Black Pepper Piper nigrum Black pepper is also

Black Pepper: Piper nigrum Black pepper is also known as “ King of Spices” originated in India. The Western Ghats spread over the states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is the center of origin of Black Pepper. It is a flowering vine belonging to family Piperaceae It is cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried. It is one of the important and earliest known spices produced and exported from India.

Area and Distribution Area Production 131790 ha. 72000 tons (Spice Board of India, 2015 -16) • It is a plant of humid tropics and requires heavy and well distributed rainfall. • In World : Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Mexico and Madagascar. • In India : Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, A. P, Orissa, Maharashtra, Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Polyploidy level Black pepper is diploid (2 n=52). An induced tetraploid (2 n=4 x=104) of the black pepper hybrid, Panniyur-1 was developed at IISR by treating fresh seeds of Panniyur-1 with 0. 05% colchicine. Nair et al. reported a natural triploid (2 n=78) among the black pepper cultivars. This cultivar has very bold berries loose setting and large leaves.

Organoleptic characters • Colour : Blackish-brown to greyish - black • Odour : Aromatic • Taste : Pungent • Size : 3. 5 – 6 mm in diameter • Shape : Globular

Chemical Constituents • Alkaloids : Piperine (5 -9%) and Piperidine • Volatile oil (1 -2. 5%) • Pungent resin (6. 0%) • Starch (about 30%) • Pepper volatile oil contains: l-phellandrene and Caryophyllene

Uses • It is an important constituent of whole pickling spice, ketchups and many ground spice formulae. • Medicinal Properties • It is a pungent, aromatic, digestive stimulant and nerve tonic. • Stimulate the flow of gastric juice. • Beneficial to cough and cold. • Act as antidote to snake bite and scorpion sting. • Essential oils oleoresins extracted from black pepper are used in the preparation of piperazine elixir, a drug formulation for removal of round-worms in intestinal tract of human beings • Peppercorn is marketed whole or ground. Black pepper is used as a seasoning in food preparation to enhance food acceptability.

Nature of plant • Black pepper is a viny perennial plant producing berry-like and aromatic pungent fruits. • It is locally known as “pamienta” or “paminta”. • Leaves are thick, green with ovate shape. • Flowers are white and minute which produce fruits borne on short, hanging spikes (4 to 12 cm. long). • Berry-like fruits are green when unripe and become red at maturity. • Dried ripe berries become black and wrinkled constituting black pepper. • Black pepper yield both black and white pepper. • Black pepper is made by drying ripe or unripe fruits under the sun; white pepper by soaking, treating and removing outer skin of berry before drying.

Climate • Black pepper requires warm humid climate. • A well distributed rainfall of 1250 to 2800 mm is ideal for its cultivation. • It tolerates a minimum of 10 o C and a maximum of 40 o C temperature. • The optimum temperature is 20 -30 o C. • The ideal range of relative humidity for the crop is 75 -80%. • Pepper grows luxuriously and is productive at elevation up to 1500 m above MSL Soil • Black pepper can be grown in a wide range of soils with a p. H of 5. 5 to 6. 5, it thrives well in red laterite soils.

Varieties • Panniyur-1, Panniyur-2, Panniyur-3, Panniyur-4, Panniyur-5, Panniyur-6, Panniyur-7, Panniyur-8, Vijay, Sreekara, Subhakara, Panchami, Pournami, IISRShakthi, IISR-Thevam, IISR-Girimunda, IISR-Malabar Excel, PLD-2 and Arka Coorg Excel • Popular cultivars: Karimunda, Neelamundi, Jeerakamundi, Chengannurkodi, Kottanadan, Kuthiravally , Balankotta

Varieties Variety Institute Pedigree Reaction to disease & pest Panniyur-1 Panniyur Uthirankotta X Cheriakaniakadan Susceptible Panniyur-2 Panniyur Sel from Balankkota Panniyur-3 (Shyama) Panniyur Uthirankotta X Cheriakaniakadan Susceptible Panniyur-4 Panniyur Sel from Kuthiravally Susceptible Subhakara IISR Sel from Karimunda Susceptible Sreekara IISR Sel from Karimunda Susceptible Panchami IISR Sel from Aimpiriyan Susceptible Ottaplackal IISR Selection from local Tolerant to root knot Panniyur-5 Panniyur OP of Perumkodi - Panniyur-6 Panniyur Sel from Karimunda - Panniyur-7 Panniyur OP of Kalluvally - Pournami - Tolerant to root knot PLD-2 - - Susceptible

Propagation • Black pepper is propagated by sowing seed, marcotting and by stem cutting. • Stem cutting is generally employed using both terminal stem and lateral branches. • Select planting materials from high yielding hermaphrodite mother plant. • Divide stem into cuttings each with 3 -5 internodes and cuttings are rooted in sandy seedbed under shade. • Insert cutting at 45° angle 15 centimeters apart each way. When cutting has developed 4 -7 new leaves, then it is ready for transplanting in the field. • In marcotting method, secure black pepper branches on ½ inch wide bamboo pegs and cut each of them at fourth node from top of cacao or mabolo leaf filled with clean garden soil or moist sphagnum moss. • If plastic sheet is available, cut into convenient pieces and use for enclosing soil or moss and tie both ends with string or vegetable tying material. In 3 -4 weeks, each marcot can be separated from mother plant and set in the field. •

Production of rooted cuttings • Traditional method • Rapid multiplication method • Trench method • Serpentine method • Soil-less nursery mixture • Vertical column method

Land preparation • For backyard planting select well-drained area and divide into equal areas of 2 x 2 square meter lots. • Each corner of these lots, dig holes 60 cm sq about 40 cm deep, separate topsoil from subsoil. • At center of hole, plant “kakawate” post 4 cm in diameter and 2 meters long for pepper vines to climb on as they grow. • Fill up holes with 50 -50 mixture of compost and topsoil. • For large scale planting whether in cultivated or newly opened land, choose rolling area to have good drainage. • For newly opened area, other crops may be planted first for at least 3 years to free it from decaying tree stumps which may be sources of diseases. • After 3 years prepare land as backyard planting.

Transplanting and Management • Transplant black pepper at the start of rainy season, 80 cm apart from the post with seedlings opposite each other. • Around 3, 200 seedlings are needed per hectare. • It starts to bear fruits three years after planting. • Open space can be utilized for planting short-lived catch crops such as snap beans, ginger, hot and sweet pepper at a distance of one meter away from black pepper rows. • Management • Black pepper needs weeding, mulching and pruning. • When seedling are one or two feet high, nip off the top growing vine to induce more branching. • Prune old and unproductive branches and crowding laterals.

Spacing • Spacing between row and plant should be kept 2. 5 x 2. 5 m. Manuring and fertilizer application • Manuring and fertilizer application is critical for proper establishment and growth of plants. • Organic manures in the form of cattle manure or compost can be given @ 10 kg/vine during May. • Neem cake @ 1 kg/vine can also be applied. • Recommended blanket nutrient dosage for black pepper vines (3 years and above) are as follows: • NPK 50: 150 g/vine/year (General recommendation) • NPK 50: 200 g/vine/year (for Panniyur and Kannur district in Kerala) • NPK 140: 55: 270 g/vine/year (for Kozhikode district in Kerala).

Harvesting • The crop takes about 6 -8 months from flowering to harvesting. • The harvesting season extend from November to January in the plains and • January to March in hills. • It is important to harvest pepper at the proper stage of maturity in order to achieve a dried product of good colour and appearance. • Harvest starts when one or two berries turn yellow. • The spikes are nipped of by hand collected in bags. • Single pole bamboo ladder is used as a support for harvesting.

The level of maturity required at harvest for processing into different pepper products Product Canned pepper Stage of maturity at harvest Product 4 -5 months Stage of maturity at harvest Canned pepper 4 -5 months Oleoresin and essential oil 15 -20 days before maturity Dehydrated green pepper 10 -15 days before maturity Oleoresin and essential 15 -20 days before maturity Black pepper Fully mature and 1 -2 berries start turning from yellow to red in each spike oil Pepper powder Fully mature Black pepper Fully mature and 1 -2 berries start turning from yellow to White pepper Fully ripe red Pepper powder in each spike Fully mature

Post harvest processing • Post harvest processing operations followed for black pepper involves threshing, blanching, drying, cleaning, grading and packaging. During processing care should be taken to maintain the quality at each step of operation. Threshing • Threshers with capacities varying from 50 kg/h to 2500 kg/h are available which can thresh quickly and provide clean product. Blanching • The quality of the black pepper can be improved by a simple treatment of dipping the mature berries taken in perforated vessel in boiling water for a minute before drying. This processing technique has several advantages: • Uniform coloured black pepper is obtained after drying. • Reduces the microbial load. • Pepper can be dried in 3 -4 days as against 5 -6 days required when following the traditional practice. • Removes the extraneous impurities like dust from the berries.

Drying • The separate berries are dried in the sun for 7 -10 days, on floor, bamboo mat or high density polythene sheet or tarpaulin under sun till it is crisp. • During sun drying it is important to turn over the material periodically to facilitate uniform drying. • Mechanical driers developed by various agencies are also used to dry black pepper. • Models of varying capacities operated either electrically or by burning agricultural wastes are available for drying of black pepper by maintaining temperature below 55°C.

Cleaning and grading • Cleaning and grading are basic operations that enhance the value of the produce and help to get higher returns. • Cleaning on a small scale is done by winnowing and hand picking which removes most of the impurities. • Grading of black pepper is done by using sieves and shifting black pepper into different grades based on size. • The major grades of black pepper are: • Tellicherry Garbled Special Extra Bold (TGSEB) (4. 8 mm) • Tellicherry Garbled Extra Bold (TGEB) (4. 2 mm) • Tellicherry Garbled (TG) (4. 0 mm) • Malabar Garbled (MG grades 1 and 2) • Malabar Ungarbled (MUG grades 1 and 2).

Yield Dried yield – 10 -25 q/ha. Average yield – 18 -20 q/ha.