Large Cardamom variety · Released variety
ICRI Sikkim-2
Also known as ICRI Sikkim 2
Indian Cardamom Research Institute (ICRI), Regional Station, Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim · Spices Board India / ICRI · 2004
High-yielding selection optimised for medium altitude (1500 m MSL). Released alongside ICRI Sikkim-1 as part of ICRI's germplasm conservation and improvement efforts.
Key facts
| Type | Released variety |
|---|---|
| Origin | Indian Cardamom Research Institute (ICRI), Regional Station, Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim |
| Breeder / source | Spices Board India / ICRI |
| Year released | 2004 |
| Parentage | Selection from Sawney cultivar |
| Yield | Reported 800 kg/ha dry capsules; suited to 1500 m elevation |
| Tolerance | Blight disease incidence reported at 10.5%; moderate tolerance to Chirke and Foorkey viruses; adapted to organic production systems |
| Distinctive features | Compact, high-yielding plants; excellent capsule quality; good flavour and aroma profile consistent with Sawney genetics |
| Grown in | Sikkim, Darjeeling; optimal at 1500 m MSL elevation |
| Also known as | ICRI Sikkim 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.
ICRI Sikkim-2 in detail
ICRI Sikkim-2 is a high-yielding large cardamom selection released in 2004 for Sikkim's medium-altitude growing zones, where large cardamom is a long-established crop.
Origin & story
Released in 2004 by the Indian Cardamom Research Institute (ICRI), Regional Station, Spices Board, at Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim. It was developed as part of ICRI's germplasm conservation and improvement programme and released alongside its sister variety ICRI Sikkim-1. Its flavour and aroma are consistent with the traditional Sawney type.
How it grows
Optimised for medium-altitude conditions around 1500 m MSL, typical of productive cardamom zones in Sikkim. Like other large cardamom, it is grown under agroforestry systems with shade trees, and depends on adequate moisture through the growing season. Suckers are generally planted in the warmer/monsoon months, with bearing beginning a few years after establishment.
Quality & character
Compact, high-yielding plants with good capsule quality, and flavour and aroma in keeping with Sawney-type cardamom. As with large cardamom generally, the volatile oil is dominated by 1,8-cineole, with limonene, myrcene and pinene also present. Capsules cured in improved ICRI bhatti (smoke-drying chambers) retain better colour and aroma than traditional curing.
Why it matters to buyers
The variety's high yield and Sawney-type quality make it of interest to commercial growers in medium-altitude Himalayan zones looking to move beyond unselected landraces. Large cardamom cured by improved methods is generally preferred by traders and exporters for its better colour and aroma. Adoption of scientific cultivation through ICRI extension can support grower incomes, though it is constrained by infrastructure gaps such as irrigation and phytosanitary management.
About large cardamom
Large cardamom (Amomum subulatum), India's "black gold" of the spice world, thrives in the misty Himalayan valleys where ancient landrace traditions meet modern breeding science. From the indigenous Lepcha cultivars of Sikkim to formally released high-yielding selections, this aromatic capsule spans altitude zones and carries each region's terroir in its…
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