POD, SEED AND GERMINATION CHARACTERISTICS OF SELECTED CARDAMOM (ELETTARIA-CARDAMOMUM (LINN) MATON) VARIETIES

Cardamom is a popular and important tropical spice, traditionally propagated by rhizomes, although seeds which are considered recalcitrant are being increasingly used in planting programmes. Thus a study evaluated the effects of pod maturity on pod, seed and germination characteristics of three popular varieties, along with the influence of drying on seed germinability. Green and yellow mature pods and seeds of all varieties had a high moisture content. The variety Mysore, which is considered high yielding, had larger pods with a greater number of heavy seeds. Although the pods of Vazukka were heavier than the Malabar variety due to greater seed weights, seed numbers were similar in both varieties. Seed moisture contents declined with increasing pod maturity, while seed weights and germinability increased. The germinability of Mysore seeds were greater, while that of the other varieties were lower. The larger seeds of all varieties germinated 15-20 days earlier, giving rise to a greater percentage (20-25 %) of seedlings. Desiccation at 20 degrees C maintained germinability for a longer period (5-9 days) in all varieties, than when dried at 30 degrees C. The seeds of the variety Mysore was more tolerant to desiccation than other varieties. The study illustrated the importance of selecting large seeds from yellow mature pods of cardamom for propagation and the value of establishment immediately after harvest to obtain a greater number of seedlings.