Black Pepper variety · Released variety
PLD-2
Also known as IISR PLD-2
ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut, Kerala · ICAR-IISR · 1996
Very high oleoresin content; premium quality pepper; suited to southern Kerala's lower altitude zones.
Key facts
| Type | Released variety |
|---|---|
| Origin | ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut, Kerala |
| Breeder / source | ICAR-IISR |
| Year released | 1996 |
| Parentage | Selection from Kottanadan (Coll. 2559) |
| Yield | 2475 kg dry pepper/ha (average); potential 4731 kg/ha; 4.97 kg green pepper/vine with 31.13% dry recovery |
| Tolerance | Phytophthora foot rot |
| Distinctive features | Piperine 3.0%; oleoresin 15.45% (very high); essential oil 4.8%; late maturity; ovate leaf; bold berries |
| Grown in | Trivandrum and Quilon districts and lower altitude pepper tracts of Kerala |
| Also known as | IISR PLD-2 |
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.
PLD-2 in detail
A clonal selection from the Kottanadan landrace that yields bold, oleoresin-rich berries; suited to Kerala's southern districts for both fresh market and extraction.
Origin & story
Released by ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut in 1996 as a selection (Coll.2559) from the Kottanadan landrace.
How it grows
Late maturity group, suited to Trivandrum and Quilon districts in southern Kerala. Standard yields 2,475 kg dry pepper per hectare, with potential reaching 4,731 kg/ha under good management. Individual vines produce about 4.97 kg green pepper with 31.13% dry recovery. Ovate leaves; roughly 94.1% bisexual flowers and 87.7% fruit set.
Quality & character
Bold berries. Piperine 3.0%, oleoresin 15.45% (notably high), essential oil 4.8%. The elevated oleoresin content is what distinguishes it for spice extraction. Late maturity group.
Why it matters to buyers
Premium for oleoresin extraction thanks to the 15.45% content, which is high for pepper. Green pepper yield and dry recovery rates appeal to bulk buyers and processors. High oleoresin makes it valuable for oleoresin traders and spice extract manufacturers.
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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