Preliminary evaluation of cardamom accessions against leaf blight/Chenthal disease

摘要

Small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) popularly known as "Queen of Spices" is a commercially important spice crop belonging to the rhizomatous family, Zingiberaceae. The cardamom of commerce i.e., the dried fruits (capsules) of the cardamom plant is highly valued due to its intrinsic superior qualities like flavour and aroma. Small cardamom which is a perennial herbaceous plant, is indigenous to the moist evergreen rain forests of Western Ghats of South India. It is extensively cultivated in the hilly tracts of South India at elevations of 800 to 1300 MSL either as a monocrop under the shade of forest trees or as an intercrop along with other component crops like arecanut, coffee etc. Globally, India is the leading producer and exporter of cardamom witti an area and production of 0. 69 mha and 9470 mt (8). Cardamom industry in India as well in other countries encounters several production constraints, of which diseases incited by various pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes are considered to be the major problems.