Black Turmeric is a long-rooted evergreen plant, which is about 1.0 to 1.5 cm in height. The root of the plant is blue-black. Its botanical name is Curcuma Caesia. Black turmeric crop gets ripened in about nine months. Its rhizome has anti-bacterial and antifungal properties.
Black turmeric acts as a toner for brain and heart. It lumps can cure many diseases. It is used for Piles, Respiratory diseases, Asthma, and Tumour.
If farmers cultivate black turmeric with modern technology, they can get maximum production. Here, in this article, we will tell you about the cultivation of black turmeric with modern technology. So let’s start;
Black Turmeric farming
Climatic Requirements
Black turmeric can be grown in hot temperature climate, and grows well in direct sunlight. And can be grown well if provided with good farming conditions. This plant can tolerate temperatures from about 41 to 45 degree Celsius.
Soil
Black turmeric can be grown in sandy- smooth and slightly acidic soil. Its rhizome can’t grow well in smooth- black soil.
Land Preparation
First ploughing must be done by running a deep plough. And then, before the monsoon, or in the first week of June, make the soil pulverized by 2 or 3 times ploughing. Note that, there must be good drainage system in the field. After this, mix the cow dung at the rate of 10 to 15 tons per hectare.
Germination
The most important thing to note is that, its bales are its breeder material. Ripe bales are collected before sowing and then cut into lengths. After this germination bud in each part is used for planting.
Method of Sowing
The lump is sown directly for black turmeric farming. And about 2.2 tonnes of bales are required in one hectare of land.
Before sowing, lumps must be immersed in 2 percent solution of Bavistin for about 20 minutes.
Transplantation
Before the arrival of monsoon, sow the lump in the ground, and must be sown at a distance of 30X30 cm. bales germinate within 15-20 days. One more thing to be noted is that, at the time of ploughing in the field, add about 10 to 15 organic manures.
Irrigation
The crop is usually grown in year-round conditions in the Kharif season. If there is less rain, irrigation must be done as per requirement.
Pests & Diseases
So far, there hasn’t been seen any outbreak of pests on black turmeric crop, but sometimes black spots can be observed on the leaves. To prevent this, sprinkle Bordeaux mixture on the leaves at the interval of a month.
Harvesting
Harvesting of black turmeric is done in the month of January, most preferably in mid-January. Remember that, while removing the roots from the crop, the lumps should be removed properly, because if they deteriorate, the tubers get damaged.
Post-Harvest Management
After removing the knots, first peel them off. And then, dry in open air. After this, keep the dry lumps in appropriate moisture free containers.
Yield
If black turmeric is cultivated with the above technique, about 50 tonnes of fresh lumps can be obtained in 1 acre, while 10 tonnes of dry lumps can be obtained. And according to this, if the price of raw turmeric is Rs. 30 per kg, then farmers can easily earn 10 lakhs through it.
