ICRI-2
A Mysore-type variety released by the Spices Board's Indian Cardamom Research Institute at Myladumpara. KAU says it does well under irrigation and at higher altitude, with medium-long panicles, oblong bold parrot-green capsules and tolerance to Azhukal. About 760 kg of dry capsules a hectare irrigated, 375 rainfed.
Quick facts
- Type
- Rhizome/sucker planting material (Mysore type)
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU); no days to maturity given
- Expected yield
- 375 kg dry capsules/ha rainfed and 760 kg/ha irrigated (TNAU eAgri); KAU lists a yield potential of 766 kg/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released by ICRI (Spices Board), Myladumpara, Idukki, Kerala · year not given in any source read
About this variety
ICRI-2 is a Mysore-type small cardamom released by the Indian Cardamom Research Institute (ICRI) of the Spices Board at Myladumpara, Idukki. KAU says it performs well under irrigated conditions and suits higher altitude, with medium-long panicles and oblong, bold, parrot-green capsules, tolerant to Azhukal disease. KAU names Vandanmedu and Nelliampathy in Kerala and Annamalai and Meghamalai in Tamil Nadu as its areas. TNAU's eAgri lecture gives 375 kg of dry capsules a hectare rainfed and 760 kg irrigated, with 22.5% dry recovery and 9% essential oil. KAU's table lists a yield potential of 766 kg a hectare. No source gives a release year or parentage.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose ICRI-2 if your garden is at higher altitude, you can irrigate, and you are in the tracts KAU names: Vandanmedu and Nelliampathy in Kerala, Annamalai and Meghamalai in Tamil Nadu. It is the only Myladumpara line in this set with an Azhukal tolerance note, and it is a Mysore type with bold, parrot-green capsules. Its figures, 760 kg a hectare irrigated and 375 rainfed, are the best of the three ICRI lines on the TNAU table. The cost is the same as with the older ICRI lines: no release year, parentage, Katte or rhizome rot rating.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune to December is the best planting period (TNAU)
- SpacingNo spacing is given for ICRI-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. TNAU describes the Mysore type as a sturdy, larger plant, so the wider spacing is the sensible start; confirm with ICRI.
- FertilizerNo separate dose is given for ICRI-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.
- HarvestingNo ripening days are given for ICRI-2. 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
- KAU says it suits higher altitude and irrigated conditions. It gives no shade advice, so use TNAU's 50 to 60% shade as the general figure for cardamom.
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
First crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU); no days to maturity given
Expected yield
375 kg dry capsules/ha rainfed and 760 kg/ha irrigated (TNAU eAgri); KAU lists a yield potential of 766 kg/ha
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Azhukal: tolerance is not immunity. 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.
- Katte: control the banana aphid with an insecticide your KVK or the Spices Board recommends, and remove any clump with pale flecks or stripes along the leaf veins.
- Do not take suckers from a clump that has shown mosaic.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Tolerant to Azhukal capsule rot, the main monsoon capsule loss (KAU).
- 760 kg of dry capsules a hectare irrigated, the best of the ICRI lines on the TNAU table.
- 9% essential oil, above ICRI-1's 8.3% (TNAU eAgri).
Things to consider
- Does best with irrigation; rainfed it gives 375 kg a hectare, about half.
- KAU names only four hill tracts, so it is not a general Kerala recommendation.
- No release year, parentage, Katte or rhizome rot rating in any source read.
Suitable regions
KAU names Vandanmedu and Nelliampathy in Kerala and Annamalai and Meghamalai in Tamil Nadu, and calls it suitable for higher altitude.
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
Why ICRI-2 is a Mysore type and what that means in the garden
Most cardamom released lately is the Malabar type, but ICRI-2 is a Mysore type. TNAU describes the Mysore type as a sturdy plant and says it grows well at 900 to 1,200 m with assured, well-spread rainfall. That matches KAU's note that ICRI-2 does well under irrigation and at higher altitude.
The practical difference is room and water. A Mysore type is a bigger plant, so plant it with the wider spacing TNAU lists for larger types, and do not squeeze it in with a Malabar line. If you cannot irrigate through the dry months, the rainfed yield, 375 kg a hectare, is the number to plan on.
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. 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 2 | 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-2this page | 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
Is ICRI-2 better than ICRI-1?
On the TNAU table ICRI-2 is a little ahead: 760 against 650 kg a hectare irrigated and 375 against 325 rainfed, with 9% oil against 8.3%. But they suit different gardens. ICRI-1 is a Malabar type for south Idukki with even rain. ICRI-2 is a Mysore type for irrigated, higher-altitude tracts.
Is the ICRI-2 yield 760 or 766 kg a hectare?
TNAU's eAgri lecture says 760 kg of dry capsules a hectare irrigated. KAU's table lists 766 as the yield potential. The two are within a few kilos and describe the same irrigated result, not a farm average.
Does tolerance to Azhukal mean I can skip the sprays?
No. KAU says ICRI-2 is tolerant, not immune, and gives no percentage. Keep the TNAU Bordeaux or copper oxychloride schedule before the monsoon and in September, and cut down if your own plot shows little capsule rot over a few seasons.
Can I grow ICRI-2 in Karnataka?
No source read recommends it for Karnataka. The Spices Board lists ICRI-2 for the Kerala zone, and KAU names four hill tracts in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. For Karnataka the Spices Board lists ICRI-3 and ICRI-8.
Sourced from: Varieties of cardamom — Kerala Agricultural University (CELKAU), Cardamom lecture, high-yielding varieties — TNAU eAgri, Research highlights, varieties by zone — Spices Board India, Cardamom — TNAU Agritech Portal. editorial policy.