Effect of Organic Manures on Quality of Kasthuri Turmeric Curcuma aromatica Salisb of High Cosmeitc Value

Studies on Standardization of organic manures on quality of kasthuri turmeric (Curcuma aromatica Salisb) was carried out at the Department of Plantation Crops and Spices, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram. The objective of the study was to standardize an optimum dose of organic manure on quality of kasthuri turmeric Curcuma aromatica of high cosmetic value. Kasthuri turmeric (Curcuma aromatica salisb) is a medicinal and aromatic plant with multiple uses. Skin care is the major domain of application of this aromatic plant. It is also used in medicines as a stomachic, carminative and emmenogogue and recently as a health food in Japan (Kojima et al. , 1998). Organic farming is the fastest growing agricultural production system in the world addressing ecological conservation, self reliance in food production, rural development, biodiversity conservation and health protection. The field experiments were conducted at the Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The planting material used was kasthuri turmeric, IISR accession collected from healthy rhizome bits of disease free plants with at least one bud weighing 15-20 g. The design was RBD. The sources of organic manures were FYM,. Vermicompost,. Coirpith compost. . Neemcake and 3 levels of organic manures.1. FYM-F1 – 20.0 t ha-1, F2 – 30.0 t ha-1, F3 – 40.0 t ha-1, 2. Vermicompost, V1-– 15.0 t ha-1, V2 – 20.0 t ha-1, V3 – 25.0 t ha-1, 3. Coirpith compost- C1 – 20.0 t ha-1, C2 – 30.0 t ha-1, C3 – 40.0 t ha- and 4. NeemcakeN1 – 3.0 t ha-1, , N2 – 4.5 t ha-1, , N3 – 6.0 t ha-1 and absolute control with no organic manures. The quality analysis were done