Elettaria cardamomum
مقاله انگلیسی درمورد گیاه دارویی هل
IN THE NAME OF GOD
Elettaria cardamomum
Family : Zingiberaceae
Cardamom is a herbaceous biennial
or perennial up to 5.5 m tall, with branched subterranean rhizomes. Used for
flavouring and medicine.
Principal cardamom production
areas are located in
Economics: Cardamom is an
expensive spice, the price being only exceeded among spices by saffron and
vanilla.
Cultivation
Land: The main field selected for cardamom
plantation is cleared of undergrowth and Pits of about 0.6-0.6 x 0.3 m size are
dug with a spacing of 1.5 x 1.5 to 3 x 3 m, depending on the variety. The pits
are filled with a mixture of surface soil, compost and cattle manure, 1-2
months in advance of the commence-ment of planting.
Multiplication: Cardamom can
be propagated vegetatively by division of the rhizomes, or from seedlings,
which are usually raised in nurseries. For vegetative propagation, rhizomes
from large clumps of growing plants are taken out, separated into small clumps,
each consisting of at least one old and one young shoot, and planted in
prepared pits. Seeds are slow to germinate.
Planting: For
large-scale production it is usual to sow selected seeds. For sowing, seeds are
collected from high-yielding, healthy plants with compact panicles. Fully
matured and ripened capsules are immersed in water for some time, the seeds are
extracted by gentle pressing, and the mucilaginous coating is removed by
washing in cold water. The seeds are sown immediately after extraction to
ensure better germination. The sowing season is September-October or November-December.
The seeds are sown in raised seed-beds on which a fine layer of humus-rich soil
is spread. For the nursery site, gently sloping land with access to a water
source is generally selected. The seeds are either sown in lines or broadcast
in beds of 1 x 6 m size raised to 0.3 m; 10 g/m² of seeds are used. The seeds
are covered first with a thin layer of sand and later on with paddy straw.
The seeds germinate within 30
days and continue up to 90 days. Six-month-old seedlings are transplanted from
the primary nursery to the secondary nursery, where they are allowed to remain
for about one year. In the secondary beds there is a spacing of about 0.3 m
between plants. (after Hornok L. 1992).
Water: The seed beds
should be irrigated frequently and overhead shading should also be provided.
Fertility: Cardamom
responds to fertilizer application; the recommended amounts are: 75 kg/ha of N,
75 kg/ha of P205 and 150 kg/ha of K2O.
Weeding: During the
first year, frequent weeding is necessary. In older plantations, weeding is
restricted to 2-3 per year.
Other: Mulching and
overhead shade should also be provided for the secondary nursery. Overhead
shades are regulated by selective thinning. Wherever required, suitable
quick-growing trees are also plant-ed to provide adequate shade. It is often
grown under the shade of the primary rainforest.
The old and dry shoots from the
plantation are removed and the base of the clumps cleared once a year at the
time of weeding, during May-June.
Sreeramulu and Bagyaraj 1999
found that inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, in particular {{Glomus
monosporum}e}, increased plant growth, dry matter content and uptake of
phosphorus.
Harvest: The capsules
are ready for harvesting by July-August or August-September. The capsules are
harvested when they are almost ripe but before they turn yellow. The harvesting
season continues up to October--November.
Improvement
Varieties: Two botanical varieties have been
recognized, based on the size of the fruit. The var. major Thwaites is the wild
cardamom of
Processing: The capsules
are dried either in the sun or in specially built drying devices varying from
sheltered platforms, heated by a slow fire from below, to a large drying house
or a kiln heated by flue pipes. The fruits are spread thinly and stirred
frequently to ensure uniform drying. Three to five days are required to dry the
capsules properly in the sun; under artificial conditions drying may take only
48 hours. The dried capsules are rubbed by hand or with rough coir matting or
wire mesh and winnowed to remove foreign matter. The dried and cleaned capsules
are graded according to colour and size. (after Hornok L. 1992).
Characteristics : The dried
fruit of true cardamom contains essential oil, fixed oil, pigments, proteins,
cellulose, pentosans, sugars, starch, silica, calcium oxalate and minerals. The
principal quality determinant for cardamom is the content and composition of
the essential oil, which governs the odour and flavour of the spice. Whole
cardamoms usually have essential oil contents in the range 3.5-7%. The major
components of cardamom oils are 1,8-cineole (20-60%) and a-terpinyl acetate
(20-53%). Other principal components are as follows: linalyl acetate, linalool and
borneol, a-terpineol, a-pinene, limonene and myrcene.
The seeds have a pleasant aroma
and a characteristic warm, slightly pungent taste. (after Hornok L. 1992).
Uses : It is used for flavouring curries,
cakes and bread, and for other culinary purposes. In
