IISR Shakthi
A 2004 IISR selection from open-pollinated progeny of Perambramundi, rated tolerant to Phytophthora foot rot, for plains and high ranges under rain-fed conditions. IISR gives about 2,253 to 2,352 kg dry pepper a hectare.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated progeny selection, planted as rooted cuttings
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Perennial; IISR lists it as medium maturing (no first-bearing age published)
- Seed rate
- Not a seed crop — 2–3 rooted cuttings per standard, standards at about 3 × 3 m (roughly 1,100 vines/ha)
- Expected yield
- 2,253 kg dry pepper a hectare (IISR variety page) or 2,352 (IISR table); 5.2 kg green pepper a vine
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained forest loam / laterite, humus-rich, acidic pH 4.5–6.0
- Release
- Released 2004 · ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode, Kerala
About this variety
IISR Shakthi is a black pepper selection released in 2004 by ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode, from open-pollinated progeny of Perambramundi. IISR recommends it for both plains and high ranges under rain-fed conditions, and lists it as medium maturing. The variety page calls it tolerant to Phytophthora foot rot, and the variety table says moderately resistant. A vine gives 5.2 kg of green pepper. The spike is 13 cm long with 49 fruits and 60% fruit set, on an ovate-lanceolate leaf. On the variety page piperine is 3.3%, oleoresin 10.2% and essential oil 3.7%, and the AICRP on Spices booklet repeats 3.3% and 10.2%. IISR's table instead gives piperine 5.6%, oleoresin 10.6% and essential oil 1.5%.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose IISR Shakthi if you farm pepper without irrigation, on plains or high ranges, and foot rot is what has hurt you before. IISR's variety page calls it tolerant to Phytophthora foot rot, and its variety table calls it moderately resistant. The price is yield and pungency. IISR gives 2,253 kg of dry pepper a hectare on the variety page and 2,352 in the table, against 2,677 for Sreekara. Piperine is 3.3% on the variety page, against 5.1% for Sreekara. IISR's table gives a higher figure, 5.6%, so have your own berries tested before you promise a buyer anything. For bold berries on a foot-rot plot, compare IISR Thevam.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timePlant with the first monsoon showers, roughly May–June
- Seed rateNot a seed crop — 2–3 rooted cuttings per standard, standards at about 3 × 3 m (roughly 1,100 vines/ha)
- SpacingAbout 3 × 3 m standards in a dedicated garden; follows the host tree spacing as an intercrop
- Sowing methodPlant 2–3 rooted cuttings on the northern side of the standard, mulch the base, and tie every new flush to the standard
- IrrigationWater young vines through their first dry seasons; summer (dry-season) irrigation of bearing vines, increasingly by drip, markedly improves berry fill where water is available
- Fertilizer5–10 kg farmyard manure per vine each year with a thick pre-monsoon mulch, plus an adult NPK dose of about 50:50:150 g N:P2O5:K2O per vine per year in two splits, with lime on very acidic soil
- HarvestingHand-pick spikes in several rounds from November to February for black pepper; good dry recovery means a better weight of dry pepper per kg of green berry
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained forest loam or laterite, on the high side of a slope or a mound
- pH
- 4.5–6.0
Climate
- Climate
- IISR recommends it for plains and high ranges under rain-fed conditions. Tolerant is not immune, so keep drainage and the protective programme.
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Perennial; IISR lists it as medium maturing (no first-bearing age published)
Expected yield
2,253 kg dry pepper a hectare (IISR variety page) or 2,352 (IISR table); 5.2 kg green pepper a vine
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Phytophthora foot rot: tolerant on IISR's variety page, moderately resistant in its table. Foot rot / quick wilt (Phytophthora), the major killer of pepper: drainage, mound planting, Trichoderma and a protective fungicide at the first monsoon rains
- Slow decline: plant clean, nematode-free cuttings and apply neem cake and bio-agents
Management notes
- Keep drainage, mound planting and the foot-rot programme going. Tolerance cuts the risk but does not remove it.
- Have a sample of your own berries tested for piperine and oleoresin before you sell on quality, because IISR's two pages give different piperine figures.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Tolerant to Phytophthora foot rot on IISR's variety page and moderately resistant in its table.
- Meant for rain-fed pepper, on plains and on high ranges.
- 5.2 kg of green pepper a vine, about the same as the 4.76 and 4.80 kg given for Thevam and Sreekara.
Things to consider
- Below Sreekara on yield: 2,253 or 2,352 kg a hectare against 2,677.
- IISR's variety page and variety table disagree on piperine (3.3% against 5.6%), essential oil (3.7% against 1.5%) and dry recovery (43% against 34%).
- Tolerant is not immune, and IISR gives no rating for slow decline or pollu disease.
Suitable regions
IISR gives both plains and high ranges under rain-fed conditions as the area of adoption, and lists Kerala and Karnataka.
- Kerala
- Karnataka
Two IISR pages, two sets of quality numbers
IISR publishes Shakthi twice, and the pages do not agree. The variety page gives piperine 3.3%, oleoresin 10.2%, essential oil 3.7% and an average of 2,253 kg of dry pepper a hectare. The variety table gives piperine 5.6%, oleoresin 10.6%, essential oil 1.5% and 2,352 kg. The AICRP on Spices booklet from Panniyur repeats 3.3% piperine and 10.2% oleoresin, so two sources side with the variety page.
We show both and do not pick one for you. The practical way out is a test. A spices testing lab can read piperine and oleoresin on a sample of your own dried berries. That figure, not a published one, is what a buyer will price, and it also shows how your soil and drying change the result.
Can you save seed from this crop?
It is not grown from seed. IISR says to use only clonal planting material, meaning rooted cuttings from a vine you have watched, not seedlings from berries. Berries of a cross do not give plants like the parent.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Black Pepper (Kali Mirch) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arka Coorg Excel | Kodagu gardens that want the highest listed yield | Perennial; IISR lists it as medium maturing (no first-bearing age published) | 3,267 kg dry pepper a hectare (IISR table); 7.15 kg a vine (IISR variety page) | Karnataka |
| IISR Chandra | A newer early hybrid; long spikes and high fruit set | Perennial; IISR lists it as early maturing (no first-bearing age or days published) | 2,905 kg dry pepper a hectare on average (IISR variety page); 7.5 kg green pepper a vine; potential 7,815 kg/ha | Kerala, Karnataka |
| IISR Girimunda | High-altitude gardens and estates that sell on weight | Perennial; IISR lists it as medium maturing (no first-bearing age published) | 2,880 kg dry pepper a hectare (IISR table); 6.14 kg fresh pepper a vine | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| IISR Malabar Excel | A high-range test block for its oleoresin | Perennial; IISR lists it as medium maturing (no first-bearing age published) | 1,440 kg dry pepper a hectare (IISR table); 2.78 kg fresh pepper a vine | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| IISR Shakthithis page | Rain-fed gardens where foot rot is the main risk | Perennial; IISR lists it as medium maturing (no first-bearing age published) | 2,253 kg dry pepper a hectare (IISR variety page) or 2,352 (IISR table); 5.2 kg green pepper a vine | Kerala, Karnataka |
| IISR Thevam | Coffee and tea estates and high-altitude gardens where foot rot is the main risk and weight matters more than pungency | Perennial — first bearing in year 3, full bearing by year 7–8, productive for 20–30 years | 2,481 kg a hectare dry pepper on average (IISR); 4.76 kg fresh a vine (KAU booklet) | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| Karimunda | Homegarden and mixed-plantation farmers who want a familiar vine with easy planting material | Perennial — first bearing in year 3, full bearing by year 7–8, productive for 20–30 years | 0.98 kg dry pepper a vine in an Assam arecanut trial (fourth of 12) | Kerala, Karnataka |
| Panchami | Kerala and southern Karnataka farmers who sell on oleoresin and want a vine that sets a lot of berries | Perennial — first bearing in year 3, full bearing by year 7–8, productive for 20–30 years | 2,828 kg a hectare dry pepper on average and 5.20 kg fresh a vine (IISR, KAU); 0.75 kg dry a vine in an Assam arecanut trial | Kerala, Karnataka |
| Panniyur-1 | Farmers with open or lightly shaded, well-drained land who want a high-yielding hybrid and will run a foot-rot programme | Perennial — first bearing in year 3, full bearing by year 7–8, productive for 20–30 years | 3.66 kg dry pepper a vine in a Karnataka arecanut trial (best of 11); 1.15 kg a vine in an Assam arecanut trial | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| Panniyur-2 | Farmers who want a very pungent, shade-tolerant pepper for a mixed homegarden and do not need the top yield | Perennial — first bearing in year 3, full bearing by year 7–8, productive for 20–30 years | 2,570 kg a hectare dry pepper on average and 4.50 kg fresh a vine (KAU booklet); 0.55 kg dry a vine in an Assam arecanut trial | Kerala |
| Panniyur-5 | Arecanut, coconut or tree-shaded gardens where a shade-tolerant, many-spiked pepper is needed | Perennial — first bearing in year 3, full bearing by year 7–8, productive for 20–30 years | 1.25 kg dry pepper a vine in an Assam arecanut trial (best of 12); KAU booklet gives 1,107 kg a hectare on average | Kerala, Karnataka |
| Panniyur-6 | Farmers who sell pepper by weight and want bold berries and many spikes, not high extract content | Perennial — first bearing in year 3, full bearing by year 7–8, productive for 20–30 years | 2,127 kg a hectare dry pepper on average and 2.30 kg fresh a vine (KAU booklet) | Kerala |
| PLD-2 | Oleoresin buyers; Kerala plains and higher ground | Perennial; IISR lists it as late maturing (no first-bearing age published) | 2,475 kg dry pepper a hectare on average; 4,731 kg/ha potential; 4.97 kg green pepper a vine (IISR) | Kerala |
| Pournami | Gardens with a history of slow decline, and arecanut or banana intercrops, where root-knot nematode is a worry | Perennial — first bearing in year 3, full bearing by year 7–8, productive for 20–30 years | 2,333 kg a hectare dry pepper on average and 4.70 kg fresh a vine (IISR, KAU); 0.85 kg dry a vine in an Assam arecanut trial | Kerala, Karnataka |
| Sreekara | Farmers who sell to extractors and want high oleoresin and essential oil, in Kerala, south Karnataka or Tamil Nadu | Perennial — first bearing in year 3, full bearing by year 7–8, productive for 20–30 years | 2,677 kg a hectare dry pepper on average and 4.80 kg fresh a vine (IISR, KAU); 0.70 kg dry a vine in an Assam arecanut trial | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
| Subhakara | Intercropped gardens and higher elevations in Kerala, south Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where weight and reliability matter more than piperine | Perennial — first bearing in year 3, full bearing by year 7–8, productive for 20–30 years | 2,352 kg a hectare dry pepper on average and 4.20 kg fresh a vine (IISR, KAU); 1.12 kg dry a vine in an Assam arecanut trial (third of 12) | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Black Pepper (Kali Mirch) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Black Pepper (Kali Mirch) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Black Pepper (Kali Mirch) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Black Pepper (Kali Mirch) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Black Pepper (Kali Mirch) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Black Pepper (Kali Mirch) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Black Pepper (Kali Mirch) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is IISR Shakthi immune to foot rot?
No. IISR's variety page says tolerant and its table says moderately resistant. That means less loss under disease pressure, not immunity. Keep drainage, mound planting and the protective programme going, as for any pepper.
What does rain-fed mean for Shakthi?
IISR recommends Shakthi for plains and high ranges under rain-fed conditions, meaning vines that depend on rainfall and not on irrigation. IISR gives no water schedule for it. Young vines still need water through their first dry seasons.
Which piperine figure is right for Shakthi, 3.3% or 5.6%?
We could not settle it. IISR's variety page and the AICRP on Spices booklet give 3.3%, and IISR's variety table gives 5.6%. Test a sample of your own dried berries before you quote either number to a buyer.
Shakthi or Thevam for a foot-rot plot?
Both are rated tolerant to foot rot. IISR Thevam is the one with a high-range and estate recommendation and bold berries, but its piperine is only 1.6%. Shakthi is for rain-fed plains and high ranges, with piperine of 3.3% on the variety page. On yield, Thevam is higher at 2,481 kg a hectare against 2,253 or 2,352.
Sourced from: IISR-Shakthi (Black Pepper) — ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Spice varieties: significant characteristics of black pepper varieties — ICAR-IISR (ITM-ABI), Improved Varieties of Black Pepper — AICRP on Spices (Pepper Research Station Panniyur), September 2025. editorial policy.