What are the production methods used by India as one of exporters and producers leading countries of cardamom?

Cardamom is grown by mainly 2 methods:

1. Primary Nursery

• Digging the soil in pits to a depth of 30 cm and sowing beds of size 6×1×0.2 m are prepared and a thin layer of humus-rich forest soil is uniformly spread over the beds.
• Sowing of the seeds is commenced, in rows spaced at 10 cm and 1 to 2 cm of the interval within the row. The seed rate for a 6 × 1 m sized bed is 30-50 G.
• After the sowing process, the beds are covered with a thin layer of sand and mulched with grass or paddy straw to a thickness of 2 cm over which tree twigs are laid.
• Watering of the beds is done regularly to maintain sufficient moisture and to promote germination.
• Germination commences in about 20-25 days and may continue for a month or two.

2. Secondary Nursery

In this method of sowing and planting, any of the 2 processes are used:

- Bed nursery

• The beds are prepared in the same manner as in the primary nursery method. Seedlings with 3-4 leaves are transplanted at a distance of 20 to 25 cm. Mulching and watering are performed immediately after the transplanting of seeds.
• Earthing up the process is commenced after each fertilizer application and hand weeding is done once in 20-25 days.

- Polybag nursery

• Polythene bags of size 20 × 20 cm and 100 gauge thickness are filled with a potting mixture consisting of forest topsoil, cow dung, and sand (preferably in the ratio of 3:1:1).
• Seedlings at 3-4 leaf stages are transplanted into each bag.
• Harvesting
• The cardamom capsules are harvested when achieving maturity, indicated by the dark green color of rind and black-colored seeds.
• Capsules ripen within a period of 120-135 days after the formation.
• Harvesting is carried out at an interval of 15 -30 days.
• Harvesting is carried out using a special knife known as an elaichi chhuri. The harvested spikes are stored for 2–3 days after harvesting.
• Separation is mostly done manually.