Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is a significant spice crop in India, cultivated over 2,600 hectares with an annual production of 1,160 tonnes. It thrives in warm, humid climates with well-drained soils and is propagated mainly through seeds. Clove begins to bear economic yields 18-20 years after planting, with a lifespan of over 80 years, and various value-added products can be derived from it, including clove oil and powdered cloves.

1. CLOVE CULTIVATION
By :-SANDEEP YADAV.
ID - 731.
Degree program :-Bsc.(hons).horticulture
Batch :-2017.
Banda University Of Agriculture And
Technology , BANDA

2. CLOVE
Scientific Name : Syzygium aromaticum
Family : Myrtaceae
Chromosome number :- 22
Origin place :-Molluccas Island of Eastern Indonesia
•The clove is one of the important tree spice crop
grown in India.
•The clove of commerce is the fully grown but
unopened aromatic dried flower bud of an evergreen
tree syzygium aromaticum.
•The term 'clove' is derived from the French word
'cloy' and the English word 'clout', both meaning 'nail

3. • The volatile oil obtained from the clove bud contains mainly
(80-90%) and caryophyllene (4-8%).
Area and Production:-
• In India the clove is cultivated in an area of 2,600 ha. with
annual production of 1,160 tonnes. The productivity is 400
kg/ha.
Botany :-
• The clove is an evergreen tree growing to a height of 7-15 m.
• It begins to fork near the base, into two or three main erect
branches. The smaller branches are semi-erect, the twigs are
brittle, smooth and greyish-white in colour, and the whole
head is bushy and dense.
• The leaves are simple, opposite, exstipulate, glabrous and
aromatic owing to plenty of oil glands on the lower surface.
The new leaves appear in flushes and are bright pink.
• The hermaphrodite flowers are borne on a terminal,
corymbose, trichotomous panicle.

4. • The lower part of the flower along with the calyx
develops into a fleshy, dark, one-seeded drupe.
• The sepals are reduced to triangular projections and
this is popularly known as the 'mother of clove'. The
fruit (mother-of-clove) is usually a single-seeded
drupe, but occasionally contains two seeds also.

6. Climate :-
• Clove grows well under warm and humid climate.
• The annual rainfall ranging from 150-300 cm and a
relative humidity of 70% and above.
• It grows well from sea level to an altitude of 700-
900 m and a mean temperature range of 20-32°C.
Soil :-
• Deep red loam, black soil and laterite soils rich in
humus, having a pH between 4.0 and 5.6, are found
best for clove cultivation.
• Sandy soils and water-logged conditions are
unsuitable for clove cultivation.

7. Varieties :-
• Clove plantations in India are reported to have
originated from a few seedlings obtained originally
from Mauritius.
Two distinct bud variants were identified :-
1. One is having bolder flower buds (King type) :-
KC-1 & KC -2
2. The other one is smaller than the normal clove
(Liliput clove/mini clove) :-
LC -1

8. Cultivation
Propagation :-
• Clove is propagated through
1. seed
2. vegetative means by soft wood cuttings and by
buddings.
Generally, clove is only propagated through seeds.
Seed propagation :-
• Clove is propagated through seed which is called
the mother’s of clove. The seeds are extracted from
the ripe fruits (mother-of-clove) obtained from
regular bearing trees.

9. Planting :-
• The area selected for raising the clove plantation
should be cleared of wild growth before monsoons.
For planting, pits of 60-75 cm3 are dug 6-7 m apart
in rows spaced 6 m apart, about a month or two
prior to planting.
• The pits are filled with a mixture of top soil, burnt
earth and FYM or compost. Transplanting should
preferably be done during June- August, and in low-
lying areas towards the end of the monsoon in
September-October.
• Clove prefers partial shadeIn order to provide a
cool, humid micro-climate, intercropping with
banana is found to be very good.

10. Mulching:-
• Mulching the soil around the base of the tree
during summer conserves moisture and prevents
weed growth.
• Dry leaves or slashed weeds are used for mulching
around the base of the plant.
Weeding :-
• The plot should be kept weed free by regular
weeding.

11. Manures and fertilizers :-
• The organic manure along with a half dose of
fertilisers may be applied during May- June and the
remaining quantity of fertilisers may be given
during September-October, as a top dressing.
• The plants may be applied with manures and
fertilisers as given below.
FYM :- 30 kg
N :- 20 g
P :- 18 g
K :- 50 g

12. Irrigation :-
• In the first 3-4 years, extreme care should be taken
especially during the summer months. Plant-based
water application has to be very scrupulously
followed.
• Studies indicated that dripping of eight liters of
water per plant per day, recorded the highest plant
type and number of branches in the juvenile phase.
Inter-cropping :-
• Clove can be inter-cropped in coconut, arecanut,
nutmeg and banana plantations of the midlands. In
higher elevations, it can be mixed cropped with
pepper or coffee.

13. Harvesting and yield :-
• Though clove trees flower from 4-6 years of their
planting, the trees generally start bearing an
economic yield 18-20 years from the time of
planting and the production continues for 80 years
or more.
• The flowering season varies from September-
October in the plains to December-January at high
altitudes.
• The average yield at Burliar is 2 kg per tree (500
kg/ha) per year.
• About 11,000-15,000 dried cloves weigh one
kilogram.

14. • The essential oil yield is 17- 19% from clove buds,
6% from the clove stems and 2-3% from the leaves.
Grading :-
• Whole cloves are graded as special (Hand-picked),
Grade-2, Grade-3, Ground (powdered) cloves, while
the defective cloves are named as Khoker cloves,
Headless cloves, Mother cloves, Extraneous matter,
etc.
Value-added products :-
• Clove oil, ground clove, oleoresins, clove-stem oil,
clove-leaf oil, oil of mother of cloves and clove-root
oil are some of the value-added products of clove.

15. THANKS
FOR
ATTENTION