Black Pepper variety · Released variety
IISR Chandra
Also known as Chandra; IISR-Chandra
ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut, Kerala · ICAR-IISR · 2023
Exceptional yield per vine with long spikes; compact berry setting; bold berries; optimal spike intensity.
Key facts
| Type | Released variety |
|---|---|
| Origin | ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut, Kerala |
| Breeder / source | ICAR-IISR |
| Year released | 2023 |
| Parentage | Cholamundi × Thommankodi, back-crossed with Thommankodi |
| Yield | 7.5 kg dried pepper per vine (reported); superior to most released varieties |
| Tolerance | Phytophthora foot rot |
| Distinctive features | Long spikes; compact setting; bold berries; high yield intensity; superior quality profile |
| Grown in | All pepper-growing areas of Kerala and Western Ghats |
| Also known as | Chandra; IISR-Chandra |
Figures are indicative, compiled from public agricultural sources (ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, the Spices Board and the National Innovation Foundation) and vary with soil, season and management. Confirm with your local package of practices.
IISR Chandra in detail
IISR Chandra is a high-yielding black pepper variety released in 2023 by ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, bred from a Cholamundi x Thommankodi cross and noted for long spikes, compact berry setting, and bold berries.
Origin & story
Developed by ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala, and announced in November 2023. The research team included Shivakumar MS, B Sasikumar, KV Saji, Sheeja TE, KS Krishnamurthy, and Sivaranjani. They crossed Cholamundi and Thommankodi, then back-crossed the hybrid with Thommankodi to retain desired traits from both parents. The institute also completed sequencing of the variety's genome. Eight production license agreements were set to be executed from November 22, 2023, to extend commercial production to interested individuals, farmers, and nurseries.
How it grows
Long spikes with compact berry arrangement give it an optimal spike intensity reported to be greater than existing varieties. It is stated to yield 7.5 kg of pepper per mature vine. Research on black pepper has shown that berry weight, seed size, and pericarp weight correlate strongly with spike weight, so these traits are commonly used as selection criteria for yield in the crop. Thommankodi parentage contributes Kerala-adapted agronomic background.
Quality & character
Bold berries, long spikes, and compact setting. Spike intensity is reported to exceed that of other existing varieties. In black pepper generally, berry weight, seed size, and pericarp weight are the traits most closely tied to both yield and berry size.
Why it matters to buyers
Trade interest centers on the stated 7.5 kg yield per vine, higher than typical established varieties. Compact spike architecture and bold berries point to larger, more uniform peppercorns at harvest. The variety entered commercial licensing in late 2023, so availability of planting material has been expanding through nurseries and farmers.
About black pepper
India's pepper tapestry splits into two worlds—old landraces born from the Western Ghats soil and careful farmer selection over generations, and modern releases from KAU Panniyur and ICAR-IISR that blend tradition with yield ambition. The ancient cultivars like Karimunda, Kottanadan, and Narayakodi remain the anchor, each rooted in its own stretch of humid…
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