Cardamom variety · Released variety
PV-3
Also known as PV 3; KAU-PV3
Pampadumpara, Kerala (Cardamom Research Station, KAU) · Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), CRS Pampadumpara · 1990s
Selection notable for high α-terpinyl acetate content (61% of essential oil), conferring superior aroma and flavour profile. Important for quality-conscious buyers and specialty markets.
Key facts
| Type | Released variety |
|---|---|
| Origin | Pampadumpara, Kerala (Cardamom Research Station, KAU) |
| Breeder / source | Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), CRS Pampadumpara |
| Year released | 1990s |
| Parentage | Selected from KAU germplasm collection |
| Tolerance | Moderate disease tolerance, 600–1200 m |
| Distinctive features | High α-terpinyl acetate (61%), superior aroma quality |
| Grown in | Kerala cardamom tracts; 600–1200 m |
| Also known as | PV 3; KAU-PV3 |
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.
PV-3 in detail
PV-3 is a Kerala cardamom selection notable for its essential oil composition, particularly a high α-terpinyl acetate level (around 61%) that drives its distinctive aroma.
Origin & story
PV-3 (KAU-PV3) traces to the Cardamom Research Station at Pampadumpara, in Kerala's Idukki district, run by Kerala Agricultural University. The station was set up in 1956 under the Kerala Department of Agriculture and transferred to KAU in 1972, and it maintains a large cardamom germplasm bank. The station released the clonal selection PV-1 for cultivation; PV-3 appears in the literature as one of its germplasm accessions characterised for essential oil quality.
How it grows
Cardamom in the Idukki hills depends on the southwest monsoon, which arrives in June and brings the cool, moist conditions the crop needs. Yields vary widely with husbandry, soil, shade and rainfall, so figures from one plantation do not transfer cleanly to another.
Quality & character
PV-3 stands out for an α-terpinyl acetate concentration of about 61% of its essential oil—among the highest recorded in southern Indian cardamom accessions—which gives the pod a dry, warm aromatic character. Profiling work also reported a γ-cadinene chemotype in PV-3 not previously described from southern India, along with the highest p-cresol level (9.0%) among the accessions studied and a comparatively low 1,8-cineole content (15.2%).
Why it matters to buyers
High α-terpinyl acetate is a recognised quality marker for cardamom oil used in perfumery, flavour and specialty food applications, so PV-3's profile is of interest to buyers who value aroma quality. It also features in essential oil composition studies as a reference accession for chemotype profiling.
About cardamom
In Kerala's rolling spice gardens, cardamom isn't just one plant—it's three distinct botanical types, each with its own character. The Malabar type, with flowers drooping down like a skirt, thrives in the softer elevations of 600–1200 metres. Mysore stands tall and erect, reaching its best between 900–1200 metres on the wind-swept heights. And Vazhukka, a…
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