Black Pepper variety · Traditional cultivar
Kottanadan
Also known as Kotanadan; Kottananthi
South Kerala, Western Ghats · Farmer selection over generations
Highest oleoresin content among traditional Indian cultivars; premium quality; heaviest peppercorns with best driage.
Key facts
| Type | Traditional cultivar |
|---|---|
| Origin | South Kerala, Western Ghats |
| Breeder / source | Farmer selection over generations |
| Yield | 5 kg/vine fresh; average dry 34-35%; basis for PLD-2 selection |
| Tolerance | Moderate disease tolerance |
| Distinctive features | Oleoresin 17.8% (highest); piperine 6.6%; essential oil 2.5-4.2%; 37% driage; large heavy berries; strong quality |
| Grown in | South Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta districts) and Western Ghats |
| Also known as | Kotanadan; Kottananthi |
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.
Kottanadan in detail
Kottanadan is a traditional black pepper landrace from South Kerala's submontane Western Ghats. It carries the highest oleoresin content (17.8%) among Indian cultivars, which makes it sought after by processors for extracts.
Origin & story
Kottanadan is a farmer-selected cultivar from South Kerala, maintained over generations by smallholder growers in the submontane pepper tracts. A high-performing selection from Kottanadan (Coll.2559) was released as the improved variety PLD-2 in 1996, adopted in the Trivandrum and Quilon districts.
How it grows
Kottanadan is grown in the hot, humid submontane pepper tracts of the Western Ghats, typically trained on shade trees. Its distribution is fairly restricted, concentrated in the settlement areas of the submontane tracts and in the Wynad and Cannanore districts as well as South Kerala. It is described as a high and regular yielder.
Quality & character
Heavy, high-quality peppercorns with strong chemistry: 17.8% oleoresin (the highest among Indian cultivars), 6.6% piperine, and 2.5–4.2% essential oil (comparatively lower). It gives about 37% driage. The berries are valued for their flavour concentration and suit oleoresin extraction.
Why it matters to buyers
Primarily sought by processors and oleoresin/essential-oil producers for its unmatched oleoresin yield. Its high driage means good recovery of dry pepper after harvest. Because supply is restricted to select Kerala submontane regions, availability is limited and it tends to command a premium for speciality applications.
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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