International Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry Volume 6, Issue 12, 2019, PP 16-23 ISSN 2394-5907 (Print) & ISSN 2394-5915 (Online) Review on Breeding Method and Achievements of Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) and Future Prospects Mohammedsani Zakir* Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research; Jimma Agricultural Research Center, Jimma, Ethiopia *Corresponding Author: Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research; Jimma Agricultural Research Center, Jimma, Ethiopia, Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) acclaimed as the 'Queen of Spices' is the true cardamom belonging to the family Zingiberaceae under the natural order Scitaminae. It is herbaceous perennial with underground rhizomes and aerial leafy stems made of leaf sheaths. Cardamom has bisexual flowers, self compatible but cross-pollination is more common. The somatic chromosome number of cardamom is reported to be 2n = 48. The genetic resource of cardamom is being eroded rapidly with the changes in habitat of the Western Ghats and needs systematic exploration and collection of germplasm. Cardamom germplasm exhibits rich genetic diversity for various agronomic, yield and quality attributing characters. Based on the adaptability, nature of the panicle, shape and size of fruits, the cultivated cardamom is grouped into three botanical varieties viz. Malabar, Mysore and Vazhukka. Cardamom is valued for its volatile oil which varies from 6.5 to 10.5 per cent. The major chemical constituents which impart sweet flavour to the oil are terpinyl acetate, linalyl acetate and linalool. Developing structured populations to tag important genes and using them in MAS will increase the efficiency of new varietal development. Developing virus resistant lines using coat protein genes through transgenic path way help in mitigating the viral problems. This paper highlighted cardamom breeding method, achievement and future line shortly. Keywords: achievement, biotechnologies, breeding, Cardamom, improvement INTRODUCTION suckers precede their growth for a period of about 18 months from the time of emergence Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) (Madhusoodanan et al. 2002). acclaimed as the 'Queen of Spices' is the true cardamom belonging to the family Zingiberaceae BODY OF THE TEXT under the natural order Scitaminae. It is one of Botany and Growth of Cardamom the most significant and profoundly valued spices. Cardamom is commonly developed The advancement of regenerative buds underneath evergreen forest trees of Western (panicles) takes place in about 10 to 12 months Ghats of South India and it is a shade loving (Krishnamurthy et. al., 1989). Inflorescence is a plant thriving well in elevations up to 600- long panicle emerging from the underground 1200m a.s.l under an average annual rainfall of stem, but comes up above the soil. The direct 1500-4000mm and temperature range of 10 development of panicles stretches over a period o of seven months. The growth habit of the 35 C. Muggy tropical climate and soil wealthy panicles and the shape as well as the size of the in organic matter is ideal for cardamom capsules shifts in various developed varieties of cultivation. India is considered the local home cardamom. Flowers are arranged in bunches of Elettaria cardamomum though the major (known as cincinni) subtended by scale leaves. centre of diversity for the genus is the Sarawak Flowers are bisexual, bracts linear, oblong and (Malaysia) and Borneo region, from where eight persistent, sepals 3, petals 3, unequal, lip longer species have been listed. Natural population’s with violet tinge carpels 3, style 1, ovary - cardamom now exists only in the evergreen trilocular, axile placentation, ovules-many in forests of Western Ghats (Peter et al., 2007). each carpel. Normally flowering in cardamom Cardamom is herbaceous enduring (2-5 m in could be seen throughout the year on panicles height) with underground rhizomes and elevated formed during the current as well as in previous verdant stems (tillers) made of leaf sheaths. year. The peak flowering is spread over a period Studies on vegetative growth implied that of six months from May to October. International Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry V6 ● I12 ● 2019 16 Review on Breeding Method and Achievements of Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) and Future Prospects The time required to a full bloom stage from chromosome contributed to the varietal flower/bud initiation ranges from 26 to 34 days differentiation. Earlier researchers have reported and capsule development takes about 110 to 120 that cardamom is of amphidiploid origin from days from the full bloom stage (Parameswar and wild species, which are probably extinct. Allied Venugopal, 1974). As a rule, most extreme genera such as Globa, Balbifera, Phoemaria, number of flowers open during early hours of Amomum sp. and Alpinia spp also possess the day 3.30 - 8.00 AM immediately followed by 2n=48 and are considered to be evolved from a the anthesis. The dehiscence of anthers took common basic number, X=12 (Peter et al., 2007). place immediately followed by anthesis with Collection and Conservation maximum pollen bursting between 5.30-6.30 AM (Pattanshetti and Prasad, 1972, KAU, 2001). The The genetic resource of cardamom is being pollen grains were round and mostly found in eroded quickly with the changes in habitat of the single, measured on an average 87.6 μ in Western Ghats and wants systematic exploration diameter. Studies on the viability of the pollen and collection of germplasm. A good collection grains indicated only 6.5% viability after 2 of cardamom is maintained at IISR, Indian hours of storage and 0% after 6-8 hours of cardamom Research Institute, Myladumpara and storage (Pattanshetti and Prasad, 1972). However many centres of All India Coordinated Research cardamom pollen can be stored successfully in Project on Spices (Table 1). Cardamom being a liquid nitrogen (Geetha, 2002). vegetatively propagated crop, germplasm is currently protected in clonal repositories in the Pollination field which is labour intensive and exposed to Cardamom has bisexual flowers, self-compatible hazards such as outbreak of pests, diseases and but cross-pollination is more common. Apis drought. Field repositories of cardamom are also cerana and Apis dorsata are the predominant exposed to diseases such as „katte‟ and rhizome pollinators. Cardamom flowers remain in bloom rot resulting in considerable loss. Therefore, in for 15-18 hours and stigma receptivity and vitro conservation of germplasm, in addition to pollen viability were reported to be maximum field gene banks, would give safety of during morning hours between 8 AM and 10 germplasm collections. Nirmal Babu et al. AM. Pollination during this time result about (1999) and Geetha et al. (2002) indicated a 72% fruit set. Thereafter, the stigma receptivity method of inducing slow growth on half- declined gradually giving in the minimum fruit strength Ms medium without growth regulators, set of 24%. The active foraging of bees is observed supplemented with 15 g/L each of sucrose and in the morning hours of the day providing mannitol in screw-capped culture tubes and higher fruit set in cardamom. The extent of fruit o incubation at 22±2 C with photoperiod of 12 h set noted in various months implied that there light/12 h dark and a light intensity of 2500 lux. was high percentage of fruit set (50 to 59 Cultures maintained under these conditions can percent) during June, July, August and be conserved for one year without sub-culture. September because of humid atmosphere that Conserved plantlets multiplied normally and prevailed during this period. However, during were planted with high percentage of the dry season from December to March, there establishment and normal growth. Long term was actually very little fruit set (Parameswar, 1973, storage by means of cryopreservation using liquid Parvathi and Chandrappa, 1993, Belavadi et al., o 1977, Belavadi and Parvathi, 1998, Belavadi et nitrogen at - 196 C: Cryopreservation of cardamom al., 2000). seeds and encapsulated, vitrified shoot tips in liquid nitrogen (Ravindran et al., 2004). Cytology Genetic Resources and Cultivar Diversity The somatic chromosome number of cardamom is reported to be 2n = 48 (Gregory, 1936; Based on the adaptability, nature of the panicle, Sharma and Bhattacharya, 1959) while shape and size of fruits, the developed Chakravarti (1948) reported 2n=52. Variations cardamom is categorized into three botanical in chromosome numbers were seen in Mysore varieties viz. Malabar, Mysore and Vazhukka and Malabar varieties of cardamom implied that (Sastri, 1952). The characteristic features of aneuploidy as well as structural alterations in the these varieties are given in Table 1. 17 International Journal of Research in Agriculture and Forestry V6 ● I12 ● 2019 Review on Breeding Method and Achievements of Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) and Future Prospects Table1. Specific characteristics of the three varieties of cardamom Characters var. Malabar var. Mysore var. Vazhukka Lower altitudes 600-900 m Higher altitudes 900-1200 m Adaptability Wide range a.s.l. a.s.l. Areas of cultivation Karnataka Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu Kerala Plant growth Medium Robust Robust Panicles Prostrate Erect Semi erect Capsules Round or oblong Bold, elongated Round to oblong Leaf petiole Short Long Long Capsule colour at maturity Pale/golden/yellow Green Green Source: Sastri, 1952 Characterization and Evaluation among 134 disease escapes