Black Pepper variety · Released variety
Panniyur-8
Pepper Research Station, Panniyur, Kerala · Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) · 2013
Modern high-yielding hybrid with improved disease tolerance; performs well in open conditions; drought resilient.
Key facts
| Type | Released variety |
|---|---|
| Origin | Pepper Research Station, Panniyur, Kerala |
| Breeder / source | Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) |
| Year released | 2013 |
| Parentage | Panniyur-6 × Panniyur-5 (HB 20052) |
| Yield | 3000 kg dry pepper/ha (reported) |
| Tolerance | Phytophthora foot rot; drought |
| Distinctive features | Light purple shoot tips; dark green spikes; bold berries; early fruiting potential |
| Grown in | Open and semi-open areas of Kerala and high-altitude regions |
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-8 in detail
A 2013-released hybrid from Kerala Agricultural University that crosses Panniyur 6 and Panniyur 5 to bring drought resilience and disease tolerance into a high-yielding black pepper for Kerala's open-field conditions.
Origin & story
Panniyur-8 was released in 2013 by the Pepper Research Station at Panniyur under Kerala Agricultural University. The station was started in 1952 and was raised to research-station status under KAU in 1972, and it has a long record of pepper breeding. Panniyur-8 is a hybrid cross between Panniyur 6 and Panniyur 5, developed to combine the strengths of both parents while improving disease tolerance and drought resilience.
How it grows
Panniyur-8 is a regular bearer suited to open conditions in Kerala's pepper belt. The variety tolerates drought and water stress, making it viable in low-rainfall areas, and it performs in both open and partially shaded cultivation. The spikes are medium-sized at 10-13 cm, with 99% bisexual flowers and 90% fruit set, recovering 37% dry weight. Reported yields reach about 2,130 kg/ha dry pepper, roughly 20% above its parent varieties.
Quality & character
Light purple shoot tips contrast with dark green spikes. Berries are bold and glossy, set on medium-length spikes. The variety is recorded as field tolerant to Phytophthora foot rot. Quality figures are strong: 12.17% oleoresin, 5.68% piperine, and 1.17% volatile oil in the seed.
Why it matters to buyers
For exporters and spice merchants, Panniyur-8 offers consistent supply through its regular bearing habit, with high oleoresin and piperine content useful for extract and oleoresin buyers. Growers favour it for reliability under water stress and its field tolerance to foot rot, which helps reduce crop-loss risk compared with older planting material.
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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