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BSR-2 turmeric (TNAU, Erode-type high curcumin) Photo: placeholder pending image-fill pass

BSR-2 turmeric (TNAU, Erode-type high curcumin)

BSR-2 is a turmeric (Curcuma longa) variety released by the Horticultural Research Station, Bhavanisagar (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University) in 2003 as a clonal selection from the local "Erode" type germplasm. The variety was bred for the Erode-Salem belt of western Tamil Nadu, India's largest dry-turmeric production tract, and combines high curcumin content with adaptability to medium-rich red and black soils under irrigated conditions.

Key characteristics

  • Released by: Horticultural Research Station, Bhavanisagar (TNAU), 2003
  • Parentage: clonal selection from Erode local turmeric germplasm
  • Duration: ~270-285 days (long-duration)
  • Plant height: ~85-95 cm
  • Tillers: ~3-4 per clump
  • Mother rhizomes: bold, dull pale-yellow flesh
  • Curcumin: ~3.8-4.2%
  • Oleoresin: ~12-13%
  • Essential oil: ~3.2%
  • Dry recovery: ~20-21%
  • Fresh-yield potential: 32-35 t/ha; dry yield 6.5-7.0 t/ha under irrigation
  • Recommended ecology: Erode-Salem-Coimbatore-Dharmapuri belt, well-drained red loam and black cotton soil, irrigated

Cultivation

BSR-2 is propagated by mother and finger rhizome bits of 15-25 g, two viable buds each, planted on raised beds or ridges at 30 × 15-20 cm spacing in April-May (Tamil Nadu) and May-June (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana). Seed rate is 2,000-2,500 kg/ha. Recommended NPK is 150:60:108 kg/ha for irrigated TNAU package with 25 t/ha FYM applied basal. Mulching with green leaf or sugarcane trash @ 12 t/ha at planting and at 45 days conserves moisture; turmeric is sensitive to drought during rhizome bulking (4-6 month).

Pest and disease profile

BSR-2 is moderately susceptible to rhizome rot (Pythium aphanidermatum) — see Ginger Soft Rot Pythium — and to leaf blotch (Taphrina maculans) and leaf spot (Colletotrichum capsici). Major pests are shoot borer (Conogethes punctiferalis) and rhizome scale (Aspidiella hartii). Cropping in fresh soil and rotation with cereals or pulses reduces rot incidence.

Adoption and use

BSR-2 was widely adopted in Erode, Salem, Karur, Namakkal and Dharmapuri districts of Tamil Nadu, where the "Erode turmeric" GI tag (registered in 2019) covers traditional and clonal Erode-type material including BSR-1, BSR-2 and Erode Local. Dried bulb fingers from BSR-2 are valued for their high curcumin and bright colour and are routinely traded through the Erode regulated market.

See also: Turmeric Crop, Turmeric Lakadong Meghalaya Gi, Ginger Crop.

References

  1. BSR-2 turmeric - TNAU varietal database. https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/horticulture/horti_spices_turmeric.html
  2. Turmeric varieties - ICAR-IISR Calicut. https://www.spices.res.in/research/turmeric