MCC-12
A Vazhukka-type line from the Spices Board's ICRI at Myladumpara, Idukki. KAU lists semi-erect panicles and dark deep green oblong capsules, suited to sparse shade in Kerala, with a yield potential of 620 kg a hectare.
Quick facts
- Type
- Rhizome/sucker planting material (Vazhukka type)
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- No bearing age given for MCC-12; TNAU gives the first crop about 2 years after planting for cardamom in general
- Expected yield
- Yield potential 620 kg/ha (KAU variety table); no rainfed or irrigated split given
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released by ICRI (Spices Board), Myladumpara, Idukki · year not given in any source read
About this variety
MCC-12 is a Vazhukka-type small cardamom listed in Kerala Agricultural University's table of high-yielding varieties and selections. KAU gives its source as the Indian Cardamom Research Institute (ICRI), Spices Board, Myladumpara, Idukki. It describes semi-erect panicles and dark deep green, oblong capsules suited to sparse shade in Kerala, and a yield potential of 620 kg a hectare. KAU calls the Vazhukka group the natural hybrid of the Malabar and Mysore types, with sturdy plants, semi-erect panicles and bold globose or ovoid capsules, grown in Kerala and Tamil Nadu at 900 to 1,200 m. No source read gives a rainfed or irrigated yield, dry recovery, oil percentage, disease rating, release year or parentage for MCC-12.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose MCC-12 if your Kerala plot has sparse shade and you want a Vazhukka line from the Spices Board's own institute. That sparse-shade fit is the one thing KAU says about it that its two sister lines do not: MCC-16 is for irrigated or swampy ground, and MCC-40 is for early bearing. KAU's potential for MCC-12 is 620 kg a hectare, a little below MCC-16 at 650. Know what is missing. There is no disease rating, no oil or dry recovery, no release year and no parentage in any source read. Ask ICRI Myladumpara for the station result before you plant more than a trial block.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune to December is the best planting period (TNAU)
- SpacingNo spacing is given for MCC-12. 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. Vazhukka plants are sturdy, so ask ICRI which one it advises.
- FertilizerNo separate dose is given for MCC-12. 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 harvest timing is given for MCC-12. TNAU: pick ripe capsules every 15 to 25 days, with the peak in October-November.
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Forest loam; acidic and well drained
- pH
- 5.0 to 6.5 (TNAU)
Climate
- Climate
- KAU says MCC-12 suits sparse shade in Kerala. TNAU asks for 50 to 60% shade for cardamom in general, so a sparse canopy needs a close watch on leaf scorch and soil moisture in the dry months.
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
No bearing age given for MCC-12; TNAU gives the first crop about 2 years after planting for cardamom in general
Expected yield
Yield potential 620 kg/ha (KAU variety table); no rainfed or irrigated split given
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Sparse shade: keep the soil mulched and give water in dry spells, because thin shade dries the bed faster.
- 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.
- 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
- Named for sparse-shade conditions in Kerala (KAU), which most cardamom lines are not.
- Dark deep green oblong capsules and semi-erect panicles (KAU).
- Yield potential of 620 kg a hectare (KAU).
Things to consider
- Thin data: one yield figure, no disease rating, oil, dry recovery, release year or parentage.
- Recommended for Kerala only; no result from Karnataka or Tamil Nadu.
- Sparse shade raises the water and scorch risk in dry months.
Suitable regions
KAU lists it for Kerala, for gardens with sparse shade.
- Kerala
Planting MCC-12 under thin shade: what to settle first
KAU names sparse shade as the setting for MCC-12, and that is the question to settle before you buy planting material. Cardamom in general wants 50 to 60% shade (TNAU). A garden with thin cover loses soil moisture faster, so mulch the beds with leaf litter and plan water for the dry months, December to April, before the first sucker goes in.
Then check the number against the ground. KAU's 620 kg a hectare is a station potential. TNAU gives 200 to 250 kg a hectare as the ordinary farm yield for cardamom, and ICRI-2's irrigated potential is 760. Do not budget a loan on 620. Plant a trial block next to a line you already grow, count the capsules for two seasons, and expand only if MCC-12 holds up in your shade.
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-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-12this page | 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
What is MCC-12?
A Vazhukka-type small cardamom from the Spices Board's ICRI at Myladumpara, Idukki. KAU lists it with semi-erect panicles, dark deep green oblong capsules, suited to sparse shade in Kerala, with a yield potential of 620 kg a hectare.
Does MCC-12 need less shade than other cardamom?
KAU says it suits sparse shade, but gives no percentage. TNAU asks 50 to 60% shade for cardamom in general. So treat "sparse" as lighter than the usual cover, not as no cover, and keep the soil mulched and watered in dry months.
Does MCC-12 resist Katte or capsule rot?
No source read gives MCC-12 any disease rating. KAU rates ICRI-2 tolerant to Azhukal and ICRI-3 tolerant to rhizome rot, but says nothing of the sort for MCC-12. Spray and rogue as you would for any cardamom, and take suckers only from clumps that showed no mosaic.
MCC-12, MCC-16 or MCC-40: which is for me?
KAU gives each a different job. MCC-12: sparse shade, 620 kg/ha. MCC-16: irrigated or swampy ground in the Kadamkuzhy and Udumbanchola zones, 650. MCC-40: early bearing, all Kerala tracts, 443 under rainfed conditions. Choose by your ground first, then by yield.
Sourced from: Varieties of cardamom — Kerala Agricultural University (CELKAU), Research highlights, varieties by zone — Spices Board India, Cardamom — TNAU Agritech Portal. editorial policy.