New Varieties of Turmeric

• 23 Sep 2021

Why in News

Recently, a high-yielding curcuminoid-rich variety of turmeric named CIM-Pitamber and the NBRI’s (National Botanical Research Institute) Keshari variety have been introduced in Nabarangpur (One of the Aspirational Districts) of Odisha.

Key Points

• CIM-Pitamber:
  • About:
    
    • It is a high-yielding curcuminoid-rich variety of turmeric developed by Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP).
      
      • High yielding varieties (HYV) of seeds are those seeds which produce huge quantities of crops particularly wheat and rice.
      • Regular supply of water, maximum use of fertilisers and use of pesticides in an accurate proportion is needed to use these seeds.
    • In this variety, curcuminoid content is 12.5% more than the existing variety.
      
      • Curcuminoid is a substance derived from turmeric which has anti-cancer properties, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-diabetic and has several medicinal properties.
  • Benefits:
    
    • It can yield 50% more than the existing varieties of turmeric and help farmers. It is also tolerant to the leaf blotch disease of turmeric.
    • Turmeric with high content of curcuminoid is preferred by European nations and North America. Export and sale value will be more if curcumin content is more.
• Keshari variety:
  
  • It is tolerant to low temperature and frost during winter. It has a longer growth period as compared to other varieties, which directly reflects higher fresh rhizome yield of high quality.
  • In comparison to other existing varieties, there is less problem of yellowing and falling of leaves in this variety during winter, which leads to extending the life period of this variety.
  • The total curcuminoid content is around 1.16 %, which is also more than other existing cultivated varieties of north India.
• Turmeric:
  
  • Turmeric is a flowering plant, Curcuma longa of the ginger family, it is used as condiment, dye, drug and cosmetic in addition to its use in religious ceremonies.
  • Its color comes mainly from curcumin, a bright yellow phenolic compound.
  • India is a leading producer and exporter of turmeric in the world. India produces 80% of turmeric in the world.
    
    • Telangana was the leading producer of turmeric in India during 2018. Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were second and third in the ranking that year.
  • It can be grown in diverse tropical conditions from sea level to 1500 m above sea level, at a temperature range of 20-35º C with an annual rainfall of 1500 mm or more, under rainfed or irrigated conditions.

Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

• It is a frontier plant research laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), established in 1959.
• It is steering multidisciplinary high quality research in biological and chemical sciences and extending technologies and services to the farmers and entrepreneurs of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs).
• It is headquartered in Lucknow.

National Botanical Research Institute

• It is one of the constituent research institutes of the CSIR set up in 1953. It is headquartered in Lucknow.
• It undertakes basic and applied research on various aspects of plant science, including documentation, systematics, conservation, prospection, and genetic improvement.

Source: TH