Agroecological Aspects of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) Cultivation in Kerala: A Review

B. Mohan Kumar, B. Sasikumar, T. K. Kunhamu

Abstract


Black pepper is a very important spice and medicinal crop of India. The country produces about 62,000 metric tonnes of black pepper annually, of which 10–12% is exported. Kerala with an area of 82,761 ha under the crop is a leading producer of the spice in India. It is grown under varied agro-ecologies in the state ranging from sea-level to High Ranges. The crop, a climber, is cultivated either as a monocrop trailed on different multipurpose support trees (called “standards”, e.g. Ailanthus triphysa, Erythrina indica, Garuga pinnata, Gliricidia sepium etc.) or in the homesteads along with assorted trees like Areca catechu, Cocos nucifera, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Mangifera indica and the like. Trailing a sciophytic (shade-loving) climber on woody perennial support trees makes it a unique agronomic system and an excellent example of agroforestry. Attractive prices, albeit fluctuations, long shelf-life of the produce, and the ability to provide a range of ecosystem services including supporting and regulatory services (e.g. carbon sequestration and soil fertility enrichment), make black pepper production an attractive land use option in Kerala. This paper reviews the literature on agroecology of the crop with particular reference to Kerala.


Keywords


Agroforestry; Carbon sequestration; Ecosystem services; Multipurpose trees; Support trees

Full Text:

PDF

References


Anandaraj, M., & Sarma, Y. R. (1995). Diseases of black pepper (Piper nigrum L) and their management. Spices & Aromatic Crops, 4(4), 17–23. Retrieved from website

Butt, M. S., Pasha, I., Sultan, M. T., Randhawa, M. A., Saeed, F., & Ahmed, W. (2013). Black pepper and health claims: a comprehensive treatise. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 53(9), 875–886. DOI

Cheeran, A., Wahid, P. A., Kamalam, N. V, Kurien, S., & Mathew, L. (1992). Effect of variety, spacing and support material on nutrition and yield of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.). Retrieved from website

Damanhouri, Z. A., & Ahmad, A. (2014). A review on therapeutic potential of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.): The king of spices. Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 3(3), 1–6. DOI

DES. (2020). Agricultural Statistics 2018-2019. Thiruvananthapuram: Department of Economics & Statistics. Retrieved from PDF

Dhas, P. H. A., & Korikanthimath, V. S. (2003). Processing and quality of black pepper - a review. Journal of Spices & Aromatic Crops, 12(1), 1-13. Retrieved from website

Dinesh, R., Srinivasan, V., Hamza, S., Parthasarathy, V. A., & Aipe, K. C. (2010). Physico-chemical, biochemical and microbial properties of the rhizospheric soils of tree species used as supports for black pepper cultivation in the humid tropics. Geoderma, 158(3), 252–258. DOI

Disney, A. R. (1978). Twilight of the pepper empire: Portuguese trade in Southwest India in the early seventeenth century. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

DOA. (2016) An analytical study on agriculture in Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram: Directorate of Agriculture. Retrieved from PDF

George, J. K., Saji, K. V., & Hemesh, K. (2018). Farmers’ varieties in spices (Black pepper and small cardamom). Kerala: ICAR - Indian Institute of Spices Research Kozhikode. Retrieved from PDF

Gunaratne, W. D. L., & Heenkenda, A. P. (2004). Use of gliricidia as a source of green manure for pepper (Piper nigrum L.). Focus on Pepper, 1, 63–73.

Hamza, S., Sadanandan, A. K., & Srinivasan, V. (2004). Influence of soil physico-chemical properties on productivity of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.). Journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops, 13(1), 6–9. Retrieved from website

IISR. (2015). Black pepper - Extension pamphlet. Kozhikode: Indian Institute of Spices Research. Retrieved from PDF

Joshi, D. R., Shrestha, A. C., & Adhikari, N. (2018). A review on diversified use of the king of spices: Piper nigrum (black pepper). International Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Research, 9(10), 4089–4101. DOI

Kapoor, I. P. S., Singh, B., Singh, G., De Heluani, C. S., De Lampasona, M. P., & Catalan, C. A. N. (2009). Chemistry and in vitro antioxidant activity of volatile oil and oleoresins of black pepper (Piper nigrum). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 57(12), 5358–5364. DOI

KAU. (2017). Package of practices recommendation: Crops 2016. In B. P. Bonny, S. Helen, & A. Suma (Eds.). Kerala: Kerala Agricultural University. Retrieved from website

Krishnamurthy, K. S., Parthasarathy, V. A., Saji, K. V., & Krishnamoorthy, B. (2010). Ideotype concept in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.). Journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops, 19(1 & 2), 1–13. Retrieved from website

Kumar, B. M. (2006) Carbon sequestration potential of tropical homegardens. In: B. M. Kumar & P. K. R. Nair (Eds), Tropical homegardens. Advances in Agroforestry (Volume 3; pp. 185-204). Dordrecht: Springer. DOI

Kumar, B. M. (2007). Agroforestry systems and practices of Kerala. In S. Puri & P. Panwar (Eds.), Agroforestry systems and practices of India (pp. 459–483). New India Publishing Agency.

Kumar, B. M. (2008). Krishi Gita (Agricultural Verses) [A treatise on indigenous farming practices with special reference to Malayalam desam (Kerala)]. Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India: Asian Agri-History Foundation (AAHF).

Kumar, B. M., & Cheeran, A. (1981). Nutrient requirements of pepper vines trained on live and dead standards. Agricultural Research Journal of Kerala, 19(1), 21–26. Retrieved from website

Kumar, B. M., & Nair, P. K. R. (2004). The enigma of tropical homegardens. Agroforestry Systems, 61(1), 135–152. DOI

Kumar, B. M., George, S. J., & Chinnamani, S. (1994). Diversity, structure and standing stock of the homegardens of Kerala in peninsular India. Agroforestry Systems, 25, 243–262, DOI

Kunhamu, T. K., Aneesh, S., Kumar, B. M., Jamaludheen, V., Raj, A. K., & Niyas, P. (2018). Biomass production, carbon sequestration and nutrient characteristics of 22-year-old support trees in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) production systems in Kerala, India. Agroforestry Systems, 92(5), 1171–1183. DOI

Kunhamu, T. K., Kumar, B. M., & Jamaludheen, V. (2012). Utility of multipurpose trees as black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) standards in the humid tropics of Kerala. Indian Journal of Agroforestry, 14(1), 17–22. website

Manjusha, C. M. (2007). Crop-standard interactions in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) (PhD Thesis). Thrissur: Kerala Agricultural University. Retrieved from website

Mathew, T., Kumar, B. M., Babu, K. V. S., & Umamaheswaran, K. (1996). Evaluation of some live standards for black pepper. Journal of Plantation Crops, 24(2), 86–91. Retrieved from website

Menon, A. S. (2007). A survey of Kerala history. Kottayam: DC Books. Retrieved from website

MoAFW. (2020). Agricultural statistics at a glance 2019. New Delhi: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Directorate of Economics and Statistics. Retrieved from PDF

Nair, K. P. P. (2004). The agronomy and economy of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) — the “King of spices”. Advances in Agronomy, 82, 271–389. DOI

Nair, K. P. P. (2011). Agronomy and economy of black pepper and cardamom: The king and queen of spices. Elsevier. DOI

Parthasarathy, V. A., Chempakam, B., & Zachariah, T. J. (2008). Chemistry of spices. Wallingford: CABI.

Pillay, V. S., Sasikumaran, S., & Ibrahim, K. K. (1988). Effect of rainfall pattern on the yield of black pepper. In Agrometeorology of plantation crops (pp.152-159). Trichur: Kerala Agricultural University.

Ravindran, P. N. (2000). Black pepper: Piper nigrum. Harwood Academic Publishers, U.K.

Ravindran, P. N., & Kallupurackal, J. A. (2012). Black pepper. In K. V. Peter (Ed.), Handbook of herbs and spices (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 86–115). Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition. DOI

Reddy, B. N., Sadanandan, A. K., Sivaraman, K., & Abraham, J. (1992) Effect of plant density on the yield and nutrient availability of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) varieties. Journal of Plantation Crops, 20 (Suppl.) 10–13.

Rosengarten, F., Jr. (1969). The book of spices. Wynnewood: Livingston Publishing Co.

Sadanandan, A. K. (1994). Nutrition of black pepper. In: K. L. Chadha & P. Rathinam (Eds.). Advances in Horticulture, 9(1), 423-456.

Sadanandan, A. K., Hamza, S., Bhargava, B. S., & Raghupathi, H. B. (2000). Diagnosis and recommendation integrated system (DRIS) norms for black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), growing soils of South India. In N. Muraleedharan & P. Raj Kumar (Eds.), Recent Advances in Plantation Crops Research (pp. 203-205). New Delhi: Allied Publishers Limited.

Salam, M. A., Mohanakumaran, N., Jayachandran, B. K., Mammen, M. K., Sreekumar, D., & Satheesh, B. K. (1991). Kerala homegardens: Thirty-one species support black pepper vines. Agroforestry Today, 5, 16–19.

Sankar, S. J., Wahid, P. A., & Kamalam, N. V. (1988). Absorption of soil applied radiophosphorus by black pepper vine and support tree in relation to their root activities. Journal of Plantation Crops, 16, 73–87.

Sasikumar, B. (1995). The green and glory of the golden berry. Spice India, 32(2), 2–3.

Sasikumar, B. (2018). Biology and cultivation of black pepper, the King of Spices. In V.V. Radhakrishnan, T. K. Hrideek, A. V. Raghu, & K. T. Chandramohanan (Eds.), Crops of Kerala: An overview (pp. 51-63). Gregor Mendel Foundation, Department of Botany, Calicut University. Retrieved from PDF

Sasikumar, B., Haridas, P., George, J. K., Saji, K. V., Zachariah, T. J., Ravindran, P. N., ... Parthasarathy, V. A. (2004). ‘IISR Thevam’, ‘IISR Malabar Excel’ and ‘IISR Girimunda’- three new black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) clones. Journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops, 13(1), 1-5. Retrieved from website

Sen, S., Dayanandan, S., Davis, T., Ganesan, R., Jagadish, M. R., Mathew, P. J., & Ravikanth, G. (2019). Origin and evolution of genus Piper in peninsular India. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 138, 102–113. DOI

Sivaraman, K., Kandiannnan, K., Peter, K. V., & Thankamani, C. K. (1999). Agronomy of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) - a review. Journal of Spices and Aromatic Crops, 8(1), 1–18. Retrieved from PDF

Srinivasan, V., Dinesh, R., Hamza, S., & Parthasarathy, V. A. (2007). Nutrient management in black pepper (Piper nigrum L.). CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, 2, 062. DOI

Thanuja, T. V., Hegde, R. V., & Sreenivasa, M. N. (2002). Induction of rooting and root growth in black pepper cuttings (Piper nigrum L.) with the inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizae. Scientia Horticulturae, 92(3), 339–346. DOI

Wahid, P. A., Suresh, P. R., & George, S. S. (2004). Absorption and partitioning of applied 15N in a black pepper + erythrina system in Kerala, India. Agroforestry Systems, 60(2), 143–147. DOI

Wahid, P., & Sitepu, D. (1987). Current status and future prospect of pepper development in Indonesia. Bangkok: FAO Regional Office for Asia and Pacific.




DOI: http://doi.org/10.17503/agrivita.v43i3.3005

Copyright (c) 2021 The Author(s)

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.