Nutmeg is cultivated as a spice crop. Its plant is evergreen. Nutmeg is cultivated in many countries along with India, and the Moluccas Islands of Indonesia are said to be the place of its origin. It is also grown in large quantities in China’s Guangdong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Granada, South America, Yunnan Province, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Its dried fruits are used to make spices, essential oils and medicines. Nutmeg plants take 6 to 7 years to get ready, and the full-grown plant is 15 to 20 feet high. Its unripe fruits are used to make jam, candy and pickles. At present, many popular varieties of nutmeg are being grown. In which fruits and flowers develop in bunches, and the emerging fruits are pear-shaped.
Nutmeg Farming Steps In India
Climate And Soil For Nutmeg Farming
Nutmeg can be cultivated in any fertile soil, but sandy loam or red laterite soil is considered suitable for obtaining higher yields commercially. Its plant requires a tropical climate and grows well in the winter and summer seasons.
Long stay of cold and falling frost is harmful to the plants. Moreover, plants develop properly in normal rainfall. Its plants germinate well at 20 to 22-degree temperatures, and 25 to 30 degrees are required for Nutmeg Farming. Nutmeg plants can tolerate a minimum of 10 degrees and a maximum of 37-degree temperature only.
Field Preparation For Nutmeg Farming
Once the nutmeg plant is planted, it is ready to produce for many years. That’s why its field is prepared well even in the beginning. The soil is first ploughed deeply with the ploughs to prepare the field. Due to this, the remains of the old crop in the field are destroyed, after which they are removed from the field and cleaned. After ploughing, the ground is left open as it is for some time. So that the sunlight gets properly in the soil of the field and the harmful elements present in the soil are destroyed.
After this, the field is ploughed by applying water for Nutmeg Farming. After ploughing, when the soil becomes dry from above, two to three oblique ploughing is done with the cultivator. Then, the soil is pulverised by applying a rotavator powered by the Sonalika 42 tractor. Finally, the field is levelled by using footings in the loose soil.
Pits are prepared in rows for transplanting seedlings in a flat field. A space of 18 to 20 feet is kept between each row, and there should be a gap of 20 feet between each pit. All these pits should be two feet wide and one and a half to two feet deep. After this, a proper amount of organic and chemical fertilizers are mixed in these prepared pits and filled in the pits. All these holes should be prepared two months prior sowing.
Amount Of Fertilizer
A proper quantity of fertilizer has to be given to the pits prepared for Nutmeg Farming. So that the plants can develop properly. While preparing the pits, 10 to 12 KG of organic manure should be mixed with 200 GM NPK Mixing it well in the soil along with the amount of water in each pit. This fertilizer quantity must be given to the plants continuously for three years. Moreover, the amount of fertilizer is increased with the growth of the plant.
Transplanting Season And Method
Planting of nutmeg plants is done by both seed and cutting methods. For this, plants are prepared in the nursery. Farmer brothers can buy saplings from any government-registered nursery if they want. Transplanting of plants is done by making a small pit in the pits prepared in the field. Before transplanting these pits, they are treated with an appropriate amount of cow urine or Bavistein. Due to this, the risk of diseases affecting the plants in the beginning decreases. The plants planted in the pits have to be planted at a depth of 2 cm.
The rainy season is considered most suitable for transplanting nutmeg plants. For this, plants can be planted from June to August. This season is best for Nutmeg Farming. If the farmer wants, he can plant the plants until the end of March. But the plants planted in March require more care.
Plants Irrigation
Nutmeg plants require more irrigation in the beginning. In the summer season, its plants have to be watered at an interval of 15 to 17 days, and in the winter season, irrigate the plants at an interval of 25 to 30 days. In the rainy season, its plants need little water. If it does not rain on time, the plants can be watered. As a result, Nutmeg Farming requires only 5 to 7 irrigations in a year.
Nutmeg Plant Weed Control
Natural methods are used to control weeds in nutmeg crops. The first hoeing is done in its yield after 25 to 30 days of transplanting. Its plants require only 7 to 8 weeding in a year. Fully grown plants require only two to three weedings. Apart from this, whenever weeds are seen in the field, weed them out with any powerful John Deere 45 HP tractor. .
Nutmeg Yield And Profits
The average price of Nutmeg Farming is up to Rs.500, and its price is double in foreign countries. It takes 6 to 8 years for nutmeg plants to yield. Meanwhile, if the farmer brothers want, they can earn extra by growing crops that can be prepared in less time in the vacant land between the plants in the field.
For this, farmer brothers can grow quick-ready crops like medicinal, vegetable, and horticulture and get a good production quantity. Due to this, the farmer brothers will not have to face adverse economic conditions.
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