Sigandhini

Ancient indigenous variety with excellent disease tolerance; recently registered under PPVFRA-2001; resistant to viral infections.

Key facts

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.

Sigandhini in detail

Sigandhini is an ancient indigenous black pepper landrace from Uttara Kannada in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. It is valued mainly for its tolerance to foot rot (quick wilt), the Phytophthora capsici disease that has badly hit the dominant Panniyur-1 hybrid. It has been registered under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act (PPVFRA), 2001.

Origin & story

Sigandhini was conserved and brought to wider attention by Ramakanth Hegde, a farmer from Hunsekoppa village in Uttara Kannada district. By his own account he spotted an unusual pepper vine in his field around 25 years ago, propagated it, and noticed it suffered less foot rot than Panniyur-1. He later secured Farmer's Rights for Sigandhini under the PPVFRA, 2001, which gives him the right to propagate and sell the plants. In 2023 he received the Plant Genome Saviour Award from the President of India for conserving the variety, and he has signed a memorandum with the University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, on a royalty basis to help meet demand for planting material.

How it grows

Sigandhini is a woody climbing vine, propagated from stem cuttings, which root readily and develop a robust root system. It matures about a month earlier than Panniyur-1, allowing harvest in December-January, and is grown in arecanut-based multi-storeyed cropping systems common in the region. Growers report it adapts well to local conditions, including higher rainfall.

Quality & character

Sigandhini is noted for high bulk density, recorded at around 631 g/l, higher than Panniyur-1 (about 546 g/l), and for a longer spike length of about 14.06 cm. Farmers report roughly 10% higher yield than Panniyur-1, attributed largely to its resistance to foot rot.

Why it matters to buyers

Sigandhini appeals to growers in foot-rot-affected pepper zones, where its tolerance to quick wilt (Phytophthora capsici) offers an alternative to the susceptible Panniyur-1, which has seen yield losses from the disease. Its higher bulk density is a practical selling point. Note that planting material can be costly and hard to source: under the PPVFRA registration, propagation rights rest with Ramakanth Hegde, which growers in the surveys cited as the main limitation.

Other black pepper varieties

• Panniyur-1
• Panniyur-2
• Panniyur-3
• Panniyur-4
• Panniyur-5
• Panniyur-6
• Panniyur-7
• Panniyur-8
• Panniyur-9
• Subhakara
• Sreekara
• Panchami