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Viswashree, farmers' favourite

Viswashree, the nutmeg variety developed by scientists at the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR) in Kozhikode, is now a favourite with farmers in Indian states.

Developed in 2002 by a team of IISR scientists headed by B. Krishnamoorthy, Viswashree is in demand even outside the country since it is high yielding and its yield is of high quality.

Viswashree is in many ways unique since it is the only nutmeg variety in the world that has been developed by scientists.

Authorities in Grenada, West Indies, invited IISR scientists to their country to offer solutions to the crisis in the nutmeg sector there after Ivan, a hurricane, devastated nutmeg trees in large numbers. Dr. Krishnamoorthy, recently back from Grenada, told The Hindu : "The Grenada authorities are desperately looking for ways to revive its nutmeg plantations that were devastated by Ivan the terrible hurricane in September 2004."

Nearly 90 percent of the nutmeg trees in Grenada were uprooted by the hurricane, precipitating a crisis in the country's economy.

Nutmeg has been a major foreign exchange earner for Grenada, accounting for 23 per cent share in European nutmeg market. It was the biggest exporter after Indonesia, which has 70 per cent market share in Europe.

Though Viswashree may be the answer to Grenada's nutmeg problems, it would need the Indian Government's approval for growing this variety.

At present, India imports nutmeg to meet its demand for use in medicines and sweets. Because Viswashree is high yielding and of high quality, this bushy and compact nutmeg variety is becoming popular in nutmeg growing traditional and non-traditional areas.

Said Dr. Krishnamoorthy: "It is now grown in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Pondicherry, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, the North-Eastern states, besides the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands as an inter-crop in coconut and arecanut gardens. In Kerala, nutmeg is a major crop like black pepper and fetches Re.1 per nut. Marketing is easy. Nutmeg trees are disease-free."

Nutmeg, Myristica fragrans Houtt to scientists, is a native of Moluccas Islands. It was introduced in India by the British in the 18th century. The tree yields two spices, namely nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg is the dried seed and mace is the dried aril (reddish mat-like structure covering the seed).

Research carried out over the past 25 years resulted in the release of the very high yielding and good quality nutmeg variety christened IISR Viswashree. This variety takes six years for the first harvest.

It gives an average yield of 480 kg mace per hectare and 3,122 kg dry nuts, which is significantly higher than that of the traditional variety of nutmeg now grown in Kerala.

The high myristicin content in nutmeg has potential in cancer treatment.

Growing more Viswashree variety of nutmeg is now acknowledged as one effective way for farmers to earn more, Dr. Krishnamoorthy said.

R. Madhavan Nair

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