRI 1-8 — are compared on yield. [[cardamom-shade-management|Shade]] and irrigation are the binding constraints for realising its yield potential.

See also: Cardamom Small, Cardamom Small Malabar Mysore Vazhukka, Cardamom Large Amomum Subulatum Sikkim, Cardamom Curing Grading, Cardamom Leaf Blight, Cardamom Shade Management.

References

  1. Njallani Green Gold cardamom - Spices Board India. https://www.indianspices.com/spice-catalog/cardamom-small
  2. ICAR-IISR Cardamom Research Centre Appangala - varieties. https://www.spices.res.in/research/cardamom