Curry leaf (kadi patta, Murraya koenigii) is a perennial shrub that pays slowly in the first year, then steadily from year 4 and 5, and it grows well on red sandy loam in the warm south and across most of peninsular India. Its leaves are cut three to four times a year for 20 years or more, so the real work is pruning, manuring after every cut and finding a buyer for fresh leaf.
TNAU's yield schedule shows how long the wait is: 250 to 400 kg per hectare in year 1, 5,400 kg in years 2 and 3, 10,000 kg in year 4 and 20,000 kg from year 5. Only a fraction of the final income arrives in the first two years.
Climate and soil
- Soil: red sandy loam with good drainage gives the best leaf yield (TNAU). Light-textured red soils suit it, and it can also come up in dry climates.
- Temperature: the optimum is 26 to 37°C (TNAU), and growth is slightly affected below 13°C. Cold-winter regions are poor sites.
- Water standing around the roots is a risk, so avoid heavy, poorly drained land.
Varieties
| Variety | Traits |
|---|---|
| Senkaampu (Sen Kaampa) | Local cultivar recommended in the TNAU package |
| Dharwad-1 (DWD-1) | Strong aroma; oil content 5.22% |
| Dharwad-2 (DWD-2) | Strong aroma; oil content 4.09% |
- Local types with a pink midrib are preferred in some markets. Ask the local buyer which leaf type pays more before you choose.
- Seedling quality matters because the plants stay for 20 to 25 years. Buy from a state horticulture department nursery, agricultural university or KVK.
Planting and spacing
- Propagation: by seed. Fruits are available in July to August, and seed is sown within 3 to 4 days of collection in nursery beds or poly bags. One-year-old seedlings are planted (TNAU).
- Pits: 30 x 30 x 30 cm. Plough the field 3 to 4 times and apply well-decomposed FYM at 20 t/ha (about 8 t per acre) before the last ploughing.
- Spacing: TNAU gives 1.2 to 1.5 m between plants, which is about 1,800 to 2,250 plants per acre (4,450 to 5,550 per hectare). Another package states 90 to 120 cm on either side.
- Training: after the plant reaches 1 m, cut the terminal bud so it branches from the base, and keep 5 to 6 branches per bush (TNAU).
Nutrition and irrigation
- After every harvest: mix 20 kg FYM per plant into the soil (TNAU). At 1,800 to 2,250 plants this is 36 to 45 t of FYM per acre a year if applied after each of three cuts, so plan the supply of manure before planting.
- Chemical fertiliser: TNAU lists no NPK doses. One south Indian package gives annual doses per plant of 150 g N, 25 g P and 50 g K along with 20 kg FYM (secondary source). Confirm with your KVK and a soil test, and see the fertilizer guide.
- Irrigation: water straight after planting, again on day 3, then once a week (TNAU). Drip suits a widely spaced perennial.
Pests and diseases
- Citrus butterfly caterpillars: hand-pick larvae; TNAU lists malathion at 1 ml per litre.
- Psyllid and scale: dimethoate at 1 ml per litre. Leaf spot: carbendazim at 1 g per litre, and avoid sulphur products with it.
- The leaf is eaten fresh, so follow the label waiting period strictly and ask the KVK for the current recommendation. Leaf sold with residues above the limit loses its buyer, and this matters even more for export. See the pest guide.
Harvest and yield
| Year | Leaf per hectare (TNAU) | Per acre (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (first cut at 10 to 12 months) | 250 to 400 kg | 100 to 160 kg |
| 2 and 3 | 5,400 kg a year | about 2,200 kg |
| 4 | 10,000 kg a year | about 4,050 kg |
| 5 onwards | 20,000 kg a year | about 8,100 kg |
- TNAU harvests three times a year at 3 to 4 month intervals. A second south Indian schedule (secondary source) gives only 3,500 to 5,000 kg/ha from year 5, so treat 20 t/ha as a best case for a well-managed plantation, not a guarantee.
- The plantation lasts 20 to 25 years.
💡 Tip: Plan on the low yield schedule (about 5 t/ha from year 5) when working out whether the crop pays. If the field does better, that is a bonus, and if it does not you are still covered.
Cost and returns
- No verified Indian cost-of-cultivation or farm-gate price series for curry leaf was found, so none is quoted. Prices for fresh leaf vary by town, so check the buyer or the local vegetable market (see mandi bhav where it is listed).
- Arithmetic to use: gross per acre = kg of leaf x price per kg. At the TNAU schedule an acre gives about 2,200 kg in years 2 and 3 and 4,050 kg in year 4, so every ₹10 per kg of farm-gate price is about ₹22,000 and ₹40,500 per acre in those years. The low schedule of 5 t/ha (about 2,000 kg per acre) from year 5 gives ₹20,000 per acre for every ₹10 per kg.
- Subtract seedlings, pits, FYM (20 kg per plant after each cut is the big item), irrigation, pruning and picking labour, and transport. Picking and bundling leaf is labour-heavy.
Market and risks
- Fresh leaf goes to local markets, vegetable wholesalers and traders in cities, and demand is year-round. Without a trader nearby, a large area is hard to sell.
- Dried leaf and distilled oil are possible products, but no Indian processor rates were verified. Do not plant for oil or export on a promise; ask an exporter or APEDA-registered buyer for written specifications first (export buyers).
- The crop is slow to begin. Intercrop or keep another income while the plantation matures. The KCC loan and local horticulture subsidy schemes (subsidy finder) can help with the gap.