Turmeric: Botany and Production Practices

Abstract

Turmeric (Curcuma longaL.) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, which is native to tropical South Asia. It grows in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world and possesses high nutritional value. India is the main producer and exporter of turmeric in the world.It is commonly used as spice for flavouring and also as a natural colorant with a variety of applications such as its use as a condiment, in cosmetics and as a dye,besides being a potential source of therapeutically important molecules. The turmeric powder contains 2-8% curcumin, which is the main biologically-active phyto chemical compound. Moderate genetic variability exists in the crop and cultivars vary in yield, cropping duration and quality. Clonal selection has played a significant role in developing several high yielding varieties. Turmeric is grown both under rain-fed and irrigated conditions. It can also be grown as a component and inter crop with other crops. The crop is harvested 7 to 9 months after planting, depending on the cultivar, soil and growing conditions.The scope of this review includes the taxonomy, morphology, cytology, genetic diversity and improvement of turmeric. This review highlights research achievements of biotechnology and new found knowledge in plant genomics which will result in the development of promising cultivars. Horticultural aspects and post harvest processing of turmeric are also discussed.