





Sri Lankan Spices
Cinnamon | Pepper | Betel | Clove | Cocoa | Ginger | Lomongrass | Nutmeg and Mace | Vanilla | Cardamom |
Nutmeg and Mace
Introduction
Taxonomy
Family - Myristicaceae
Species -Myristica Fragrans
General Description
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
is native of Moluccas in East Indonesia. It has been reported that the plants have
been introduced into Sri Lanka in the beginning of nineteenth century.
Nutmeg plant is
a spreading evergreen tree reaches up to 15-20 m height. The leaves are alternate,
dark green, pinnatinerved. Flowers are generally
unisexual and dioecious. However, bisexual flowers of varying sexual composition
can also be found. Occasional trees with male and female flowers are also seen
in the plantations. Fruits are fleshy drupes, broadly pyriform,
drooping with a circumferential longitudinal ridge. Fruit colour turns into yellow during the ripening and the pericarp splits into 2 halves exposing purplish-brown, shiny seed surrounded by a net
like red aril. Indonesia, Grenada, Sri Lanka, Trinidad, China and India are the
major countries producing nutmeg and mace. The world trade of these two spices is
in the range of 8,000 -10,000 MT
Nutmeg tree yield two spices, nutmeg,
which is the kernel of the seed and mace, which is the net-like crimson colored
leathery out growth (aril) covering the shell of the seed
Cultivation
Agronomic Requirements for cultivation
Deep, well drained, loam and sandy clay loam soils rich in organic matter are preferable.
Soils with high water-table or liable to water logging are unsuitable.
Plant requires well distributed rainfall of 1,500-2,500 mm. In areas with a
pronounced dry spell or sandy soils, the annual rainfall should be higher. The
annual average temperature should be 20-30°C without much seasonal or diurnal
variation. Persistent strong winds are harmful for the growth of plant. Sheltered
valleys and leeward slopes are suitable for cultivate nutmeg.
Plant can be grown at elevation up to about 600m in the wet zone. Shade is
essential during the first 2-3 years of growth. Thereafter full exposure to sunlight
is beneficial.
Recommended Varieties
In Sri Lanka there are no special
varieties of nutmeg. However, as usual method of propagation is by seeds, and
these seeds should be taken from selected mother trees, for high yields, large
nuts and heavy mace. Seeds have to be sown as soon as possible since viability
is lost in 8 to 10 days.
Field Planting and Spacing
The seedlings are field planted at the
beginning of the rainy season. In Nutmeg, there are separate male and female
trees but the sex of the trees can be identified only after flowering. In
general, about 50% of seedlings will be males. Therefore, the initial spacing
may be about 6 m x 6 m and after flowering, they may be thinned out. Male trees
do not fruit but are essential
for pollination, for which 1 male to 10 female trees is adequate.