Case Studies on Nurseries Raising of Turmeric Var ‘Lakadong’ in Jaintia Hills Meghalaya India

Abstract

Meghalaya is home to a variety of spices, among which turmeric (Curcuma Longa L.) is one of the most prominent. The Jaintia hills districts of Meghalaya are a native to one of the finest varieties of turmeric in the world namely ‘Lakadong’ which is considered one of the world's best varieties due to its curcumin content of around 6.8 to 7.5 per cent. Following single bud rhizome plugtray method developed by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Coimbatore, for rapid multiplication of seeds, Lakadong rhizome were raised in two types of agro-shade net nurseries in Kyrwen Village. Model 1 is a poly-cum-shade net house covered with translucent 200µ UVS plastic on top and 50% green shade net on the sides, while Model 2 is completely covered with 50% shade net. Studies indicate that while the poly-cum-shade net achieved a higher sprouting rate for Lakadong rhizomes, it led to poor seedling development and lower survival rates when transplanted to the field, especially for seedlings grown in plug trays. Conversely, transferring seedlings from poly-cum-shade net to shade net for a week significantly improved their field performance. Shade net nursery demonstrated better and healthier seedling development, with higher survival rates when transplanted. Additionally, Lakadong seedlings grown near the 50% shade net wall in poly-cum-shade net showed similar positive outcomes as those in shade net nurseries.