SPICES & CONDIMENTS : Tamarind

Introduction

Tamarind, Tamarindus indicus L (Family: Caesalpinaceae), is native to tropical Africa and is now widely planted and naturalised everywhere in the tropics. It grows widely in the tropical and subtropical regions of subcontinental and is also planted along avenues, in parks etc. The fruits are used for various culinary purposes all over India as they contain tartaric acid (8%). The seeds give a gum used for binding and the wood has a good timber value.

It is a medium sized tree with a short strong trunk. The leaves are pinnately compound with 10-20 pairs of small leaflets. The flowers are small, scented, and attractive with yellow and red coloured. Pods are flattened and very considerably in size and shape. When ripe, the fruits are stiff and brittle. The most valuable part of the tamarind fruit is the brown and sweetly acid pulp. There are reddish-pulp types, which are considered the best.

Varieties

Recently Tamil Nadu Agril. University (H.C.R.I, Periakulam) has released one improved tamarind variety PKM.1-Tamarind by clonal selection. It has a high pulp recovery of 39%, pobs are less fibrous and pulp is also very sweet. It yields 250kg from ninth year. Another local selection viz. Urigam, a long, podded type, measuring more than 20 cm in length are also becoming popular among the growers. The grafts of this selection also start bearing from third year onwards.

Climate and Soil

Tamarind can thrive in tropical and subtropical climate excepting in places experiencing frost. Similarly, it is not exacting in its soil requirement. It thrives even in sodic and saline soils, ravines and degraded land.

Propagation

It is generally propagated through seeds. Vegetative propagation through whip cum inarching method gives more than 90% success. Patch budding on 9 months old saplings also gives more than 90% success.

Planting

It may be planted from June to November in South India and a spacing of 10 x 10m may be adopted to accommodate 100 plants, per ha. A pit size of 1m³ may be dug for planting and is refilled with topsoil and farm yard manure for good establishment of the saplings.

Harvesting and yield

The seedlings take 8 to 10 years for fruiting and the graft take 4 to 5 years for fruiting. It is not uncommon that trees with more than 100 years are yielding normally. There is a tendency of alternate bearing in this crop. Fruits are harvested from December to April. Though the graft starts yielding from fourth years, good yield of 250kg per tree is obtained from ninth year in PKM-1 variety.

Plant protection

Among the pest, mealy bugs and scales are often causing serious concern especially in the nursery and can be controlled by spraying 0.1% monocrotophos. Powdery mildew sometimes infects the leaves and can be controlled by spraying 0.1% Karathane.