About this Produce
Long pepper, Piper longum sometimes called Indian long pepper or pipli, is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. Long pepper has a taste similar to, but hotter than, that of its close relative Piper ni- grum, from which black, green and white pepper is obtained.
The fruit of the pepper consists of many minuscule fruits, each about the size of a poppy seed, embedded in the surface of a flower spike that closely resembles a hazel tree catkin. Like Piper nigrum, the fruits contain the alkaloid piperine which contributes to its pungency. The important varieties for cultivation are Vellanikara -1 (Visvum Tippili) and Yercaud (Pl)-9.
The well drained red, loamy soils rich in organic matter (humus) are suited for cultivation. Lower elevations with high humidity are best suited for cultivation. It thrives well in regions having 30 – 32 °C temperature, 60 % humidity with annual rainfall of 150 cm. This produce is cultivated in our project in Eastern Ghats.
