Kanchan
From NDUAT, Faizabad, selected from Chakaiya. In the Parbhani trial it gave the most fruit, 99.79 kg a tree, but it was the lowest yielder at Bikaner (35 kg) and its fruit is small (25.94–31.25 g). It has high vitamin C, 427–632 mg per 100 g.
Quick facts
- Type
- Grafted plant (seedling selection)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Grafted tree. Ripe in the last week of November at Godhra, Gujarat, and 15–22 November at Vejalpur.
- Expected yield
- 99.79 kg a tree (3,459 fruits) at Parbhani; 35 kg at Bikaner (8 × 8 m orchard, 2002–03). The yield depends strongly on the place.
- Suitable soil
- Well adapted to semi-arid and marginal tracts
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance widely documented
- Release
- Released by Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (NDUAT), Faizabad, a seedling selection from Chakaiya
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Kanchan was released by Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (NDUAT), Faizabad, as a selection from Chakaiya. Its fruit is small, 25.94 g in a rainfed Gujarat trial and 31.25 g at Bikaner. Its yield swings with the place. At Parbhani, Maharashtra, it gave the highest yield of the cultivars compared, 99.79 kg a tree from 3,459 fruits, and the authors called it the superior cultivar there. At Bikaner, in the hot arid zone, it gave 35 kg, the lowest of the main varieties. Vitamin C is high: 632 mg per 100 g at Bikaner and 427.27 mg in Gujarat, second only to NA-7 there. Fruit ripens in the last week of November at Godhra. The tree is tall and semi-spreading, 4.59 m in the Gujarat trial.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Kanchan if you farm around Parbhani or similar Maharashtra conditions, where it gave the best yield of four cultivars (99.79 kg a tree from 3,459 fruits) and the authors named it the superior one. Choose it also if you want high vitamin C (632 mg per 100 g at Bikaner) for pickle or processing. Do not choose it for the hot arid zone: at Bikaner it was the lowest main variety (35 kg a tree). Choose NA-7 instead for the safest all-round yield (105 kg at Bikaner, 42.34 kg at Bhubaneswar).
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timePlant in July–August (TNAU).
- Spacing6 × 6 m, in pits of 1 × 1 m or 1.25 × 1.25 m (TNAU). The Bikaner trial planted at 8 × 8 m.
- Sowing methodTNAU lists seedlings, grafts and buddings as planting material. For a named variety plant a graft or bud, because a seedling will not come true to the variety.
- IrrigationWater the young plants to establish them. No irrigation is needed in the rainy and winter seasons. Drip suits amla and can save 40–45% of the water (TNAU).
- FertilizerPer bearing tree a year: 10 kg FYM, 200 g N, 500 g P and 200 g K. Apply it straight after pruning (TNAU).
- HarvestingTNAU gives about 100 kg a tree a year for the crop. Prune in March–April and thin the crowded branches. A ripe fruit's seed turns from creamy white to brown, and fibres show on the seed cover (CHES Vejalpur).
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Amla is hardy and grows in many soils. It tolerates salinity and alkalinity (TNAU).
Climate
- Climate
- A subtropical plant that prefers a dry climate (TNAU).
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Highest yield at Parbhani: 99.79 kg a tree from 3,459 fruits.
- High vitamin C: 632 mg per 100 g at Bikaner, 427.27 mg in Gujarat.
- Ripens in the last week of November at Godhra, after Krishna and before Chakaiya.
Things to consider
- Small fruit: 25.94 g in Gujarat and 31.25 g at Bikaner, the smallest of the main varieties.
- Yield is uneven across places: 99.79 kg at Parbhani but 35 kg at Bikaner, the lowest there.
- Acidity is high (2.70% at Bikaner), which suits pickle more than fresh eating.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
Kanchan works in some climates and not in others
No other amla variety swung as widely in the trials as Kanchan. At Parbhani, Maharashtra, it gave the highest yield of four cultivars: 99.79 kg a tree from 3,459 fruits. At Bikaner, in the hot arid zone, the same variety gave 35 kg, the lowest of the main varieties.
The lesson is to look at where the trial was held. If your land is wetter and milder, like Parbhani, Kanchan is worth a block. If you farm in the hot, dry plains of Rajasthan, put NA-7 first (105 kg at Bikaner) and keep Kanchan to a few trees.
Whichever place you farm in, remember that Kanchan fruit is small, 25.94–31.25 g. You are paid for kilos, so count the number of fruits a tree can carry, and make sure pickers are paid by the weight.
Where the planting material comes from
This variety is a grafted plant: the variety on top, joined onto a rootstock below. Seed out of its fruit will not come up as this variety, so it cannot be kept as seed. Buy grafted plants from a registered nursery or a government farm, so the plant is true to the variety and free of disease.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Indian Gooseberry (Amla) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banarasi | A big-fruited early amla for fresh and pulp use, planted for fruit size and an October picking, not for the heaviest crop | Grafted tree. Fruit was ripe in the last week of October in a rainfed Gujarat trial (215 days from fruit set). | No kg-per-tree figure found for Banarasi. Fruit weighed 33.90 g in a rainfed Gujarat trial. | Uttar Pradesh |
| BSR-1 (Bhavanisagar) | The Tamil Nadu amla: a released TNAU variety with a stated 155 kg a tree, planted for yield and juice quality in the south | Grafted tree. TNAU gives no ripening month for BSR-1. | 155 kg of fruit a tree a year (TNAU) | Tamil Nadu |
| Chakaiya | The late-ripening old workhorse, planted to stretch the season into December with good vitamin C, not for big fruit or juice | Grafted tree. Ripe in the first week of December at Godhra, Gujarat (245 days from fruit set), the last of four varieties. | 52 kg a tree at Bikaner (8 × 8 m orchard planted in 1996, mean of 2002–03). Fruit 33.4 g there, 30.66 g in a rainfed Gujarat trial. | Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh |
| Kanchanthis page | A small-fruited, vitamin-C-rich amla for pickle and processing in places like Maharashtra, where its yield was best, not for dry arid land | Grafted tree. Ripe in the last week of November at Godhra, Gujarat, and 15–22 November at Vejalpur. | 99.79 kg a tree (3,459 fruits) at Parbhani; 35 kg at Bikaner (8 × 8 m orchard, 2002–03). The yield depends strongly on the place. | Uttar Pradesh |
| Krishna | A large-fruited mid-November amla for fresh sale where size is paid for, not for the highest yield or vitamin C | Grafted tree. Ripe 15–22 November at Vejalpur and in the second week of November at Godhra, Gujarat (213–225 days from fruit set). | 45 kg a tree at Bikaner (8 × 8 m orchard, 2002–03). Second best yield at Bhubaneswar. Fruit 48.3 g at Bikaner, 33.56 g in a rainfed Gujarat trial. | Uttar Pradesh |
| NA-6 | A large-fruited, high-sugar amla that came second on yield at Bikaner, for farmers who want size and sweetness with a good crop | Grafted tree. Harvested in December at Bikaner. No ripening dates for NA-6 in the Gujarat trials we found. | 67 kg a tree at Bikaner (8 × 8 m orchard, 2002–03). Fruit 40.8 g there. | Uttar Pradesh |
| NA-7 | The all-round yield choice: the best-cropping amla in every trial that included it, planted as the backbone of a mixed orchard | Grafted tree. Ripe 23–31 October at Vejalpur and in the last week of October at Godhra, Gujarat (208–215 days from fruit set), the earliest of the main varieties there. | 105 kg a tree at Bikaner (8 × 8 m orchard, 2002–03); 42.34 kg a tree at Bhubaneswar. Fruit 36.52 g at Bikaner, 33.76 g in Gujarat and 42.44 g at Parbhani. | Uttar Pradesh |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Indian Gooseberry (Amla) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Indian Gooseberry (Amla) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Indian Gooseberry (Amla) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Indian Gooseberry (Amla) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Indian Gooseberry (Amla) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Indian Gooseberry (Amla) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Kanchan yield figures differ so much?
The trials were at different places, with different tree ages and spacing. At Parbhani it gave 99.79 kg a tree from 3,459 fruits. At Bikaner, in a 1996 orchard at 8 × 8 m, it gave 35 kg. Kanchan did well in the wetter Maharashtra conditions and poorly in the hot arid ones. Use the figure from the climate closest to yours.
How big is Kanchan fruit?
It is small. It weighed 25.94 g in the rainfed Gujarat trial, the smallest of nine varieties, and 31.25 g at Bikaner. If your buyer pays for large fruit, Krishna (48.3 g at Bikaner) is the one to look at, not Kanchan.
Is Kanchan a good pickle amla?
Its vitamin C and acidity are high: 632 mg per 100 g and 2.70% at Bikaner. The Parbhani trial also gave it the highest acidity, 2.13%, and the highest TSS, 11.90%. Those suit a sharp pickle or a processing fruit. No trial we found tested pickle quality directly, so make a small batch and let your buyer taste it before you scale up.
When does Kanchan ripen?
At Godhra, Gujarat, Kanchan was ripe in the last week of November, 225 days from fruit set, after Krishna (second week of November) and before Chakaiya (first week of December). At Vejalpur, Gujarat, it was ripe on 15–22 November. So plan the pickers for the second half of November.
Can I save seed or take cuttings from Kanchan?
Do not grow it from seed. Kanchan was itself selected from Chakaiya, and a seedling from its fruit will not come true. The tree is propagated by grafting or budding on a rootstock. Buy a grafted plant from a recognised nursery, and ask where the scion wood came from.
Sourced from: Amla — TNAU Agritech Portal, Horticulture: Fruits, Comparative performance of aonla cultivars under Parbhani conditions — Int. J. Bio-resource & Stress Management, Evaluation of aonla germplasm in hot arid ecosystem — Indian J. Hort. 67 (Special Issue), 2010, Characterization of aonla varieties under zero irrigation semi-arid conditions — Indian J. Agric. Sci. 85(10), 2015 (CHES Vejalpur), Standardization of maturity indices in aonla under semi-arid Western India — Annals of Arid Zone 47(2), 2008. editorial policy.