IISR Keralashree

First nutmeg variety developed through farmer-participatory breeding; high-yielding clonal selection with bold nuts and thick, entire mace. Rich in sabinene and myrcene with low myristicin and elemicin; early and consistent bearing.

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.

IISR Keralashree in detail

From a high-yielding mother tree at Burliar in the Nilgiris, ICAR-IISR developed Kerala's first nutmeg variety through farmer-participatory breeding—a bold-nutted, thick-maced selection built for early, steady yields.

Origin & story

Keralashree (accession IC-537218) originated from an open-pollinated seedling progeny of a high-yielding mother tree from Burliar, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. ICAR-IISR released it in 2013 after evaluating it for 13 years across three locations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu using farmer-participatory breeding—the first nutmeg variety developed through this collaborative method. The selection proved superior to the earlier IISR Vishwashree variety in all yield parameters studied.

How it grows

Grafted propagation ensures true-to-type plants, and the trees flower profusely. By the 8th year, plants yield 3,122 kg dry nuts and 480 kg mace per hectare (360 grafts/ha). At the 10th year, per-hectare yield reaches 7,560 kg nuts and 1,512 kg mace. At maturity (around 25 years), potential reaches 31,220 kg nuts and 4,800 kg mace per hectare. Dry recovery is 70% for nuts and 35% for mace. It shows low incidence of Diplodia fruit rot.

Quality & character

Bold, brownish-black nuts (fresh weight 13–16g) with dense seeds. The aril is thick, dark red and entire, covering the seed completely (fresh weight 4.5–6.0g; 35% dry recovery). Trees are pure female with profuse flowering and oblong yellow fruits. Oil composition: sabinene 35.4% in nut oil and 29.4% in mace oil; myristicin 1.6% in nut oil and elemicin 1.4%—low levels that give it a distinct volatile profile compared with other nutmeg types.

Why it matters to buyers

Keralashree stands out for its bold nut size and thick, dark-red mace—traits valued in premium spice markets. Its lower myristicin and elemicin alongside high sabinene make for a clean, distinctive flavour profile. Early and consistent bearing supports faster returns for growers, and its measured superiority over Vishwashree in yield trials makes it a reference high-yielding option for commercial plantations.

Other nutmeg varieties

• IISR Viswasree
• Punnathanam Jathy
• Local Kerala Homestead Seedlings
• Grafted Female Selection
• Seedling (Myristica fragrans)
• Hermaphrodite / Bisexual Forms
• Thrissur Type (Regional Landrace)
• Ernakulam Type (Regional Landrace)
• Idukki High-Range Type
• Myristica fragrans (Species)