Appangala 2
A Malabar-type cardamom hybrid from ICAR-IISR, made by crossing Appangala-1 with the mosaic-resistant NKE-19. IISR gives it the highest station average of its listed Malabar releases, 927 kg dry capsules a hectare, and recommends it for Katte-infected areas.
Quick facts
- Type
- Rhizome/sucker planting material (Malabar type hybrid)
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- 120 days from flowering to ripe capsule (IISR); first crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU)
- Expected yield
- 927 kg dry capsules/ha average; 1,393 kg/ha potential (IISR)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 2014 · ICAR-IISR, Regional Station, Appangala, Karnataka
About this variety
Appangala 2 is a Malabar-type cardamom hybrid from the ICAR-IISR Regional Station at Appangala, Karnataka. IISR gives its parents as Appangala-1, described as a moderate yielder, and NKE-19, described as mosaic resistant. The clump is tall, 215.94 cm, with 31 tillers, 28 panicles a clump and 163 flowers on a panicle. IISR reports 60% fruit set and a dark green aerial shoot, and describes the capsules as green and medium bold. Capsules ripen 120 days after flowering. Essential oil is 6.3% and dry recovery 21.10%, with 40.32% alpha terpinyl acetate and 29.53% 1,8-cineole. IISR marks the 927 kg a hectare yield as based on its trial CYT-6.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Appangala 2 if Katte is around your plot and you also want the best yield IISR lists for a Malabar type. IISR puts it at 927 kg dry capsules a hectare on average, against 847 for IISR Avinash, 745 for Appangala-1 and 643 for IISR Vijetha, and it recommends the variety for Katte-infected areas. The trade-offs are time and size: capsules ripen 120 days after flowering, the longest of the four, and IISR calls them medium bold, where Vijetha has 77% bold capsules. If a short crop cycle or the biggest capsule grade matters more to you than yield, look at Vijetha. If rhizome rot is your problem, look at Avinash.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune to December is the best planting period (TNAU)
- SpacingIISR gives no spacing for Appangala 2. TNAU lists 2.5 x 2 m for larger types and 2 x 1.5 m for smaller types, in pits of 60 x 60 x 60 cm. This is a tall clump at 215.94 cm, so ask the Appangala station which one it advises.
- FertilizerIISR gives no separate dose for Appangala 2. TNAU gives 25 t/ha compost with 75 kg N, 75 kg P and 150 kg K a hectare, in 2 splits: June-July and October-November.
- HarvestingCapsules ripen about 120 days after flowering, later than Vijetha at 105 and Avinash at 115. TNAU: pick ripe capsules every 15 to 25 days, with the peak in October-November.
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Forest loam under shade; acidic and well drained
- pH
- 5.0 to 6.5 (TNAU)
Climate
- Climate
- IISR gives no shade advice for Appangala 2. TNAU gives 50 to 60% shade as moderate and an elevation of 600 to 1,500 m for cardamom in general.
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
120 days from flowering to ripe capsule (IISR); first crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU)
Expected yield
927 kg dry capsules/ha average; 1,393 kg/ha potential (IISR)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Major pests
Management notes
- Katte: TNAU says the banana aphid spreads it, so control the aphid with an insecticide your KVK or the Spices Board recommends.
- Remove any clump that shows pale flecks or stripes along the leaf veins. Do not take suckers from it.
- Azhukal: TNAU gives 3 sprays of 1% Bordeaux mixture, 0.25% copper oxychloride or 0.2% mancozeb before the monsoon in early August and again in September.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- The highest station average among IISR's listed Malabar releases: 927 kg dry capsules a hectare, with a potential of 1,393.
- Katte resistance in the field, which is the reason one of its parents, NKE-19, was used.
- Field tolerant of thrips and tolerant of the shoot, panicle and capsule borer, as IISR rates it.
Things to consider
- Slowest to ripen of the four IISR releases compared here: 120 days from flowering.
- IISR calls the capsules medium bold and gives no bold-capsule share. Vijetha is 77% bold and Suvasini 89%.
- Only moderately resistant to Katte under artificial inoculation. Keep removing symptomatic clumps and use clean planting material.
- IISR gives no rating for rhizome rot or Azhukal.
Suitable regions
IISR gives Karnataka and Wayanad (Kerala) as the areas of adoption, and recommends it for areas where the Katte virus is present.
- Karnataka
- Kerala
Two parents, two jobs: what Appangala 2 was bred to do
IISR's own page gives the cross in one line: Appangala-1, a moderate yielder, crossed with NKE-19, which is mosaic resistant. Each parent was picked for one job. Appangala-1 brings a Malabar-type clump that already did well at the Appangala station, 745 kg dry capsules a hectare on IISR's figures. NKE-19 brings resistance to Katte, the mosaic virus.
The result on IISR's numbers is a clump that out-yields all three older IISR Malabar releases on the same list, and that IISR rates resistant to Katte in the field. Under artificial inoculation, which is a harsher test than a field, IISR rates it only moderately resistant. So read the Katte rating as a good start, not a cure. IISR still recommends it for Katte-infected areas.
The price of the cross is time. Capsules ripen 120 days after flowering, against 105 for Vijetha, and IISR calls the capsules medium bold. If you sell by size grade, that matters. Ask your local auction centre how it prices the grades before you replace a block.
Can you save seed from this crop?
It is not grown from seed. KAU says rhizomes with at least 3 shoots are used, and that sucker planting can spread Katte. Where Katte is widespread KAU says seedlings are safer, because the virus is not carried in seed. Appangala 2 is a cross between two different parents, so IISR's traits come with the planted clone, not with seed from it. IISR gives no sucker advice for this variety, so take suckers only from clumps that have shown no mosaic through a full season.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Cardamom (Elaichi) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appangala 2this page | Katte areas; highest station yield | 120 days from flowering to ripe capsule (IISR); first crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU) | 927 kg dry capsules/ha average; 1,393 kg/ha potential (IISR) | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Appangala-1 (Suvasini) | Bold capsules and high oil; intensive planting | 112 days from flowering to ripe capsule (IISR); first crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU) | 745 kg dry capsules/ha average; 1,322 kg/ha potential (IISR) | Karnataka, Kerala |
| CCS-1 | Early crop; close planting | Early maturing (KAU); first crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU) | 1,156 kg/ha potential (KAU table); no average published under the name CCS-1 | Karnataka, Kerala |
| ICRI-1 | South Idukki gardens with even rainfall that want a bold-capsule Malabar type | Early maturing (KAU); first crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU) | 325 kg dry capsules/ha rainfed and 650 kg/ha irrigated (TNAU eAgri); KAU lists a yield potential of 656 kg/ha | Kerala |
| ICRI-2 | Irrigated, higher-altitude gardens in Vandanmedu, Nelliampathy, Annamalai and Meghamalai | First crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU); no days to maturity given | 375 kg dry capsules/ha rainfed and 760 kg/ha irrigated (TNAU eAgri); KAU lists a yield potential of 766 kg/ha | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| ICRI-3 | Karnataka cardamom tracts where rhizome rot is the worry | Early maturing (KAU); first crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU) | Yield potential 790 kg dry capsules/ha (KAU variety table); no rainfed or irrigated split given | Karnataka |
| IISR Avinash | Rhizome-rot plots and valleys | 115 days from flowering to ripe capsule (IISR); first crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU) | 847 kg dry capsules/ha average; 1,483 kg/ha potential (IISR) | Karnataka, Kerala |
| IISR Kaveri | Karnataka gardens that want oil-rich capsules and some drought cover | First crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU); IISR gives no days from flowering | 482 kg dry capsules/ha under irrigation; 308 kg/ha under moisture stress; potential 562.5 kg/ha (IISR, AICRPS 2024) | Karnataka |
| IISR Manushree | Gardens with dry spells or limited water | First crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU); IISR gives no days from flowering | 550 kg dry capsules/ha under irrigation; 360 kg/ha under moisture stress; potential 1,325 kg/ha (IISR, AICRPS 2024) | Kerala, Karnataka |
| IISR Vijetha | Katte-hit plots; bold capsules | 105 days from flowering to ripe capsule (IISR); first crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU) | 643 kg dry capsules/ha average; 979 kg/ha potential (IISR) | Karnataka, Kerala |
| MCC-12 | Kerala gardens where the shade trees are thin and you want a Vazhukka line with a named record | No bearing age given for MCC-12; TNAU gives the first crop about 2 years after planting for cardamom in general | Yield potential 620 kg/ha (KAU variety table); no rainfed or irrigated split given | Kerala |
| MCC-16 | Irrigated or wet, swampy cardamom ground in the Kadamkuzhy and Udumbanchola zones of Kerala | No bearing age given for MCC-16; TNAU gives the first crop about 2 years after planting for cardamom in general | Yield potential 650 kg/ha (KAU variety table); no rainfed or irrigated split given | Kerala |
| MCC-40 | Kerala gardens, on rain alone, where you want a Vazhukka line that bears early | Early bearing (KAU), but no age or months given; TNAU gives the first crop about 2 years after planting for cardamom in general | Yield potential 443 kg/ha under rainfed conditions (KAU variety table) | Kerala |
| Mudigere-1 | Compact clump; Malnad hills | First crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU, cardamom in general) | Sources disagree: 1,000 kg/ha potential (KAU table) or 250 to 300 kg/ha (Mudigere college table) | Karnataka |
| Mudigere-2 | Karnataka hills; published average | First crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU, cardamom in general) | 475 kg dry capsules/ha average (KAU, Mudigere station) | Karnataka |
| Njallani (Green Gold) | Idukki hills; very bold capsules | First crop in about 2 years from clonal planting (NIF) | No official figure. NIF claims 1,000 kg/ha; the KAU organic trial gave 324 kg dry capsules/ha | Kerala |
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 Cardamom (Elaichi) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Cardamom (Elaichi) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Cardamom (Elaichi) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Cardamom (Elaichi) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Cardamom (Elaichi) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Cardamom (Elaichi) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Which year was Appangala 2 released?
Appangala 2, the cross of Appangala-1 and NKE-19, was released in 2014 by the ICAR-IISR Regional Station at Appangala, Karnataka. IISR's variety page gives 2014. If you see 2018 against the same cross in IISR's landmark-technologies list, treat 2014 as the release year.
Is Appangala 2 better than IISR Vijetha for a Katte plot?
On yield, IISR's figures say yes: 927 kg dry capsules a hectare against 643 for Vijetha. On Katte, IISR rates Vijetha resistant and Appangala 2 resistant in the field but only moderately resistant under artificial inoculation. Vijetha also ripens sooner, 105 days against 120, and has 77% bold capsules. If yield is the goal choose Appangala 2, and if a short cycle and bold grade matter more, Vijetha.
Will I really get 927 kg dry capsules a hectare on my farm?
Not as a rule. 927 kg is IISR's station average from its trial, with a potential of 1,393. TNAU gives 200 to 250 kg a hectare as the ordinary farm yield for cardamom. Shade, rain, Katte, Azhukal and how clean the planting material was all pull a farm well below a station figure. Use 927 to compare varieties, not to plan your income.
Which has more essential oil, Appangala 2 or IISR Vijetha?
Vijetha has more on IISR's figures: 7.9% essential oil and 22% dry recovery, against 6.3% and 21.10% for Appangala 2. The oil also differs. Appangala 2 is higher in alpha terpinyl acetate, 40.32% against 23.4%, and lower in 1,8-cineole, 29.53% against 44.9%. IISR Avinash has 6.7% oil and 20.8% dry recovery.
Can I plant Appangala 2 outside Karnataka and Wayanad?
IISR lists Karnataka and Wayanad (Kerala) as the areas of adoption, and gives no trial result for any other area. Cardamom in general needs 600 to 1,500 m elevation and moderate shade, according to TNAU. Outside those two areas, ask your KVK or the Spices Board before you buy planting material.
Sourced from: Appangala 2 — ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Landmark Technologies: cardamom varieties — ICAR-IISR, Cardamom — TNAU Agritech Portal, Production of quality planting materials — Kerala Agricultural University (CELKAU). editorial policy.