Krishna
From NDUAT, Faizabad. The biggest fruit in the Bikaner trial (48.3 g) and one of the heavier ones elsewhere, but only 45 kg a tree there. It ripens in mid-November at Vejalpur and Godhra. Its astringency is high.
Quick facts
- Type
- Grafted plant (improved variety)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Grafted tree. Ripe 15–22 November at Vejalpur and in the second week of November at Godhra, Gujarat (213–225 days from fruit set).
- Expected yield
- 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.
- Suitable soil
- All soils
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance widely documented
- Release
- Released by Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (NDUAT), Faizabad
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Krishna was released by Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (NDUAT), Faizabad. Its fruit is the biggest of the main varieties at Bikaner, 48.3 g and 3.7 × 4.6 cm, and 33.56 g in the rainfed Gujarat trial. Yield did not match the size. At Bikaner it gave 45 kg a tree (mean of 2002–03, 8 × 8 m orchard planted in 1996), well below NA-7 at 105 kg. At Bhubaneswar it was the second most productive variety after NA-7. At Godhra it ripened in the second week of November, and at Vejalpur on 15–22 November. Its vitamin C was the lowest of the Bikaner varieties, 542 mg per 100 g, and astringency was high. Parbhani reported the smallest fruit for it, so size depends on the place.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Krishna if your market pays for big fruit: it weighed 48.3 g at Bikaner, the heaviest of seven varieties, and it ripens in mid-November. It was also the second most productive variety at Bhubaneswar. Do not choose it for the top yield in the dry north-west, where it gave 45 kg a tree against NA-7's 105 kg, or for vitamin C (542 mg per 100 g at Bikaner against Kanchan's 632 mg). Choose NA-7 for a heavier crop and Kanchan for more vitamin C.
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
- Biggest fruit of the main varieties at Bikaner: 48.3 g.
- Second most productive variety at Bhubaneswar, after NA-7.
- Ripens mid-November at Godhra and Vejalpur, before Kanchan and Chakaiya.
Things to consider
- Only 45 kg a tree at Bikaner against 105 kg for NA-7.
- Vitamin C is on the low side (542 mg per 100 g at Bikaner, 352.45 mg in Gujarat) and astringency is high.
- Fruit size is not steady: 48.3 g at Bikaner, 33.56 g in Gujarat, and the smallest fruit at Parbhani.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
Check the fruit size before you plan around it
Krishna is sold on its fruit size, and the best number is from Bikaner: 48.3 g, 3.7 × 4.6 cm, the heaviest of seven varieties. In the rainfed Gujarat trial the same variety weighed 33.56 g, level with Banarasi and NA-7. At Parbhani it had the smallest fruit of four.
So the size you get depends on your place, water and tree age. Before you plant a large block, ask the nursery for the fruit weight from a bearing tree in your own district, or visit a grower who has Krishna in fruit.
If your market does pay by fruit size, weigh 20 fruits at the end of the second harvest and divide by 20. If the average stays below about 35 g, Krishna is not giving you the size premium, and a higher-yielding variety like NA-7 would earn more.
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 |
| Kanchan | 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 |
| Krishnathis page | 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
Is Krishna really the biggest amla?
At Bikaner, yes: 48.3 g, 3.7 × 4.6 cm, the heaviest of seven varieties. In the Gujarat trial it was 33.56 g, about level with Banarasi (33.90 g) and NA-7 (33.76 g). At Parbhani it had the smallest fruit of four. So Krishna can be big, but not everywhere. Check size in your own district before you promise it to a buyer.
How much yield does Krishna give?
At Bikaner (8 × 8 m, planted 1996, mean of 2002–03) Krishna gave 45 kg a tree, against 105 kg for NA-7. At Bhubaneswar it was the second most productive variety, after NA-7 (42.34 kg). We found no trial figure of 120–125 kg for it, so do not plan on that.
When does Krishna ripen?
In the Gujarat trials, 15–22 November at Vejalpur and the second week of November at Godhra (225 days from fruit set). It comes after NA-7 and Banarasi and before Chakaiya. It is sometimes said to ripen from mid-October, but we found no trial that showed that. Check the seed: creamy white to brown.
Is Krishna fruit astringent?
In the Gujarat trial astringency was high in Krishna, Chakaiya and NA-10, low in NA-7 and medium in Banarasi and Kanchan. If you sell fresh amla to eat, this matters: a sharply astringent fruit sells slower. For candy and juice, buyers care more about fruit size, vitamin C and juice yield.
Should I mix Krishna with other varieties?
Yes, if you want to spread your picking. At Godhra NA-7 ripened in the last week of October, Krishna in the second week of November, Kanchan in the last week of November and Chakaiya in the first week of December. Planting two or three of these gives you fruit over five or six weeks, so you are not picking everything in one rush.
Sourced from: Amla — TNAU Agritech Portal, Horticulture: Fruits, 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), Flowering behaviour, yield dynamics and fruit quality of Indian gooseberry in the eastern tropical region — Indian J. Agric. Sci. 86(9), 2016, Standardization of maturity indices in aonla under semi-arid Western India — Annals of Arid Zone 47(2), 2008. editorial policy.