Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) / Karivepaku

Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) is a perennial Rutaceae tree distributed across the Himalayan foothills through the Eastern Ghats to the Nilgiri-Annamalai range, cultivated commercially for its aromatic leaves.

Key characteristics

• Family Genus: Rutaceae; Murraya koenigii
• Varieties: DWD-1, Suhasini (UAS Dharwad clonal selections)
• Harvests Per Year: ~3 harvests per year over 10+ year life
• Soil Tolerance: sandy to clay; mildly acid to mildly alkaline

Cultivation and adoption

The crop offers 10+ years of plantation life, three harvests/year and low post-harvest losses, making it a low-input cash crop for small farmers. ICAR researchers have characterized four chemotypes; UAS Dharwad has released cultivars DWD-1 and Suhasini from Western Ghats germplasm.

References

1. Curry leaf - ICAR Indian Horticulture article. https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/IndHort/article/download/105391/41265/272932