Pruning and mulching are traditional cultural practices in small cardamom cultivation to expose the panicles for better pollination and fruit set as well as to reduce insect pest build up. Also pruning the lower branches of shade trees in cardamom field is a cultural practice to maintain about 50 percent shade to have enough aeration and sunlight leading to better photosynthesis and reducing fungal diseases of cardamom. The trash/plant residue collected from these cultural practices as well as weed materials, if any are spread in the interspace among cardamom plants to add to the organic matter of the soil. The benefits are:

1. Reduced incidence of major pests (Thrips and shoot borer) and fungal diseases and hence drastic reduction of use of chemical pesticides; the natural enemies of pest are on the increase which further reduces the pest build up. The activity of the major pollinators (honeybees) is on the increase facilitating better fruit set.
2. The addition of plant residue to cover the soil aids in increasing organic matter and organic carbon of soil, increasing beneficial microbes around rhizosphere, conserving soil moisture, prevent rain water runoff, protect the root system from extremes of temperature etc.

The overall impacts are extremely low external inputs, reduced labour requirement and sustainable higher yield without any pesticide residue; as well as the cardamom agroecosystem in the serene Western Ghats of India is conserved.