Cultivation of Spice Crops

Spices constitute an important group of agricultural commodities which, since antiquity, have been used for flavouring foods. Some species are used in the pharmaceutical, perfumery, cosmetics and related industries, and others possess colourant, preservative, antioxidant, antiseptic and antibiotic properties. India is one of the leading spice producing and exporting countries in the world. In addition, large quantities of spices are consumed within the country for seasoning of food and for several other purposes. No other country in the world has such a diverse variety of spice crops as India. This book reflects the intensive research carried out on this group of 42 spice crops since 1971, the improvement in agro-techniques and the release of many high-yielding varieties. It provides exhaustive information on all aspects of cultivation, harvesting and processing of each crop and will be an invaluable aid to students, teachers and growers of spice crops, both individual and corporate.