NA-6
A Narendra Aonla release from NDUAT, Faizabad, selected from Chakaiya. At Bikaner it gave 67 kg a tree with 40.8 g fruit, the second best yield after NA-7, and had the highest TSS (19.3%). Whether it is the lowest-fibre variety is not shown by the trials we found.
Quick facts
- Type
- Grafted plant (improved selection)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Grafted tree. Harvested in December at Bikaner. No ripening dates for NA-6 in the Gujarat trials we found.
- Expected yield
- 67 kg a tree at Bikaner (8 × 8 m orchard, 2002–03). Fruit 40.8 g there.
- Suitable soil
- All soils
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance widely documented
- Release
- Released by Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (NDUAT), Faizabad, selected from Chakaiya
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
NA-6 (Narendra Aonla-6) was released by Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (NDUAT), Faizabad, selected from Chakaiya. At Bikaner it did well: 67 kg a tree, second only to NA-7 (105 kg), with a fruit of 40.8 g, second only to Krishna (48.3 g). It also had the highest TSS of the varieties compared, 19.30%, and a vitamin C of 559 mg per 100 g. The tree was vigorous: the thickest trunk and the longest new shoots in the trial. NA-6 is often described as the low-fibre candy variety, but the trials we could read do not measure fibre for it, so ask your buyer to test your own fruit.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose NA-6 if you want large fruit and a good crop together: at Bikaner it gave 67 kg a tree, second only to NA-7, with 40.8 g fruit, second only to Krishna, and the highest TSS, 19.30%. Choose NA-7 instead if yield is all that matters (105 kg at Bikaner, 42.34 kg at Bhubaneswar). Do not buy NA-6 only because it is called the low-fibre candy type. The trials we read did not measure its fibre. Test a sample first.
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
- 67 kg a tree at Bikaner, the second best yield after NA-7.
- Large fruit: 40.8 g at Bikaner, second after Krishna.
- Highest TSS of the varieties compared at Bikaner: 19.30%.
Things to consider
- Only half the yield of NA-7 at Bikaner (67 kg against 105 kg).
- We found no trial that measured NA-6's fibre, so the low-fibre claim is unproven here.
- Buy a grafted plant from a recognised nursery. A seedling from its fruit will not breed true.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
Test the low-fibre claim before you pay for it
NA-6 is often sold on one line: low fibre, best for candy. That line may be true for your fruit, but the trials we read do not show it. At Bikaner they measured size, yield, vitamin C and TSS, not fibre. The one fibre figure we found, from Parbhani, put Chakaiya, not NA-6, lowest at 0.66%.
What NA-6 did show at Bikaner: 67 kg a tree, fruit of 40.8 g, and TSS of 19.30%, the highest of the varieties compared. Those are real, useful numbers for a candy or preserve maker.
So check it yourself. Take 2 kg of NA-6 fruit from a bearing tree and ask the buyer who will make your candy to test it for fibre and texture. If it passes, you have a premium product. If it does not, you have found out before planting a whole block.
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 |
| 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-6this page | 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 NA-6 the best amla for candy?
It is widely sold as the low-fibre candy type, but the trials we read did not measure its fibre. What they do show: 40.8 g fruit and the highest TSS, 19.30%, at Bikaner. Big fruit and high sugar help candy, yet fibre decides the texture. Send 2 kg of your fruit to your candy buyer and ask him to test it before you plant a block.
How much does NA-6 yield?
At Bikaner (8 × 8 m orchard planted in 1996, mean of 2002 and 2003) NA-6 gave 67 kg a tree. NA-7 gave 105 kg, Chakaiya 52 kg, Krishna 45 kg and Kanchan 35 kg. So NA-6 is a good second in yield there. We found no NA-6 yield figure from the Gujarat or Parbhani trials.
How big is the NA-6 tree?
At Bikaner it was a vigorous tree: 3.21 m tall, the thickest trunk of the varieties compared, and the longest new shoots, 16.6 cm. NA-7 was taller, at 3.45 m. Give NA-6 enough room. TNAU's general spacing for amla is 6 × 6 m, and the Bikaner orchard used 8 × 8 m.
NA-6 or NA-7?
For yield, NA-7: 105 kg against 67 kg at Bikaner, and the best at Bhubaneswar (42.34 kg). For fruit size and sugar, NA-6: 40.8 g against 36.52 g and TSS 19.30% against 15.20% at Bikaner. NA-7 also has a more confirmed early ripening (23–31 October at Vejalpur). If you can plant both, you get the yield from NA-7 and the larger, sweeter fruit from NA-6.
Can I grow NA-6 from seed?
No. NA-6 was selected from Chakaiya, and its seeds will give mixed trees, not NA-6. Buy a grafted or budded plant from a recognised nursery. Ask the nursery which tree it took the scion from, and plant in July–August as TNAU advises.
Sourced from: Amla — TNAU Agritech Portal, Horticulture: Fruits, Evaluation of aonla germplasm in hot arid ecosystem — Indian J. Hort. 67 (Special Issue), 2010, Comparative performance of aonla cultivars under Parbhani conditions — Int. J. Bio-resource & Stress Management, Flowering behaviour, yield dynamics and fruit quality of Indian gooseberry in the eastern tropical region — Indian J. Agric. Sci. 86(9), 2016. editorial policy.