Black Turmeric

The sacred treasure of nature gifted us some incredible medicinal plants which can heal and cure so many health conditions without relying on doctor and spent a lot of money in vain. The Mother Nature blessed us with each and everything for survival and it’s the final call to search and find out those treasures. ‘Black Turmeric’ or Kali Haldi is such a medicinal plant which comes up with so many health benefits and medicinal properties. Kali turmeric or Narkhar is a plant of medicinal importance which is grown extensively in Bengal about which many people are not aware of. It is used as an antidote and cosmetics. The botanical name is also called Karkuma and the genie is a member of the heir clan. Its plant is 30-60 cm tall without a stem while the leaves are broadly rounded, with a bluish-purple mid-vein on the upper surface and the flowers are coloured on the pink side.

What Scientific Research Claims?

Black Turmeric Benefits

Commonly known as ‘Black Turmeric’ is a perennial herb with bluish-black rhizome of the family Zingiberaceae. This species has been gradually increasing in popularity in the interested community for its unmatched medicinal properties. In ethnomedicinal practices, the traditional healers use the genus Curcuma for the treatment of various types of diseases but Curcuma caesiaRoxb. Is a very less known and almost untouched drug. Rhizomes of the plant have been explored for antifungal activity, smooth muscle relaxant and anti‑asthmatic activity, antioxidant activity, analgesic activity, locomotor depressant, anticonvulsant and muscle relaxant effects, anxiolytic and CNS depressant activity, anti‑bacterial activity, anti‑ulcer activity and many other miscellaneous activities. It is also used in the prevention of leukoderma, epilepsy, cancer, and HIV AIDS. (As per research report)

How to Grow Black Turmeric?

Climate

climate suitable for cultivation of black turmeric is warm. The temperature should be 15 to 40 degrees Celsius.

Land preparation

Black turmeric can be grown well in loam, bullai, matiyar, type of land. Before ploughing, in the first week of June by ploughing 2-4 times, make the soil brittle and make good drainage arrangements. Mix dung manure at the rate of 20 tons per hectare in the field.

Sowing time and method

For sowing, old rhizomes which have been collected and stored in the sand in a moist place during summer are used. They are cut into small pieces when new germination occurs. Those are planted in the prepared land at a depth of 30 cm, row by row 20 cm from plant to plant at 5-10 cm depth. It takes 15-20q of Rhizome 1 O to be planted. Felling 2-3 times enhances crop growth. It is advisable to irrigate twice a month after the rainy season.

Diseases and Pests

The outbreak of diseases and pests has not been seen in black turmeric.

Excavation & Resources & Production

Black turmeric crop is ready in 8 to 8 1/2 months. Carefully dig and clean the processes without damaging them and dry them in a shady dry place. Cut a good variety of rhizome into 2-4 cm pieces and dry them, which dry up and harden. Fresh tubers produce up to 50 per hectare