PLD-2
A 1996 IISR selection from Kottanadan, listed as late maturing, with the highest oleoresin in IISR's pepper table, 15.45%. IISR gives 2,475 kg dry pepper a hectare and piperine of 3.0%.
Quick facts
- Type
- Clonal selection (rooted cuttings)
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Perennial; IISR lists it as late 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
- 2,475 kg dry pepper a hectare on average; 4,731 kg/ha potential; 4.97 kg green pepper a vine (IISR)
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained forest loam / laterite, humus-rich, acidic pH 4.5–6.0
- Release
- Released 1996 · ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode, Kerala
About this variety
PLD-2 is a black pepper clonal selection released in 1996 by ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode, from the Kottanadan collection number 2559. IISR lists it as late maturing. The variety page gives the area of adoption as the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts of Kerala and also calls it suitable for all pepper-growing areas, and the table says plains and higher elevations. The average yield is 2,475 kg of dry pepper a hectare, with a potential of 4,731, and a vine gives 4.97 kg of green pepper. The spike is 8.33 cm long with 87.7% fruit set. A thousand berries weigh 122.3 g. Piperine is 3.0%, oleoresin 15.45%, essential oil 4.8% and dry recovery 31.13%.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose PLD-2 if you sell pepper for its oleoresin, the extract that processors pay for. IISR gives it 15.45%, the highest oleoresin in its table, against 13.0% for Sreekara, with 4.8% essential oil. It gives 2,475 kg of dry pepper a hectare on average, a little under Sreekara at 2,677, and 4.97 kg of green pepper a vine. The trade-off is time and pungency: IISR calls it late maturing, and piperine is 3.0%, against 5.1% for Sreekara. IISR gives no foot rot rating, so keep the protective programme ready. If you want a quick first crop or a pungent pepper, look at Sreekara or Chandra.
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's two pages differ on area: the variety page names the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts and also says all pepper-growing areas, and the table says plains and higher elevations in Kerala.
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Perennial; IISR lists it as late maturing (no first-bearing age published)
Expected yield
2,475 kg dry pepper a hectare on average; 4,731 kg/ha potential; 4.97 kg green pepper a vine (IISR)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- IISR gives no disease rating for this variety, so treat it like any pepper: drainage, mound planting and the protective foot-rot programme.
- If you sell on oleoresin, dry berries evenly and ask the buyer for a test before you commit.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- The highest oleoresin in IISR's pepper table: 15.45%, against 13.0% for Sreekara.
- 2,475 kg of dry pepper a hectare, with a potential of 4,731, and 4.97 kg of green pepper a vine.
- Bold-berried: a thousand berries weigh 122.3 g, with 87.7% fruit set.
Things to consider
- IISR lists it as late maturing, so the crop comes after earlier varieties.
- Piperine of 3.0% and dry recovery of 31.13% are below Sreekara (5.1% and 35.0%).
- IISR gives no foot rot rating, and its two pages differ on where to grow it.
Suitable regions
IISR's variety page gives the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts of Kerala as the area of adoption, and its table says plains and higher elevations.
- Kerala
Oleoresin versus pungency: reading PLD-2's numbers
Pepper is sold for two different things. Piperine is the pungent part, and oleoresin is the whole extract that processors pull out of the berry. A variety can be strong on one and weak on the other, and PLD-2 is the clearest case in IISR's table: oleoresin 15.45%, the highest listed, but piperine only 3.0%.
That makes PLD-2 a fit for a buyer who wants extract and a poor fit for one who wants a hot table pepper. Sreekara is the reverse in part, with piperine of 5.1% and oleoresin of 13.0%, so it does fairly well on both. If you do not know what your buyer pays for, ask before you plant, because a pepper vine takes years to repay.
Also plan for the calendar. IISR calls PLD-2 late maturing, so its berries come later than an early variety such as Chandra. IISR gives no month, so ask a local grower of the variety.
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 Shakthi | 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-2this page | 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
What does PLD-2's high oleoresin mean for my price?
It matters only if your buyer pays for oleoresin, the extract. IISR gives PLD-2 15.45%, the highest in its table, but no price figure. A buyer who pays for piperine would rate it lower, as its piperine is 3.0%. Ask the buyer what the pepper is bought for before you plant.
Does PLD-2 grow outside Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam?
IISR's variety page names those two districts as the area of adoption and also says it is suitable for all pepper-growing areas, and the table says plains and higher elevations in Kerala. IISR gives no trial results from other districts, so test a small block first.
How is PLD-2 different from Sreekara?
Sreekara is a 1990 IISR selection from Karimunda, medium maturing, with piperine 5.1%, oleoresin 13.0% and 2,677 kg a hectare. PLD-2 is a 1996 selection from Kottanadan, late maturing, with piperine 3.0%, oleoresin 15.45% and 2,475 kg. PLD-2 is for extract, Sreekara for pungency with decent oleoresin.
Can I grow PLD-2 from seed?
No. IISR says to use only clonal planting material, meaning rooted cuttings from a vine you know. Seedlings from berries would not be the same as PLD-2.
Sourced from: PLD-2 (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.