Hello, today we are here with curry leaves farming profit margins and analysis. The best fertilizer for the curry leaf plant is given in this post.
Tree information
The Curry leaf is well known as the Kari Patta tree in India and the scientific name is Murraya koenigii. It is a traditional tree in India and the bonsai tree is grown in the gardens of almost every Indian family. The leaves are widely used in medical sectors as well as in the perfume industry due to their vast health benefits and pleasant aroma.
Curry leaves yield per acre and best fertilizer
Yield per acre = 10,000 kg (10 tonns).
Best fertiliser for curry leaf plant
To maintain the natural properties of leaves it is mandatory to apply the best natural fertilizer for curry leaf plants. The best organic fertilizer for curry plants is well-rotted FYM. 15 to 25 kg of compost is filled in each pit at the time of plantation. Fertilizer in quantity is mentioned below:
Fertilizer dose – Fertilizer doses are provided in 2 splits before and after the monsoon.
1st year – Nitrogen 100 grams, phosphorus 80 grams, potassium 60 grams
After monsoon – The above given same quantity of fertilizer is applied at the end of the monsoon.
2nd year – Nitrogen 250 grams, phosphorus 100 grams, potassium 100 grams.
Compost – Additional 10 to 15 kg of compost is provided to the plants.
Light irrigation is required after each fertilization.
Biofertilizer is one of the best fertilizers for curry plants.
After providing sufficient fertilizer it is good to spray the salt water once 2 weeks or 3 weeks so that the plant remains healthy.
Curry leaf cultivation in India
Curry trees are found throughout the Indian forests. They are widely grown in tropical and subtropical zones. The plant is well known as a commercial crop and its leaves are commercially grown in Kerala, Tamilnadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kumaon to Sikkim region, laps of Himalaya, Deccan Plateau etc. Easy growing conditions are making this tree a preferable choice for intercropping.
Profit margin – Curry leaves yield per acre is around Rs 50,000. The idea of intercropping is also adopted by various farmers. Curry yield per hectare is around Rs 169,000. Its production in India is around 10,000 kg or 10 tonnes per hectare.
Properties of curry plant and leaves
- The tree is considered a shrub with an aroma.
- Its branches are cylindrical in shape.
- The height of the tree varies between 4 to 10 meters approximately.
- The colour of the stem is either green or brown.
- The tree trunk diameter is around 81 cm and it has a 16 cm stem. The plant contains white flowers.
- This tree is a self-pollinator in nature.
- It bears fruit in clusters of approximately 70 to 80 fruits.
However, this plant is grown all over India but tropical and subtropical regions are most suitable for growing curry trees. It is a shrub with having deciduous nature. These trees grow naturally in forest and wastelands it does not need water and can grow easily in any soil. Due to easy growing conditions, farmers are now doing their farming commercially. All the parts of the tree are economically important but the most precious part of the tree is its leaves which are widely used in making medicines including ayurvedic medicines and modern medicines.
Moreover, these leaves are widely used in Indian cuisine, especially in sambar dishes in the South India region and in regular daal in North Indian kitchens. In some regions, kadi leaves are also used in tea with some lemon flavour. Murraya genus has 14 global species and out of 14 only 2 species are cultivated in India; Murraya Koenigii (Sprenge) and Murraya Paniculata (Jack).
Tree growing zone – This tree grows anywhere, whether in forests or wasteland. Tropical and subtropical zones are the most preferable and suitable growing zones for trees. These trees can easily grow throughout India and apart from India, they are mostly found in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, Pacific Islands and Australia.
How to start curry tree farming
To start the cultivation you have to follow the farming best practices. Follow the below-given steps to start healthy and commercial farming.
Varieties – There are 3 different types of curry leaves regular, dwarf and gamthi. Regular trees are tall and wide whereas dwarf trees are grown in gardens due to their small and medium size. Gamthi variety is a slow-growing variety but has thick leaves and a magnificent rich aroma. Sen Kaampa, Dharwad 1 and Dharwad 2 are developed varieties of curry trees. You can buy fresh organic curry leaves of gamthi variety online at manvsgreen, amazon, flipkart etc.
Propagation methods – Curry trees can be propagated with two methods; leaf plants and seeds. The most common and easy method is the leaf plant which takes less time and less effort in comparison to seed propagation.
Seed propagation – In the month of July and August seeds are collected from matured trees and sown in the prepared nursery beds. These seeds should be sown before monsoon for quick germination. Fresh seeds are considered for sowing in nurseries in comparison to store seeds due to the difference in growth rate. Remember seeds shall not be more than 3 days old.
Stem cuttings – Stem cuttings are the best and easiest way of growing a tree. You should pick the stem cutting of 3 inches with several leaves whereas while planting remove the leaves from the bottom of the stem up to 1 inch. This cutting should be planted before the rainy season due to warm and moist conditions this type of condition is natural for germination habits in plants, animals and human beings.
Under moist and warm conditions your plant will root within 3 weeks. Add rich compost as a fertilizer to your plant once it gets rooted then transfer it to the main area.
Land preparation – A couple of ploughing is necessary to prepare the land and throw the tiny stones out of the farm. Six months before transplanting the seedling pits are marked and dug. Fill these pits with leaves and well-rotted compost. For tough and hard fields the pit dimension should be 1.5 x 1.5 x 2 ft.
Plant spacing
- Normal spacing is 90 x 120 cm.
- Pits dimension – 30 x 30 x 30 cm.
- Pits should be filled with topsoil, and well-rotted farmyard manure at the plantation time.
- Create furrows connecting to the pits so that irrigation can be made easy.
Irrigation requirements – Irrigation interval – Irrigate plants in three to five days of intervals. A three-year plant needs irrigation within 15 days.
Disease and pest management – Citrus butterfly, psyllid bug, scale, soil-borne pests. Leaf spot is a common disease found in leaves. The tree is usually disease-less under best farming practices
Pest management – Use tobacco decoction spray.
Disease management – Neem cake can prevent soil-borne disease. Neem cake 1 to 2 kg per plant once a year.
Harvesting – 1st harvesting of the plant can be done after 10 months or 1 year by pruning and topping method. In the first year, you may get a lower curry yield per acre but in the second year, it will grow.
1st year harvesting – Around 400 kg curry leaves per hectare are obtained.
2nd Year harvesting – 5400 kg leaves per hectare are obtained.
3rd year – 5500 kg leaves per hectare are obtained. Harvesting is carried out 3 times in a year.
4th year – 10,000 kg curry leaves per hectare.
The lifespan of a curry leaf tree is 20 to 25 years. Hence, one can get the curry yield for 25 years.
Oil extraction – Curry leaves oil extraction is processed when curry leaves are distilled under superheated steam. This steam is about 200°C degree celsius and after a proper steam process, a dark foul-smelling oil is obtained from the leaves. After refining this oil looks yellowish in colour spreading the aromatic fragrance.
Curry tree farming profit
The Curry plant is a traditional and popular plant for its medicinal and religious values. Due to the importance of curry trees, it is also promoted in schools. Teachers are giving homework to students for properties of curry plants and leave class 11 and class 12. Schools are making students aware of this precious tree and asking students to write an essay about curry trees in essay competitions. Therefore students need curry tree information in English for the Hindi language. Apart from school, India is growing curry trees commercially.
Project Report
Curry plant cost per hectare
Cost of curry leaf plant = Curry leaf tree price is Rs 25 per plant.
Curry leaf plant per acre = 3000 plants.
Plant material cost = Rs 25 x 3000 plants = Rs 75,000.
Land preparation cost = Rs 5000.
Fertilizer and manure cost = Rs 6000.
Labour cost = Rs 20,000.
Irrigation cost = Rs 20,000.
Total cost = Rs 131,000.
Curry leaves profit per hectare
Selling price of curry leaves = Rs 30 per kg.
Average yield = 10,000 kg (10 tonns).
Profit = Rs 30 x 10,000 kg = Rs 300000.
Net profit = Rs 3 lakh – Rs 131,000 = Rs 169000.
Net profit per hectare = Rs 1,69,000.
Net profit per acre will be Rs 50,000.
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