Hee-Bermiok Constituency, West Sikkim

SEREMNA A LARGE CARDAMOM VARIETY HAS BROUGHT ECONOMIC PROPERITY AT HEE GAON.

Large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb) locally known as “Allainchi” is an important cash crop of Sikkim, since time immemorial. Perhaps it is one among the oldest spices known to the human being. As early as 6^th century B.C. Sushruta mentioned its use in Aurvedic medicines. In India it is mainly used as spice and for flavoring food products. Now-a-days there is high demand for natural lproducts of flavour and fragrance in food and hotel industries and perfumeries etc., large cardamom finds a potential place in this sectors. Large cardamom seeds contain about 2 – 3% essential oil, a power full flavouring agent resembling very much that of small cardamom (Elettaria cardamom). The essential oil has the volatile principles such as cineole (75 – 85%) lbisa bolene (3-6%), Sabinene (3-4%), T-terpine (4-8%), L – terpineol + L – terpinyl acetate (3-6%) and very little B-myrcene, nerolidol, pinene, thujene etc. The cineole contributes towards the pungency while L – terpinyl acetate to the pleasant aroma. Its seeds possess certain medicinal properties that act as carminative, stomachic, diuretic, an effective cardiac stimulantm, antiemetic and a powerful remedy for throat and respiratory troubles.

Sikkim is the world largest producer of large cardamom and is holding a share of 85% of the Indian market. Its cultivation is mainly confined to the sub-himalayan in Sikkim and Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Recently few more North Eastern Hill state like Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalay, Nagaland and Arunachal has also started its cultivation. Nepal and Bhutan are the other two Himalayan countries growing this crop. The area under large cardamom in Sikkim at present is about 20000 hectare with bearing orchards of 15000 hectare producing 3500 tonnes and yielding about 234 kg/ha.

CLIMATE AND SOIL: -

Large cardamom being a native of Sikkim’s forests finds an ideal agro-ecological conditions (temperature, humidity, rainfall, shade) in Sikkim resulting in comparative advantage for the local producers. The natural habitat of large cardamom is the humid subtropical, evergreen forests of mountainous sub-Himalayan region. It is a shade loving plant and is grown in between 600-2200 meter above msl. It requires an annual precipitation of 1500 – 3000 mm and a temperature ragnge of 6⁰ – 30⁰ C. accompanied by high humidity, cloudy and foggy weather, but hail storms and frost is very much detrimental to the crop.

Large cardamom requires moist lbut well drained sandy loam to loam soil for its cultivation. The soil are generally acidic (pH 5-6) and rich in organic matter content due to leaf fall from the shade trees, weeds and plant remains. Nutrient recycling is common in large cardamom plantation.

SHADE TREES: -

For historical reasons, bigger landowners belonging to the ethnic group of Bhutia dominate the cardamom production. The crop fits well in the diversified production system because it needs coverage by shade trees. At higher altitudes, nitrogen-fixing tree species are mostly used which also meet the fuel demand. At lower altitudes fodder trees are common. The most common tree species are:

Uttis (Alnus nepalensis), Chillowne (Schima wallichii), Panisaj (Terminalia myriocarpa), Pipali (Bucklandia populnea), Malato (Macarachga denticulate), Argeli (Edgeworthia gardeneril), Asare (Viburnum colebrookianum), Bilaune (Maesa chisidon), Kharane (Symplocos ramosissima), Siris (Albizzia spp.) Ghurpis (Leucosceptrum canum), Faledo (Erythrina arborescens), Jhingini (Eurya japonica), Chuleto (Brassiopsis mitis), Katus (Castanopsis spp.) etc. Over and above the crop combined with the tree cover is well suited to protect the soil, organic matter enrichment and to avoid water run – off in steep slopes. Tree shade protects cardamom plant form hail storms too.

CROP BOTANY: -

The large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb) belongs to the family Zingiberaceae of natural order Scitaminae and psiophytic in habit. It is a native of moist deciduous and evergreen forests of sub-Himalayan tracts and have 5 wild relatives. In Sikkim Himalayas the genus Amomum found in sikki are A. subulatum, A. dealbatum, A. corynostachyum, A. aromaticum and A. kingii. Out of these only A. subulatum is cultivated and used for spice and flavoring food.

The plant is a semiperennial rhizomatous herb. Stem leafy2.5 meter high, leaves 30-80 X 8-10 cm subsessile, oblong, lanceolate, glabrous, spike clavate, shortly peduncled, cm in diameter. Outer bracts obtuse with a horny cusps, ca 3 cm long, ovate, red brown, inner short obtuse. Calyx ca 4 cm long, corolla tube ca 3 cm long white lobes 2-3 cm long, lip oblong, cuneate, ca 3 cm long, narrow at tip often bifid, yellow with deep yellow veins, anther ca 1 cm long with crest ca 4mm, entire wary with inflexed sides, filaments ca 5mm long. Capsules ellipsoid flattened, ca 2.5 cm long, longitudinally steriate with crenulate wings, red brown seeds ca 2.5 mm broad, roundish, black. Flowering time April – May.

CULTIVARS:

All the commercial types/varieties of large cardamom belong to a species Amomum subulatum. Infact there are no well described varieties of the cultivated species if karge cardanin vyt are cyktuvated ttoes (cultivars) which are called by different names of local dialects on their certain characteristics. Generally six cultivars are commonly grown besides, some subtypes. They are Ramsey, Golsey, Sawaney, Ramla, Bharlangey, and Seremna. The recently released varieties ICRI – Sikkim I and ICRI Sikkim II are clonal selections of Sawabey.

SEREMNA: -

This is a clonal Selection of Ramsey from Hee Gaon, West Sikkim. Shri.Suk Ram Subba has invented a wild species of cardamom in Kamidhara Hee Gaon and nomenclature in limboo language as seremna, which has been recognized as one of the sub-species of ramsey variety by the Horticulture Department and Spices Board of India, Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Government of India. The plant of this cultivar is weak and drooping with the tender leaves and thus conserves soil moisture around its own plant. Thus it is suitable for dry areas. The variety is suitable for medium land lower altitudes and is a heavy yielder. It is fairly tolerant to both the viral diseases chirkey and furkey. It is also tolerant to devastation disease of leaf blight. It requires less shade, less irrigation, early maturing (harvesting in August), and regular bearer. The capsules are bolder than Golsey and contain 70-80 seed or capsule (double of Ramsey or Golsey). The capsule coat is thin and the dry capsule recovery is about 28% as compared to 20% of Golsey or Ramsey. Dry capsule practically needs no tail cutting.

Due to the superiority of this variety there is a tremendous demand of planting materials of this variety in Sikkim as well as outside. As a result, there are number of nurseries in Hee Gaon, producing about 40 – 50 lakh seedlings/suckers, earning about one crore rupees annually only from the seedlings/suckers sale. The variety has become a money spinner for the farmers of Hee Gaon that has brought a considerable economic prosperity in the area.

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