Black Pepper variety · Released variety
Panniyur-2
Pepper Research Station, Panniyur, Kerala · Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) · 1991
Shade tolerant; high piperine content; strong aroma and good bulk density when dried; easier farm management.
Key facts
| Type | Released variety |
|---|---|
| Origin | Pepper Research Station, Panniyur, Kerala |
| Breeder / source | Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) |
| Year released | 1991 |
| Parentage | Open pollinated progeny of Balankotta |
| Yield | 2570 kg dry pepper/ha (average); potential 3313 kg/ha; 4.5 kg green pepper/vine with 35.7% dry recovery |
| Tolerance | Shade |
| Distinctive features | Pale purple shoot tip; medium long spikes; vigorous growth; non-pigmented growing tip; high piperine |
| Grown in | All pepper growing areas of Kerala |
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.
Panniyur-2 in detail
Panniyur-2 is a shade-tolerant, open-pollinated pepper released in 1991. It is a higher-yielding variety than the earlier Panniyur-1 and retains strong piperine content.
Origin & story
Panniyur-2 was released in 1991 from the Pepper Research Station at Panniyur, under Kerala Agricultural University. It is an open-pollinated progeny of the Balankotta cultivar rather than a controlled cross. The Pepper Research Station was started in 1952 and was elevated to research station status under KAU in 1972.
How it grows
Panniyur-2 is shade tolerant and is suited to all pepper-growing areas of Kerala, which makes it adaptable to a range of farm environments. It is commonly trained on standard support trees and fits into the mixed cropping systems used across Kerala. The variety is vigorous in growth. It is an alternate-bearing type, so yield varies between seasons, with green pepper production around 4.5 kg per vine and a dry recovery of about 35.7%. Average dry yield is roughly 2,570 kg/ha, with a potential of about 3,313 kg/ha under good conditions.
Quality & character
The dried pepper has a strong aroma and good bulk density. The variety has pale purple-coloured shoot tips, a non-pigmented growing tip, and medium-long spikes, and it carries high piperine content.
Why it matters to buyers
Panniyur-2's average dry yield of about 2,570 kg/ha is well above the older Panniyur-1's figure of 1,242 kg/ha, which makes it appealing for commercial cultivation. Its high piperine and strong aroma suit processors and exporters looking for reliable quality. The shade tolerance is useful where pepper is intercropped in coconut and arecanut gardens, since it eases management in shaded conditions.
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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