Black Pepper variety · Released variety
Subhakara
Also known as IISR Subhakara; Subhakaram
ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut, Kerala · ICAR-IISR · 1990
Wide adaptability across regions; regular bearing; medium maturity group; commendable disease resistance.
Key facts
| Type | Released variety |
|---|---|
| Origin | ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut, Kerala |
| Breeder / source | ICAR-IISR |
| Year released | 1990 |
| Parentage | Selection from Karimunda (KS-27) |
| Yield | 2352 kg dry pepper/ha (average); potential 4487 kg/ha; 4.2 kg green pepper/vine with 35.5% dry recovery |
| Tolerance | Phytophthora foot rot and common pepper diseases |
| Distinctive features | Piperine 3.4%; oleoresin 12.4%; essential oil 6.0%; high quality pepper; wider adaptability |
| Grown in | All pepper-growing regions of Kerala and Southern Karnataka |
| Also known as | IISR Subhakara; Subhakaram |
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.
Subhakara in detail
A clonal selection from the Karimunda cultivar, released by ICAR-IISR in 1990 and grown across Kerala and southern Karnataka for its consistent yield and quality.
Origin & story
Subhakara is a selection from Karimunda (KS 27) developed and released by ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Calicut, Kerala in 1990. It was chosen from existing germplasm to combine reliable yield with adaptability across pepper-growing regions.
How it grows
A medium-maturity variety suited to pepper-growing tracts of Kerala and southern Karnataka. Recorded average yield is about 2,352 kg dry pepper per hectare, with a potential of around 4,487 kg/ha under good conditions. Per-vine production averages 4.2 kg green pepper at about 35.5% dry recovery. Like other pepper varieties it is propagated vegetatively from cuttings, and it shows regular bearing across seasons.
Quality & character
Piperine 3.4%, oleoresin 12.4%, essential oil 6.0%. It has a high fruit set, with about 63 fruits per spike and 68% fruit set. Ovate leaves measure roughly 12.3 cm long by 6.5 cm broad, and spikes reach about 7.7 cm.
Why it matters to buyers
Subhakara is valued for consistent quality and its wide adaptability across Kerala and Karnataka, which helps steady supply. The chemical profile, with moderate piperine and substantial oleoresin, suits both culinary use and oleoresin extraction. As with all pepper, planting material is propagated vegetatively, so nursery sourcing matters for true-to-type crops.
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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