Climate change is impacting the gap between two harvests of cardamom, one of the major crops grown in the district.
The average gap between the harvest of cardamom is usually 55 to 60 days, but now this has increased to 85 to 90 days. Scientists point towards climate change as the cause for this delay in harvest.
According to farmers, the crop season was delayed due to the absence of a proper southwest monsoon rain. After the active northeast monsoon, the crops began to grow on the plantations.
Mariyappan, a farmer at Anavilasamin Idukki, said that the new beans have sprouted on the cardamom plants in his two-acre plantation. “85 days have gone by since the last harvest, but the beans are not yet ready for the next harvest,” he said.
Sudhakar Soundarajan, scientist of Plant Protection, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Idukki, said that the average gap between the cardamom harvests is usually around 60 days. But due to the impact of climate change, this has now extended to 90 days. “The changing pattern of climate here has also caused the cardamom crops to be more susceptible to diseases,” he said.
“The cardamom now ripens more slowly. Spraying lime powder around the plants can help to dry the moisture. Spraying a mixture of 100 grams of Chelated calcium and 100 grams of Chelated copper in 200 litre water can reduce climate-based diseases and also the cardamom beans can be harvested in shorter time period,” said Dr. Soundarajan.
Vince Joseph, an agri consultant at Anakkara in Idukki, said, “Due to the absence of a proper climatic factors, cardamom beans did not mature on the usual time this year. The district witnessed a different climate pattern this season, reflecting in the maturing period of cardamom,” he said.
Climatologist Gopakumar Cholayil said that climate change first reflects in the agricultural field, and that harvesting period-related issues are an indication of a change in climate pattern.
