MCC-40
A Vazhukka-type line from the Spices Board's ICRI at Myladumpara, Idukki. KAU calls it early bearing, with globose bold green capsules, suited to all cardamom-growing tracts of Kerala. Its table figure of 443 kg a hectare is marked rainfed.
Quick facts
- Type
- Rhizome/sucker planting material (Vazhukka type)
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Early bearing (KAU), but no age or months given; TNAU gives the first crop about 2 years after planting for cardamom in general
- Expected yield
- Yield potential 443 kg/ha under rainfed conditions (KAU variety table)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released by ICRI (Spices Board), Myladumpara, Idukki · year not given in any source read
About this variety
MCC-40 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 an early bearing variety with globose, bold, green capsules, suitable to all cardamom-growing tracts of Kerala, with a yield of 443 kg a hectare marked as rainfed. 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 an irrigated yield, dry recovery, oil percentage, disease rating, bearing age, release year or parentage for MCC-40.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose MCC-40 if you want a Vazhukka line that KAU calls early bearing and recommends for all cardamom tracts of Kerala, not for one zone. That is wider than MCC-12 (sparse shade) or MCC-16 (two named zones). Do not compare its 443 kg a hectare with MCC-12's 620 or MCC-16's 650. KAU marks 443 as the rainfed figure and puts no label on the other two, so they may not be like for like. There is also no disease rating, oil, dry recovery, release year or parentage in any source read, and no bearing age to back the word early. Ask ICRI Myladumpara how many months earlier it bears than the line you grow.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune to December is the best planting period (TNAU)
- SpacingNo spacing is given for MCC-40. 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 ICRI which one it advises for this globose bold line.
- FertilizerNo separate dose is given for MCC-40. 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-40. 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 all cardamom-growing tracts of Kerala and gives no rainfall or altitude range. Its 443 kg a hectare is the rainfed figure. TNAU asks 50 to 60% shade for cardamom in general.
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Early bearing (KAU), but no age or months given; TNAU gives the first crop about 2 years after planting for cardamom in general
Expected yield
Yield potential 443 kg/ha under rainfed conditions (KAU variety table)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Early bearing: keep the young clump fed and watered through the first year, because an early crop taken from a weak plant slows it.
- 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
- Called early bearing by KAU, with globose bold green capsules.
- Suitable to all cardamom-growing tracts of Kerala (KAU), the widest recommendation of the three MCC lines.
- A rainfed yield figure, 443 kg a hectare, which the other two MCC lines do not carry.
Things to consider
- KAU gives no bearing age to back the word early.
- The 443 is a rainfed figure and cannot be set against the unlabelled 620 and 650 of the other MCC lines.
- No disease rating, oil, dry recovery, release year or parentage in any source read.
- Recommended for Kerala only; no result from Karnataka or Tamil Nadu.
Suitable regions
KAU lists it as suitable to all cardamom-growing tracts of Kerala.
- Kerala
Two labels to read before you pick MCC-40: early and rainfed
KAU calls MCC-40 early bearing but gives no age, no months and no comparison with another line. Early to a station can mean a few months or a season, and cardamom in general bears its first crop about two years after planting (TNAU). So the claim is worth a question, not a plan. Ask ICRI Myladumpara how much earlier the first picking comes, and ask a neighbour who grows it.
The second label is rainfed. KAU's table puts "Rainfed" beside 443 for MCC-40 and nothing beside the 620 of MCC-12 or the 650 of MCC-16. Do not read 443 as the weakest of the three. It may only be the one honestly labelled. If your garden runs on rain alone, 443 is the figure that matches your conditions, and TNAU's 200 to 250 kg a hectare is the ordinary farm yield to keep beside it.
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-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-40this page | 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-40?
A Vazhukka-type small cardamom from the Spices Board's ICRI at Myladumpara, Idukki. KAU lists it as an early bearing variety with globose, bold, green capsules, suitable to all cardamom-growing tracts of Kerala, with 443 kg a hectare under rainfed conditions.
How early does MCC-40 bear?
KAU says early bearing and gives no age or months. For cardamom in general TNAU puts the first crop about 2 years after planting. Ask ICRI Myladumpara how much earlier MCC-40 comes in than the line you grow now.
Is MCC-40 lower yielding than MCC-12 and MCC-16?
Its table figure is lower (443 against 620 and 650), but KAU marks 443 as rainfed and puts no label on the other two. They may not be like for like, so the numbers do not prove it. All three are station potentials, not farm yields.
Does MCC-40 resist Katte or capsule rot?
No source read gives MCC-40 any disease rating. Spray and rogue as you would for any cardamom, take suckers only from clumps that showed no mosaic, and if Katte is your problem ask about IISR Vijetha or Appangala 2, which have a rating.
Sourced from: Varieties of cardamom — Kerala Agricultural University (CELKAU), Research highlights, varieties by zone — Spices Board India, Cardamom — TNAU Agritech Portal. editorial policy.