Black Pepper variety · Released variety
IISR Malabar Excel
Also known as Malabar Excel; HP-813; IISR-Malabar Excel
ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut, Kerala · ICAR-IISR
High oleoresin content; suited to high-altitude cultivation; compact berry setting; 4.1 berries per spike.
Key facts
| Type | Released variety |
|---|---|
| Origin | ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut, Kerala |
| Breeder / source | ICAR-IISR |
| Parentage | Cholamundi × Panniyur-1 |
| Yield | 1440 kg dry pepper/ha (average); 32.3% dry recovery |
| Tolerance | Phytophthora foot rot |
| Distinctive features | Oleoresin content as high as 12%; elliptic lanceolate leaf; medium maturity; medium yield but superior quality |
| Grown in | High altitudes and rich volcanic soils of Western Ghats |
| Also known as | Malabar Excel; HP-813; IISR-Malabar Excel |
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 Malabar Excel in detail
A medium-maturity black pepper, a cross of Cholamundi and Panniyur-1, suited to high-altitude pepper tracts and reported to yield about 2.78 kg fresh per vine with oleoresin around 13.5%.
Origin & story
Released in 2004 by ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Calicut/Kozhikode, Kerala, from a cross of Cholamundi and Panniyur-1.
How it grows
Suited to high-altitude growing zones, and also reported adaptable to the plains. Medium maturity group. Elliptic lanceolate foliage, about 17 cm long by 8 cm wide. Spikes carry roughly 70 fruits at about 70% fruit set. Reported fresh yield about 2.78 kg per vine, dry recovery around 32-34%, and an average of about 1440 kg/ha. It shows compact berry setting.
Quality & character
Reported piperine about 2.96%, oleoresin about 13.5%, and essential oil about 3.2%. 1000-fruit weight is about 103 g. It is regarded as a medium-yield variety valued mainly for its high oleoresin and overall quality.
Why it matters to buyers
The high oleoresin makes it of interest to the spice and food industry and for oleoresin/essential-oil extraction. Yields are medium rather than high, so the appeal rests on quality rather than volume. For growers in high-altitude pepper zones it offers a quality-oriented option.
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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