Vanilla is to be considered the queen of the spice world, and is one of Sri Lanka's most valuable export crops. The price of vanilla, which is second only to saffron. The price of vanilla is rising day by day, and there is no trend in price reduction. The reason for this is, the demand or consumption exceeds the supply of vanilla. Over the past five years, the price of a kilo of raw vanilla has risen from around Rs. 500 to Rs. 6,000 and the price of hardened vanilla from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 23,000 to Rs 60,000. The price of vanilla oil is over Rs. 150,000. There may be occasional slight price fluctuations depending on the market behaviour but there is a high price and demand for vanilla compared to other spices.
The world vanilla demand is fulfilled by 10% of the world's natural vanilla, with the remaining 90% being artificial vanilla flavouring. Demand for natural vanilla has grown significantly as artificial vanilla is carcinogenic to humans. So the good news is that this vanilla can be grown very well under the environmental conditions of Sri Lanka.
Vanilla is a member of the orchid family, with more than 25,000 species of vanilla worldwide, and natural vanilla contains between 250 and 500 different flavours and aromas.
Vanilla is the main product extracted from vanilla. It is used in the confectionery industry, the pharmaceutical industry as well as in the perfume industry. Antioxidant vanilla skincare is natural to reduce the appearance of ageing, healthy skin, acne, hair growth, depression, dental health, sexual arousal and impotence, menstrual cramps, nourishing children, etc. The benefits of vanilla are enormous.
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| Image by Béa Beste from Pixabay |
Distribution of vanilla in the world In the case of vanilla crops, its flowers turn pale yellow and yellow, and after pollination the flowers produce spikes. Vanilla vines can grow up to 300 feet [100 m] in height and produce spikes after pollination. Bees are used for pollination of flowers and in commercial cultivation by hand pollination. After successful pollination, the spikes grow to 6-10 inches in length. When ripe, it turns black and gives off a strong aroma, with a ripening period of 8 to 9 months.
Today, it is grown from Madagascar to India, Indonesia, and China, where 75% of natural vanilla comes from and around Madagascar.
How to make vanilla extract Well-seasoned vanilla pods are mixed with alcohol and water, crushed and stored for about 48 hours, after which the mixture is stored for several months. If there are spots, it is a natural vanilla extract. But most products are artificial vanilla.
Vanilla cultivation in Sri Lanka Vanilla is currently widely grown in Kegalle, Kandy, Matale, Kotmale, Gampola and Higula, but there are no large scale growers. The harvest from the small scale growers and home gardeners fulfil the export market. Sri Lanka's exports vanilla around 2.06 tons per year.
Cultivable altitude - Can be grown in areas up to 600 m above sea level.
Soil - Loamy soil rich in organic matter
Rainfall is between 2000-2500 mm and it is recommended that the rainfall should be scattered over a period of 10 months.
Zone: The wet and intermediate zone is most suitable for this cultivation in Sri Lanka
Temperatures range from 21-32 degrees Celsius to 27 degrees Celsius.
Shade - Shade is a necessary factor for successful cultivation. Shade can be provided on all four sides and tall plants and intermediate plants can be used.
Planting material - 1 to 3 m long cuttings are used for planting. The following points should be taken into consideration while selecting those cuttings.
- Stems large and fleshy
- Disease and pest control
- Fast growth style
- The high yielding mother plant
Planting - If the ground is flat, the ground can be prepared as usual, but if it is a sloping land, contour lines should be drawn and holes should be dug on it. Or it can be maintained as a by-product of a crop such as coffee. In those cases a nylon rope or wood can be tied between the plants and the vine can be trained on it.
The spacing between vines should be 8-5 . Therefore 1089 plants are required per acre.
The vines should be planted about 1.5 feet deep in a 2.5-inch deep alley set horizontally from the support base. That's about 3 or 4 knots. Then the top part of the vine should be carefully tied to the support and covered with banana peel hangings.
Decomposed plant parts and organic matter at the base of the vine can be used for mulching.
Vanilla Cultivation Maintenance - Keeping the field clean can protect the crop from diseases. Banana shoots should provide shade for less than one year of ginseng shade.
When removing weeds in the field, the hoe should never be used. In this case, the weeds around the support, that is, the part where the root system is scattered should be carefully removed.
Drainage control - Drain well during cultivation. Water should not be allowed to accumulate. It is advisable to install a drainage system at least 1.5 feet deep to control water in a plain or land where water has accumulated. Soap or chemical water should not be released into the crop.
Disposal of litter is harmful to polythene. Therefore they should be removed
Prevention of Animal Damage - It is best to chase away animals without killing them. Vanilla roots, stems, leaves and spikes are rarely eaten by animals. Moths and birds feed on insects. Unnecessary application of coconut husks is detrimental to soil moisture as it damages the roots.
Care in pruning - In this case, care should be taken to ensure the safety of the vines as the vanilla leaves and vines can break off quickly.
Fertilizer application: Once a month it is advisable to apply a mixture of raw ginseng leaves, immature sticks, other decaying pieces of wood, decaying straw, decayed leaf litter, coir banana stems and leaves in equal proportions. It is suitable because most ginseng contains nitrogen and is low in potassium and phosphorus. Also, apply 500 grams of compost once a month. To minimize fungal damage, be sure to apply manure at least 2 months after sun exposure and goat and chicken manure after more than 2 years of age.
Unnecessary walking on the plantation can damage the root system. Roots can be crushed by placing frequently removed or shaken coconut husks around the support.
As vanilla generates higher profits, various programs are being implemented in Sri Lanka to encourage vanilla cultivation. Recently, vanilla has become a popular crop among the growers
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