Determination of Harvest Time Residues of Thiacloprid in Cardamom

Abstract

Cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton. the queen of spices is indigenous to the Southern states of India. It is cultivated in Western Ghats (Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka) in an area of 73,795 ha. with a production of 12,540 MT (2005-06) and one of the important products fetching enormous foreign exchange (Stanley, 2007). India was the world’s largest producer and exporter until it was taken over by Guatemala in the 18th century. One of the major constraints in the production of cardamom is the excessive damage caused by pests. At present, these pests are kept under check with the help of synthetic insecticides. With the strict legislations enforced by the EPA, cardamom capsules with pesticide residues have a chance of being rejected by the hitherto importing countries, which in turn would have a major say in foreign revenues.