Cardamom Research Station, Pampadumpara

The Cardamom Research Station, Pampadumpara was established in the year 1956 under the State Department of Agriculture, Government of Kerala. It was later transferred to the KAU with effect from February, 1972. The station was selected as one of the co-ordinating centres for spices under the All India Coordinated Re-search Projects in 1972. The station is situated in the Pampadumpara village of Udumbanchola taluk in Idukki district. It is located on the eastern side of Kumily-Munnar road, 35kms away from Ku-mily and 71kms from Munnar in the Cardamom hills of the western ghats.

Mandate of the Station

The lead function is research on cardamom and verification functions is in pepper and tree spices. The station is one of the co-ordinating centres for spices under AICRP on spices

Accomplishments

• The station is maintaining a germplasm bank of 77 cultivated and 14 wild types of cardamom. A clonal selection of cardamom was released as PV-1 for cultivation. Two clones are under IET and CYT.

• Nursery practices of cardamom were standardised. Control measures for shoot fly, Katte disease, thrips, nematode infestation etc. were evolved and recommended.

• Proper control strategy for foot rot of black pepper in Idukki district has been evolved.