Turmeric is the boiled, dried, cleaned, and polished rhizomes of Curcuma longa. The plant is a herbaceous perennial, 60-90 cm high, with a short stem and tufted leaf. There are 7 to 12 leaves, the leaf sheaths form the pseudostem. The lamina is green above and pale green below and has a length of 30-40 cm and a width of 8-12 cm. The inflorescence is a central spike of 10-15 cm in length. 1-4 flowers are born in the axil of the bract opening one at a time. About 30 flowers are produced in a spike. Seeds are produced in capsules and there will be one to numerous sunken capsules in an inflorescence. Turmeric is a tropical crop cultivated from sea level to 1200 meters MSL. It grows in light black, black clayey loams and red soils in irrigated and rainfed conditions. The crop cannot stand waterlogging or alkalinity.

Usage:

Turmeric is used to flavor and to color foodstuffs. It is a principal ingredient in curry powder. Turmeric oleoresin is used in brine pickles and to some extent in mayonnaise and relish formulations, non-alcoholic beverages, gelatins, butter, and cheese, etc. The color curcumin extracted from turmeric is used as a colorant. Turmeric is also used as a dye in the textile industry. It is used in the preparation of medicinal oils, ointments, and poultice. It is stomachic, carminative, tonic, blood purifier, and antiseptic. It is used in cosmetics. The aqueous extracts have biopesticidal properties.