PEPPER IN HEAVENLY HEIGHTS Sky is the limit: Pepper vines sprialling up to new heights on the picturesque Kolli Hills
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Dr. J. Thomas, Director (Research), ICRI, Myladumpara,
n top of the Kolli hills, if one look up the sky, wouldn’t miss sight of the long queues of pepper vines longing to touch the heavenly heights. It is fabulous to see the pepper spiraling the tall silver oak [Grevellea robusta] tree with lusty green cylindrical canopy, long spikes, uniformly set bold berries yielding profusely on the slopes of the beautifully landscaped hills.
image called Kollipavai M.S. Ramalingam, Senior Field Officer, on top of these hills. Spices Board, Coimbatore, Kollipavai also called as Ettukkai Amman is Dr. A.K. Vijayan, Dr. S.S. Chandrasekar, Scientists of ICRI Myladumpara believed to guard the
Kolli hills, is also known as Kolli Malai meaning “mountains of death”. Folklore believes the existence of an
Kolli hills, is a small mountain range located at the tail end of the Eastern Ghats in Namakkal District of Tamil
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hills from demons with her enchanting smile. The pepper trees of Kolli hills seem to represent the soldiers of kollipavai and it attracts all with its majestic beauty and charming smile.
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Nadu. Situated between 11 10' and 11 23' North latitude and 78 17' and 78 28' East longitude, the mountains are at 1000-1300m height covering approximately 372 Km2. There are 14 Villages [Nadus] and 275 hamlets inhabited predominantly [>95 per cent] by scheduled tribes called Hindu Malai-yali, whose spoken language is Tamil.
Deep red fertile soil: New Planting of pepper is routine
Truly Organic: Shri. Chinnayan, the pepper farmer and the President of Kolli Malai Tribal Coffee and Pepper Growers Association seen in conversation at Karayankadu in Kolli Hills
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more than 800 ha with an average production exceeding 1000 tonnes of dry pepper, probably one of the highest productivity pepper producing regions of the country, where no promotional activity of pepper is being undertaken, at present by any agencies. As pepper is grown creating a tree cover, it is an ideal candidate for claiming carbon credit for the pepper farmers of the region. Pepper cultivation in Kolli hills has only two and half decades history and the oldest pepper vines are 25-30 years old growing to a height of more than 30 feet. The plants are continuing to yield, on an average, one to two kg per vine, but vines giving 15kg dry berries are not uncommon. Ninty eight per cent of the pepper area are under the
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Pepper is becoming the prime cash crop with noticeable increase in area annually. It is grown as pure crop or intercropped with coffee or other crops including cardamom. It is estimated that pepper is grown in an area of
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Spreading over an area of 28,293ha, agricultural activities cover 52 per cent of the area, 44 per cent under forest and the rest with other activities. The area received an average annual rainfall of 1440 mm distributed fairly over two seasons viz., south west and north east monsoons. The maximum temperature rarely exceeds 320C and the minimum beyond 140C. Soil type is red/lateritic and 85 per cent of the area is under rainfed. Rice and other cereals like maize, sorghum, minor millets; vegetables like beans; tuber crops like tapioca (industrial purpose) and horticulture crops like pepper, coffee, pineapple, jack, guava are the major crops grown in the Hills. Honey collection is an important activity of the locals.
Beauty and abudance: Pepper vines with all its glory, a sight at the pepper garden of Shri. Subramanian, a progressive pepper grower in Chenkara in Kolli Hills.
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variety Panniyur-1 and the rest are with Kottanadan, Karimunda and Kurumilagu local, reinstate the fact that pepper is recently introduced to Kolli hills and the pepper has its roots across the Western Ghats. There were many conflicting claims on who brought pepper to Kolli hills, but only one thing is for sure, that it’s not the East India Company. Farmers take advance planning for planting pepper. One to two year old silver oak saplings are planted in 10’ x 10’ spacing or 10’x 8’ and beans, vegetables, banana, etc. are grown as intercrop in the silver oak planted area for two to three years. Coffee is introduced as
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intercrop after the annuals or biennials under silver oak from third or fourth year onwards. When the bark of silver oak starts cracking after four to five years, pepper is planted on both the sides of the tree, thus ensuring proper development of the standard for pepper and in return, the standard ensuring proper grip and support for the vines. Planting of pepper is done during July-September. Rooted cuttings of pepper produced in polybags as well as in situ planting of five to six noded cuttings from runner shoots [ three to four one meter long cuttings together] are used as planting materials. Pepper is grown as desired
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by nature. Application of abundant farm yard manure and less disturbance to root system, proper shade management, fertile soil are the factors responsible for higher yield of three to four kg per vine, says Shri Chinnayan, a tribal pepper grower in Karayankadu in Kolli Hills, who anticipates an yield of about 1.5 tonnes of dry pepper from 400 yielding vines during the current season. Though the tribal farmer does not claim himself to be an organic farmer, he does not use any chemical agri-inputs in his farm. He has bought laminar airflow equipment for preparing his own bioagents at home, training his wife on microbiology at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Shri. Chinnayan is also the President of Kollimalai Tribal Coffee and Pepper Growers Association. Pepper is generally grown as rainfed crop in Kolli Hills, but the crop responds well to irrigation. Abundant application of organic manures, especially well decomposed poultry manure available at a stone throw distance at Namakkal, copious irrigation during summer months [15-20 days interval] till harvest and abundant mulching increases yield, according to Shri. Subramanian, a progressive
previous season for traditional labour intensive manual threshing but also helped in producing hygienic pepper ” says Shri. Subramanian, a progressive pepper farmer of Chankkara. Few growers adopt blanching in pepper to improve the colour and storage life of the dried pepper. Pepper is dried on cemented drying yards.
Foot rot [quick wilt] and slow wilt are the diseases noticed in pepper plantations, but growers do not take any control measures, either prophylactic or curative. Some growers spray one per cent Bordeaux Mixture or 0.2 per cent Copper Oxy Chloride before the onset of north east monsoon. Shade regulation is done immediately after harvest by chopping the side branches of silver oak trees during MayJune depending upon need. Spike initiation starts on receipt of southwest monsoon. Berries are harvested during March and continue up to April. Growers harvest themselves by employing
skilled labourers. However, due to shortage of labourers and difficulty of the earthly souls for climbing to heaven, pre-harvest contract is in vogue, wherein growers sell the produce as standing crop before harvesting to local traders in advance. The traders employ labourers and collect the produce, largely based on the requirement of processing houses from Kerala (light berries, green berries, ripe berries, dry berries etc.) or to exporters of green pepper products, as the berry size is bigger and uniform. Pepper threshers are being employed now for separating the berries from the spikes hygienically. “Use of pepper thresher during 2009-10 season, purchased under Spices Board’s scheme, has not only helped in reducing the cost of threshing pepper to Rs.30000/- from Rs.80000/- incurred during the
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Kolli hills, while paying tribute to the creator of the pepper variety Panniyur-1, demonstrate the importance of the symbiotic relationship between the vine and its support. The well distributed rains and an optimum temperature range highlights the influence of climate on production. It is very important that external source of planting materials are not introduced to this pepper oasis and crop is allowed to continually grow under the protection of “Kollipavai”. +
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pepper grower in Chenkara, who harvested five tonnes of dry pepper during 2009-10 from 800 pepper vines.
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At the root of a giant pepper vine: The officials of the Spices Board at a pepper farm in Kolli Hills.
There is no organized market for pepper in Kolli Hills, a single point complaint raised by Shri. Ilavarasu, President of Kolli Hills, Small Planters Association at the Spice Clinic organized by Spices Board and Shri. K.P.Ramalingam, Hon’ble MP, representing the region. The growers sell their pepper to the local traders or traders from Namakkal, Salem and Belukurichi areas.
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T Jincy Thomas Lecturer [ Agri] VHSS, Kanakkari Kottayam district, Kerala E mail:
[email protected] Text in English by : Dr. P.S. Sreekantan Thampi
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he christening of Alleppey as the Venice of the East had historical reasons, attributed to the heavy turn around of merchant fleets from the West and the East that frequented the old port of Alleppey. Research into the ancient past reveals the importance of this commercial town in the world maritime trade especially for spices and hill produces. Quite interestingly this town shares its name for the geographical region of the district also, does
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not grow many of the important spices like cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, chillies, turmeric or ginger on a commercial scale. But spices like cardamom and turmeric are known internationally for their best grades as Alleppey Green Cardamom and Alleppey Finger Turmeric thanks to the heavy traffic of these produces that was witnessed through the Alleppey port in the yester years.
The district of Alleppey has a sparkling past, though the port is presently in the doldrums.
Pepper was said to be found growing only in the Western Ghats centuries ago. Known as a forest produce, the erstwhile Travancore state was said to be
Shri. Balasundaran Nair
Ever since the landing of the ship navigated by the Portuguese sailor Vasco da Gama in 1498 in Malabar coast, pepper traffic through sea surpassed the quantities earlier traded through the land routes. And it was Alleppey port that emerged as the major trading hub and terminal port for shipments during the mid eighteenth century. A quest into the evolution of pepper growing in Alleppey. Some say that it was the labourers who went in search of livelihood to the high ranges who on their return brought back pepper plantlets. Yet another argument favours that pepper plantlets came floating to the coastal regions of Alleppey through the flood waters that came flowing from the Western Ghats. However it is true that the pepper farmers
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in Alleppey had realized the commercial importance of this crop more than anybody. Vines have a classification as Travancore and Malabar pepper varieties. Karimunda, Small Kaniyakadan, Kottanadan, Perumkodi, Chumala and Narayakodi are the popular Travancore varieties. Kalluvally, Uthirankotta, Kottavalli, Kuthiravalli, Balankotta, Cheriyakodi are the main Malabar varieties. Both the Malabar and Travancore varieties are cultivated in the region. Shoots of pepper with roots emerging from the main stem are used as planting materials by the farmers. The main standards for growing pepper are arecanut, coconut, mango and other species of trees in the gardens. In fact almost all the trees in the locality have one or
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the homeland for its cultivation.
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Alleppey district however is holding a unique status of growing pepper in its very limited land stretch. Being close to the coast, the soil is sandy and the sun is bright hot in summer. Many areas in the district have water salinity. But amidst all these de-meriting factors the farmers grow pepper in substantial quantities. Pepper cultivation is said to have descended to this coastal district centuries ago. When the dominant pepper growing districts of Idukki and Wayanadu districts of Kerala can boast of thick and dense pepper cultivation trained to the standards like Erythrina, Jack, mango, silver oak tress, Alleppey farmers train their vines to coconut and arecanut trees. The tempo of cultivation can in the short run make this geographical region one of the promising pepper producing belts in the State of Kerala. Pepper is grown splendidly well amidst coconut, plantain, tapioca, vegetable farm lands from Oachira in the South to Cherthalla in the north of the district.
from January up to March in intermittent weeks. The modern practice of blanching of harvested green pepper in boiling water was prevalent in the coastal regions even many years ago. Farmers wait for the market bulletin announcements in All India Radio to dispose of stocks when prices rise.
Shri. S Haridas
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the other pepper vine. Unlike in other pepper growing locations in Kerala, pepper is grown even in the smallest plots in the district. There exists a commonality in the neighbourhood sharing planting materials of good yielding pepper vines. In the sandy soils of Alleppey district, farmers resort to irrigation of coconuts and plantains during the summer months of March, April and May. This indirectly benefited the pepper vines too. Green manure, chicken droppings and bone meal are usually applied as manure. This may be the reason why the pepper vines reported comparatively few incidences of quick wilt when the disease was rampant in the high ranges. Karimunda is considered to be best of the lot since the berries mature early
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and are dark green in colour besides being more pungent. Naryakodi is the most sought after variety of pepper in the coastal belt, recalls Mr T. S. Viswan, former Agriculture Officer of the Kerala Agriculture Department. The spikes are small and are curved in shape. Pepper is planted immediately after the heavy spell of summer. Farmers normally do not prefer thick and bold cuttings to plant. The cuttings will be nearly one feet long and is planted firmly on the soil with the cutting firmly tied to the standard. Three months after the rains, the vines start sprouting roots and holds on to the standards. Spikes start showing up in the second year and starts yielding in the third year. Good yield starts from the fourth year onwards. Berries could be harvested
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Till a decade ago, it was a common scene to spot vendors carrying jute bags shouting through the lanes in the villages asking for black pepper to be bought. Yet another sight was the trader with a ladder who walks through the village bidding for standing crop which farmers prefer to avoid the monotony of plucking when ripe. There were small shops of traders in market places in the town markets of Aleppo, Kayamkulam and Cherthala where the farmers could dispose of their produces. Pepper is the only one farm commodity which can be sold without a price bargain. Says Mr S. Haridas of Bharatheesadan in Kanjikuzhy Panchayath. An exservice man from the Central Reserved Police Force, Mr Haridas started growing pepper 12 years ago in his seventy cents of land. From one hundred vines he got a yield of one quintal of pepper. He lost heavily when the vines withered on account of the dreaded disease “Erythrina Vasp” that destroyed the
Pepper came as a solace for the farmer in the district when sizeable chunk of coconut cultivation got stuck due to the dreaded diseases of wilt and attack of the weevil. According to Mr Viswan, farmers need to take to high yielding varieties of pepper. Soon after the release of Panniyur 1 variety in 1966, farmers are currently planting the further six series of Panniyur varieties. Farmers are giving importance to the hygiene and sanitation in pepper gardens and application of organic manures. The prospects of better yield and promising marketing opportunities still keep some of the pepper farmers growing pepper in Alleppey. Though Alleppey lost its glory of the port, farming still run its roots.
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The major chunk of Alleppey district is characterized by sandy soil which is rich in silica content. Known as “glass soil” the land is very poor in organic content. The soil really heats up in summer and cannot retain water or moisture. The sand is loose and hence farming is a real Herculean task. Credit goes to the hard working nature and imagination of the coastal farmer who now turns out profitable yield from the soil. Use of weeds from the ponds and backwaters, dry leaves and cow dung is very rampant and this makes the soil rich in humus and fertility. Automatically organic, pepper is trained to every tree in the homesteads. With very minimum botheration from pests and diseases, pepper farming in Alleppey is very unique with good yield. The recent excavation of a wooden merchant vessel from the deep soil in a coconut garden off the coast of Cherthala reveals in a far distant corner of the society the age old international connections this geographical entity had in maritime trade and commerce; in which pepper obviously played the role of a King.
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Mr Balasundaran Nair, a retired Government official took to growing of pepper in 2001. He grows pepper as a mixed crop amidst coconut in his plot at 11th mile in Cherthala. He had a sizeable population of Erythrina trees for training pepper till the disease crept in. He is currently depending on coconuts and other trees to grow pepper. The fast rising labour cost is a deterrent to the cultivation of pepper. Pepper cultivation is a hobby for Mr Balasundaran.
GROWING PEPPER IN SILICA SOIL
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pepper growing standard tree Erythrina.
