IISR Kaveri
A 2022 IISR germplasm selection, a compact-flowering Malabar type that is relatively tolerant of moisture stress. IISR gives 482 kg dry capsules a hectare under irrigation and 308 under stress, with the highest essential oil of its cardamom releases, 9.08% to 9.51%.
Quick facts
- Type
- Rhizome/sucker planting material (Malabar type)
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First crop about 2 years after planting (TNAU); IISR gives no days from flowering
- Expected yield
- 482 kg dry capsules/ha under irrigation; 308 kg/ha under moisture stress; potential 562.5 kg/ha (IISR, AICRPS 2024)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 2022 · ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode, Kerala
About this variety
IISR Kaveri is a Malabar-type cardamom released in 2022 by ICAR-IISR as a selection from germplasm. IISR describes it as a compact-flowering variety that is relatively tolerant of moisture stress. It gives 482 kg of dry capsules a hectare under irrigated conditions and 308 kg under moisture stress. AICRPS 2024 and the 2025 Indian Horticulture appraisal say 70% of capsules are 8 mm and above, and IISR's variety table says 80% are above 7 mm. Essential oil is 9.08% under irrigation and 9.51% under moisture stress, the highest of IISR's cardamom releases. AICRPS 2024 rates the variety highly tolerant of moisture stress and resistant to thrips and to leaf blight, with a clump of 277 cm, 110 flowers on a panicle and a potential yield of 562.5 kg a hectare. IISR recommends it for Karnataka.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose IISR Kaveri if your garden is in Karnataka, you sell cardamom for its oil, and dry spells are a worry. IISR gives it the highest essential oil of its cardamom releases, 9.08% under irrigation and 9.51% under moisture stress, against 8.7% for Appangala-1 and 8.74% to 8.84% for Manushree. It is relatively tolerant of moisture stress, at 482 kg of dry capsules a hectare irrigated and 308 under stress. The cost is yield, the lowest in IISR's list, and thin disease data: IISR gives no Katte, rhizome rot or Azhukal rating, and recommends it for Karnataka only. For a Katte plot choose Vijetha or Appangala 2.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune to December is the best planting period (TNAU)
- SpacingIISR gives no spacing for IISR Kaveri. 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. Ask the Appangala station which one it advises for this variety.
- FertilizerIISR gives no separate dose for IISR Kaveri. 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.
- HarvestingIISR gives no ripening days for Kaveri. 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 rates it relatively tolerant of moisture stress and recommends it for Karnataka. 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); IISR gives no days from flowering
Expected yield
482 kg dry capsules/ha under irrigation; 308 kg/ha under moisture stress; potential 562.5 kg/ha (IISR, AICRPS 2024)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Moisture stress (highly tolerant, AICRPS 2024)
- Leaf blight (resistant, AICRPS 2024)
- Katte mosaic (not rated by IISR; the Katte-resistant IISR releases are Vijetha and Appangala 2)
- Azhukal capsule rot (not rated by IISR)
- Rhizome rot (not rated by IISR)
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 essential oil of IISR's cardamom releases: 9.08% irrigated and 9.51% under moisture stress.
- Highly tolerant of moisture stress, and resistant to thrips and to leaf blight, which most IISR cardamom releases are not rated for.
- 70% of capsules are 8 mm and above (AICRPS 2024, Indian Horticulture 2025).
Things to consider
- The lowest yield in IISR's cardamom list: 482 kg a hectare irrigated and 308 under stress, with a potential of only 562.5.
- IISR's table says 80% of capsules are above 7 mm, while AICRPS and the 2025 appraisal say 70% are 8 mm and above, so check the grade with the station.
- Recommended for Karnataka only, with no Katte, rhizome rot or Azhukal rating.
Suitable regions
AICRPS 2024 gives all cardamom-growing tracts of Karnataka as the areas of adoption.
- Karnataka
Oil-rich but small-yielding: reading Kaveri against Manushree
IISR released Kaveri and Manushree together in 2022, both Malabar types selected from germplasm and both built around moisture stress. They are easy to mix up. Manushree gives more capsules: 550 kg of dry capsules a hectare irrigated and 360 under stress, against 482 and 308 for Kaveri. Kaveri gives more oil: 9.08% and 9.51%, against 8.74% and 8.84%.
Manushree is recommended for Kerala and Karnataka and Kaveri for Karnataka only. AICRPS 2024 describes both as highly tolerant of moisture stress and tolerant or resistant to thrips, and rates Kaveri resistant to leaf blight against moderately resistant for Manushree. Capsule size is 50% at 8 mm and above for Manushree and 70% for Kaveri. IISR's own table gives Kaveri as 80% above 7 mm, a different cut-off, so ask the Appangala station for the grade it measures.
So the choice is oil against yield. If you sell to a buyer who pays for oil and your garden is in Karnataka, Kaveri fits. If you farm in Kerala, or want the larger crop, Manushree is the safer pick.
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. For IISR Kaveri itself, 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-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 Kaverithis page | 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 Kaveri a good choice for Kerala?
IISR recommends Kaveri for Karnataka only, and gives no result from Kerala. IISR Manushree is recommended for both Kerala and Karnataka. In Kerala, start with a variety that has a Kerala recommendation.
Why is Kaveri's oil figure higher in dry conditions?
IISR reports 9.08% essential oil under irrigation and 9.51% under moisture stress, and gives no reason. The figure is a share of the capsule, not a total, so do not read it as more oil from a hectare: the crop under stress is 308 kg against 482 irrigated.
Which capsule-size figure is right for Kaveri?
AICRPS 2024 and the 2025 Indian Horticulture appraisal both say 70% of Kaveri capsules are 8 mm and above. IISR's variety table says 80% are above 7 mm. The two use different cut-offs, so both can be true. Ask the Appangala station for the grade it measures.
Does Kaveri resist Katte?
IISR gives Kaveri no Katte rating. AICRPS 2024 rates it highly tolerant of moisture stress and resistant to thrips and leaf blight, and says nothing on Katte. For Katte plots IISR points to Vijetha and Appangala 2.
Sourced from: Spice varieties: significant characteristics of cardamom varieties — ICAR-IISR (ITM-ABI), An appraisal of ICAR-IISR released varieties in spices — Indian Horticulture, July-August 2025 (Shivakumar and others), AICRPS 2024 improved varieties sheet — AICRP on Spices, Cardamom — TNAU Agritech Portal, Production of quality planting materials — Kerala Agricultural University (CELKAU). editorial policy.