Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.

Sci (2017) 6(9): 1979-1985

International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences

ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 9 (2017) pp. 1979-1985
Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com

Review Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.609.242

Advance Propagation Techniques in Important Spice Crops

A. Thapa, S. Datta*, A.N. Dey and P. Baisare

Faculty of Horticulture, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar,

West Bengal -736165, India
*Corresponding author

ABSTRACT

India is the land of Spices, the largest producer, consumer and exporter of the spices in the
world. According to the Spice Board of India, sixty three spices are grown in the country.
More than 90% of spices produced in India are used for domestic consumption and the
remaining are exported in raw and value added forms. A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or
other plant substance primarily used for flavouring, colouring or preserving food. Spices
are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems from plants used for
flavouring or as a garnish. Sometimes, spices may be ground into a powder for
convenience. Many spices have antimicrobial properties. This may explain why spices are
more commonly used in warmer climates, which have more infectious diseases, and why
Keywords the use of spices is prominent in meat, which is particularly susceptible to spoiling. India
produces spices on 3.08 million ha with and annual production of about 5.4 million tons
Advance,
Propagation, Spices,
valued at about Rs. 4500 crores, contributing nearly 20% of world’s production, 30% of
Techniques. the trade in terms of quantity but only 10% in terms of value. India is the biggest exporter
of spices and annually exporting about 3,908 tones of spices and spice products valued
Article Info around Rs. 4,460 crores. (NHB Database)The major constraints of spice production
includes- Low farm productivity and consequent high cost of production, Non-coverage of
Accepted:
21 August 2017
high yielding varieties in farmers’ fields, Non-availability of quality planting materials of
Available Online: high yielding varieties, Crop loss due to sever diseases and pest incidences, Poor post-
10 September 2017 harvest handlings, Inadequate extension networks and Price instability. More over the
traditional method of propagation in spice crops is followed the advance techniques for
rapid multiplication like split bamboo method, serpentine method, soil mound method, in
black pepper propagation and propagation of turmeric and ginger using single bud
rhizomes and rapid clonal propagation techniques in high value crops like small cardamom
and in-vitro propagation of crops like vanilla and cinnamon can be adopt for better
utilization of land and supply of quality planting material (QMP).Hence the major bottle
neck of the spice production is due to unavailability of quality planting material. Keeping
this constraints in mind the advance propagation techniques can be adopt to overcome this
problem.

Introduction

India is the land of Spices, the largest country. After independence, the spices
producer, consumer and exporter of the spices continued to be one of the major foreign
in the World. According to the Spice Board of exchange earning items which necessitated
India, sixty three spices are grown in the expansion of area under these crops and hike

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in production because of its high enrich substantial antioxidant activity, owing

flavours and colouring agents for food. More primarily to phenolic compounds, especially
than 90% of spices produced in India are used flavonoids, which influence nutrition through
for domestic consumption and the remaining many pathways, including affecting the
are exported in raw and value added forms. absorption of other nutrients. One study found
India’s glory in the past as ‘land of spices’ cumin and fresh ginger to be highest in
attracted foreign buyers like French, Greek, antioxidant activity (Ninfali et al., 2007).
British, Egyptians, Arabians, Portuguese,
Chinese, Japanese and Dutch. They all had India produces spices on 3.08 million ha with
their mind set on Indian spices and vied each and annual production of about 5.4
other to exploit them maximum to self- millionstonnes valued at about Rs.4500
advantage. India spices had contributed crores, contributing nearly 20% of world’s
substantially in foreign exchange earnings. production, 30% of the trade in terms of
quantity but only 10% in terms of value. India
A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other is the biggest exporter of spices and annually
plant substance primarily used for flavoring, exporting about 4, 45,000tons of spices and
coloring or preserving food. Spices are spice products valued around Rs.4, 460 crores
distinguished from herbs, which are the (contributing to about 12% of export earnings
leaves, flowers, or stems from plants used for from agriculture or 1% of total national export
flavoring or as a garnish. Sometimes, spices earnings). The export of spices and spices
may be ground into a powder for products is growing up every year. But it is
convenience. Many spices have antimicrobial alarming that per capita land resources are
properties. This may explain why spices are decreasing day by day due to huge population
more commonly used in warmer climates, pressure and industrialization. It is almost
which have more infectious diseases, and why impossible to have a horizontal expansion of
the use of spices is prominent in meat, which spice growing area. On the other hand casual
is particularly susceptible to spoiling (Thomos natural hazards, pest and diseases outbreak,
et al., 2012). Spices are sometimes used in market fluctuation, etc. are also serious
medicine, religious rituals, cosmetics or threats for getting that targeted outputs at a
perfume production, or as a vegetable. point of time. But sometimes, they concerned
Because they tend to have strong flavours and with some problems like non-availability of
are used in small quantities, spices tend to add quality and high yielding varieties, low
few calories to food, even though many productivity mainly due to infestation of
spices, especially those made from seeds, several diseases and pests, poor post-harvest
contain high portions of fat, protein, and handling practices, result in more production
carbohydrate by weight. Many spices, cost. Even, price insecurity and inadequate
however, can contribute significant portions extension works are also major constraints
of micronutrients to the diet. For example, a against these rapid multiplication techniques.
teaspoon of paprika contains about 1133 IU of Hence, rapid multiplication of planting
Vitamin A, which is over 20% of the materials through modern propagation
recommended daily allowance specified by techniques is urgently needed.
the US FDA (USDA National Nutrient
Database.2012). When used in larger Propagation
quantity, spices can also contribute a
substantial amount of minerals, including Plant propagation is the process or a way for
iron, magnesium, calcium, and many others, multiplication or generation of new plantlets.
to the diet. Most herbs and spices have Spices like coriander, cardamom, fenugreek,
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cumin, clove, nutmeg, allspice are propagated medium comprising of forest soil, sand and
by seeds and some are propagated by farm yard manure in 1:1:1 ratio. Split halves
vegetative ways i.e. by means of vegetative of bamboo is fixed at 45 degree angle on a
parts of the plant. For example, Black pepper strong support. Rooted cuttings are planted in
(cutting), cardamom (suckers), tamarind the trench at the rate of one cutting for each
(whip cum inarching, patch budding), bamboo split. The lower portions of the
cinnamon (cutting and layering), ginger, bamboo splits are filled with rooting medium
turmeric (rhizome), garlic (clove), vanilla (preferably weathered coir dust-farm yard
(stem cutting). manure mixture in 1:1 ratio) and the growing
vine is tied to the bamboo split in such a way
Conventional V/S modern propagation so as to keep the nodes pressed to the rooting
techniques medium. As the cuttings grow, the bamboo
splits are filled with rooting medium and each
Conventional propagation needs a large node is pressed down to the rooting medium
quantity of planting material which results and tied. When the vine reaches the top (3-4
less sprouting ratio, more incidences of months after planting of the cutting) the
disease and pests and poor root development terminal bud is nipped off and the vine is
as well as field establishment. Modern crushed at about three nodes above the base,
propagation techniques are more in order to activate the axillary buds. After
advantageous over conventional one. Through about 10 days, the vine is cut at the crushed
modern propagation techniques production of point and removed from the rooting medium
virus free, disease and insect pest resistant and cut between each node. Each cutting with
planting material with large quantities within the bunch of roots intact is planted in
a shorter space of time can be possible. These polythene bags filled with fumigated potting
plants grow faster and more vigorously. Also mixture.
gives higher yield as compare to conventional
methods. The advantages of this method of propagation
are rapid multiplication (1:40), well
Black pepper developed root system, higher field
establishment and vigorous growth as a result
Black pepper can be propagated by seeds, of better root system.
cuttings, layering, and grafting. Seed
propagation often results in genetic variation Serpentine method
while other methods of propagation are slow
and time consuming. So, there is a need to It is one of the cheapest propagation
introduce efficient methods for rapid techniques for production of rooted cuttings
propagation of black pepper. In different of black pepper is serpentine layering. In a
countries of worlds like India, Sri Lanka nursery shed with roofing sheet or shade net,
black pepper is plants are multiplied rapidly rooted black pepper cuttings are planted in
in order to get more seedling in short duration polythene bags containing about 500 g potting
and for quality planting material. mixture, which will serve as mother plants.
As the plant grows and produces few nodes
Split bamboo methods small polythene bags (20 x 10 cm) filled with
potting mixture may be kept under each node.
A trench is made of 45 cm depth, 30 cm width The node may be kept gently pressed in to the
and convenient length, filled with rooting mixture assuring contact with the potting

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mixture. Roots start growing from the nodes through single bud method is one of the best
and the cuttings keep on growing further. methods. For this, a disease free, one to one
Each node with the polythene bag is cut just and half month old seed rhizomes, treated
below the rooted node. The rooted nodes will with carbendazim @ 2g/litre and
produce new sprouts in a week time and will monocrotophos are used. These rhizomes are
be ready for field planting in two-three cut into small pieces having single bud, cured
months’ time. On an average, 60 cuttings can on palm mat, covered with 0.5% humic acid
be harvested per mother plant in a year by this treated coco peat and sprinkled the water
method. upto4 days. These sprouted single bud
rhizomes sown in portray contains coco peat
Soil mound method (100g) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (5g) and
covered with polythene sheet. Finally after
A soil mound of 2.5 m x 0.60 m (45° angle) emergence of leaf, spray the crop with
of 2 m length (height) was prepared using 0.5%humic acid and plantlets are ready for
locally available soil. In the upper layer of 5 transplanting within 25-30 days.
cm of soil mound, well decomposed cow
dung was mixed @ 1 kg/m2. Rooted cuttings Malhotra et al., (2016) reported that single
were planted at the base of soil mound in bud techniques of turmeric for seedlings
previously made trance at 20 cm spacing. production in portrays was more beneficial as
compared to direct planting method as
Bhuyan et al., (2015) concluded that soil showed on (Table 1).
mound method of black pepper multiplication
showed superior result over conventional Micro propagation of turmeric
method of multiplication and followed by
split bamboo method and serpentine method Nasirujjaman et al., (2005) reported that an
of propagation respectively. The longest vine ideal micro propagation method of turmeric
length, more number of node and branches has been developed using rhizomes bud
per vine and number of roots per node also explants. Woody plant medium supplemented
highest in soil mould method. Similarly, the with different concentrations of BAP alone or
number of cuttings available per harvest, in combination with different concentration of
number of cuttings per year and maximum NAA produced varying degrees of multiple
success percentage of cutting was greatest in shoots. A Supplementations of 4.0 mg/litre
soil mound method followed by split bamboo BAP + 1.0 mg/ litre NAA gave the best result.
and serpentine method. In this case 95% of the inoculated explants
induced multiple shoots within 8-10 days
Turmeric inoculation and the average number of shoots
pre plant was 6.70. Rooting was spontaneous
Single bud rhizomes method in almost all the treatment. Most of the
regeneration shoots were successfully
Planting of turmeric by traditional way transferred to soil under field conditions.
required more amount of quality planting
material but less availability and highest cost Cheethaparambil et al., (2014) developed an
are the main constraint. Even though, it takes efficient protocol for the development of
nearly five to six months for rhizome microrhizome and minirhizome technology in
development along with better crop high yielding variety of turmeric, Alleppey
establishment. Hence, to overcome these Supreme, using two media combinations and
constraints rapid multiplication of turmeric four types of culture vessels.
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Table.1 Comparison of direct planting and transplanting (single bud rhizome) method of
turmeric on sprouting and vegetative phases of the plant

Growing Phase Direct Planting Transplanting Method (single bud

method (whole seed) rhizome)
1. Sprouting phase. 20DAP Plants have 34 leaves (1 month old).
2. Vegetative phase.
i. One month after planting. 2-3 leaves/plants 6-7 leaves per plants.
ii. Tillering stage. 3 MAP 1½ – 2 MAP
3. Rhizome development Starts from 5 MAP Starts from 3 MAP
phase.
4. Rhizome maturation 7-9 MAP 6-7 MAP
phase.
*Source: Malhotra et al., (2016)

It was observed that the variety showed highest using buds generated on the surface of the
response in liquid MS medium with 80 mg/ litre ginger. Surface sterilized young buds of 0.5 –
sucrose in Planton culture vessels. 1.0 cm and 2 - 4 cm cultured on Murashige and
Microrhizome and minirhizome technologies Skoog (MS) supplemented with BAP showed
were developed and comparative anatomical the highest survival rate (55-65%) and produced
and histochemical studies were carried out. The the highest average number of micro shoots per
microrhizome technology developed during the explants (3.2±0.06) respectively. MS medium
present study can be used for large scale supplemented with different concentrations and
production of planting materials in turmeric combinations of auxin and cytokinin were used
within a short period of time without to evaluate shoot multiplication and root
compromising the quality and quantity. induction. BAP concentrations between 3.0-5.0
mg/litre was very effective in promoting micro
Ginger shoots and resulted in 100% of micro shoot
propagation. Micro shoots cultured on MS
A transplanting technique in ginger by using medium supplemented with 3 mg/litre BAP and
single bud sprouts (about 5 g) has been 0.5 mg/ litre NAA produced the highest number
standardized to produce good quality planting of shoots while 0-0.5 mg/litre BAP enhanced
material with reduced cost. The yield of ginger shoot length and 3 mg/ litre NAA in
is at par with conventional planting system. The combination with BAP produced highest
technique involves raising transplants from number of roots Micro shoots maintained on
single sprout seed rhizomes in the pro-tray and MS medium supplemented with 4.5% sucrose
planting in the field after 30-40 days. The produced the highest number of plantlets
advantages of this technology are production of (23±2.5) and roots per explants (15.4±2.4)
healthy planting materials and reduction in seed meanwhile reducing the length of lateral roots
rhizome quantity and eventually reduced cost (2.6±0.2).
on seeds.
Abbas et al., (2011) also developed the
Micropropagation of ginger promising protocol for in vitro propagation of
Zingiber officinale Rosco using sprouting buds
Zuraida et al., (2016) reported that ginger is was established. Sprouting buds were sterilized
cultivated for its medicinal value despite the and cultured onto MS medium supplemented
constraints of longer life cycle. They developed with different growth regulators. Augmentation
the protocol for micro propagation of ginger by of MS-medium with 4.5 mg/ litre BAP recorded

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the highest percentage of shootlets rate. The combination of cytokinins and auxins
multiplication. Shootlets were highly rooted on in the culture medium enhanced the response in
half strength of B5 medium supplemented with a number of plants in terms of shoot and root
1.0 mg/ litre NAA. The maximum percentage of growths, with 100% in-vitro multiplied plantlets
acclimatization, hardening and rhizomes were successfully transferred into field.
production of in vitro derived plants in
greenhouse was 80–100%. In-Vitro propagation of vanilla

Rapid multiplication techniques of small In-vitro propagation of vanilla plants showed

cardamom profuse shooting with the supplement of MS
+BAP@ 1.5 mg/litre media and along with that
Small cardamom is propagated by rapid clonal better rooting was noticed with the application
propagation method. One grown up sucker and of 0.5mg/litre of IBA. For hardening of
a young growing shoot are planted at 1.8 x 0.6 plantlets soil + coco pith @ (1:1) found better
m spacing, which is protected with erecting for survival of plantlets (100%) (Neelamavar
pandal. From one planting unit about 32-42 2005).
suckers produced after 12 months. Hence in one
hectare of clone nursery about 1, 48,144-1, In-Vitro propagation of cinnamon
94,439 plants were produced in 12 months
through rapid clonal multiplication techniques Subasinghe et al., (2016) reported that 15%
(Ankegowda and Biju, 2012). Clorox for 20 min was very effective in
minimizing pathogenic contaminants embryos
Micropropagation of large cardamom as well as minimum browning.1g activated
charcoal was effective for establishment of in-
Pradhan et al., (2014) Investigation was vitro culture, recording minimum browning
achieved with an efficient, simple effect, enhancing stem elongation and leaf
micropropagation methods was standardized for initiation. Treatment combination of 0.1mg
Ammomum subalatum cv. Ramsey for the NAA + 4.0mg BAP + 1.0g activated charcoal in
production of disease free and rapid full strength MS medium was effective for
multiplication of planting material of Large adventitious root elongation on in-vitro micro-
cardomom micro-propagules and conservation stem cuttings and given the highest root length
of genetic resources of large cultivator variety after 6 weeks of incubation period. Coir dust
of Sikkim. was the best potting medium for acclimatization
giving maximum survival (90%).
Modified MS medium with 4 % of sucrose with More over the traditional method of propagation
different concentration of hormone showed the in spice crops is followed the advance
suitable medium for multiplication of large techniques for rapid multiplication like split
cardamom. A total of 52 different hormone bamboo method, serpentine method, soil mound
concentrations of growth hormone/ cultured method, trench method in black pepper
medium were examined. The maximum number propagation and propagation of turmeric and
of shoots and roots were observed on (MS+ ginger using single bud rhizomes and rapid
sucrose 40 g + BAP 3 mg/litre + 0.5 NAA+2 clonal propagation techniques in high value
mg/litre) and second was (MS+ 40g sucrose + crops like small cardamom and in-vitro
BAP 3.5 mg/litre + 0.5 NAA + 2 mg/litre). propagation of crops like vanilla and cinnamon
After individually subcultured on same fresh can be adopt for better utilization of land and
medium, adventitious buds were initiated after supply of quality planting material (QMP).
10–15 days of culture, complete plantlets
developed within 50 days and maintained for 18 Hence the major bottle neck of the spice
months without decreasing the multiplication production is due to unavailability of quality
1984
 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(9): 1979-1985

planting material. Keeping this constraints in Ninfali, Paolino, Mea, Gloria; Giorgini,
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How to cite this article:

Thapa, A., S. Datta, A.N. Dey and Baisare, P. 2017. Advance Propagation Techniques in Important
Spice Crops. Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci. 6(9): 1979-1985.
doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.609.242

1985