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Cardamom Water Requirement Calculator

Work out the seasonal and per-irrigation water requirement of cardamom (FAO-56 ETc = ET₀ × Kc, peak Kc 1) for your field, climate, soil and irrigation method.

8458 m³
Seasonal water for 1 acre of cardamom
27.0 m³/day
Peak daily need
5 days
Irrigate every
Season length360 days
Net seasonal ET (crop)1881 mm
Gross seasonal (after drip / micro losses)2090 mm
Peak crop ET (ETc = ET₀ × Kc)6.0 mm/day (Kc 1)
Net depth per irrigation33 mm
Volume per irrigation135 m³

Cardamom needs high, well-distributed moisture under shade; sprinkler irrigation in dry months (Jan–May) protecting flowering and capsule fill is critical in the cardamom hills. Never let it dry at flowering.

Sources: FAO-56 Kc for cardamom (Kc mid ~1.0); ICAR-IISR/Spices Board cardamom irrigation; Method: ETc = ET₀ × Kc (FAO-56); efficiency: drip 90%, sprinkler 75%, pivot 80%, surface 60%

Indicative planning figures based on published research averages. Local soil tests, varieties and weather change actual requirements — confirm with your agronomist or extension officer.

Disclaimer: This tool is for general informational and estimation purposes only and is not professional financial, tax, accounting or legal advice. All figures are estimates — verify with a qualified professional before making decisions. Read the full disclaimer.

Farmers and irrigation planners use the free Cardamom Water Requirement Calculator to turn the FAO-56 crop coefficients for cardamom into a real seasonal water volume and an irrigation interval for their own field — no agronomy tables, works offline.

About Cardamom Water Requirement Calculator

Shade-loving cardamom needs 1500–4000 mm and constant moisture — drought during panicle and capsule development devastates yield. This calculator uses the FAO-56 method — crop evapotranspiration ETc = ET₀ × Kc — with cardamom's own crop coefficients (Kc 0.7 initial, 1 mid-season, 0.9 late) across a 360-day season. Pick your climate band (which sets reference ET₀), irrigation method (drip, sprinkler, pivot or surface — each with its own efficiency) and soil texture, and it returns the seasonal water need in cubic metres, the peak daily demand, the net depth per irrigation and how many days to wait between irrigations.

How to use Cardamom Water Requirement Calculator

  1. 1Enter your field area and choose the climate band matching your season.
  2. 2Select your irrigation method and soil texture.
  3. 3Read the seasonal water volume, peak daily demand and irrigation interval, then follow the scheduling note.

Why use Cardamom Water Requirement Calculator?

  • Uses cardamom's real FAO-56 Kc curve, not a flat factor
  • Accounts for drip / sprinkler / pivot / surface efficiency
  • Gives seasonal volume, peak daily need and an irrigation interval
  • Free, instant and fully in-browser — works offline in the field

Frequently asked questions

How much water does cardamom need?+

Shade-loving cardamom needs 1500–4000 mm and constant moisture — drought during panicle and capsule development devastates yield. The exact figure depends on climate and season length; this tool sums ET₀ × Kc across the crop's 360-day growth stages for your conditions.

Why is irrigation critical for cardamom?+

Cardamom flowers and fills capsules through the dry season; moisture stress then causes panicle drying and empty capsules. Dry-month sprinkler irrigation under shade protects the crop.

How much water does cardamom need?+

Very high — 1500–4000 mm a year depending on the hills, well distributed. The shade-grown crop has shallow roots and no drought tolerance during flowering and capsule development.

What is ET₀ and Kc?+

ET₀ (reference evapotranspiration) is how fast a standard grass surface loses water in your climate. Kc (crop coefficient) scales it to a specific crop and growth stage. Crop water use ETc = ET₀ × Kc — the basis of FAO-56 irrigation scheduling.

Is this calculator free and private?+

Yes — free, no sign-up, and all calculation runs in your browser, so it works offline in the field and your data never leaves the device.

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