NA-7
From NDUAT, Faizabad, selected from Francis. The best-yielding variety in every trial that included it: 105 kg a tree at Bikaner, 42.34 kg at Bhubaneswar. It ripens earliest, in the last week of October at Vejalpur and Godhra, with high fruit set and low astringency.
Quick facts
- Type
- Grafted plant (improved selection)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- 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.
- Expected yield
- 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.
- 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 Francis
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
NA-7 (Narendra Aonla-7) was released by Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology (NDUAT), Faizabad, selected from Francis. It was the best-yielding variety in the trials we read. At Bikaner it gave 105 kg a tree (8 × 8 m orchard, mean of 2002–03), far ahead of NA-6 at 67 kg. At Bhubaneswar it gave 42.34 kg a tree, the most, with the highest flowering intensity (82.5%). In the rainfed Gujarat trial it had the best fruit set (51.95%) and fruit retention (26.40%), the most juice (64.45%), the most vitamin C (453.20 mg per 100 g) and low astringency. Fruit weight is medium, 36.52 g at Bikaner. It ripens earliest of the main varieties: 23–31 October at Vejalpur and the last week of October at Godhra.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose NA-7 if you want the most fruit. It gave 105 kg a tree at Bikaner and 42.34 kg at Bhubaneswar, the best at both, and it had the best fruit set in Gujarat (51.95%). It ripens in the last week of October, the earliest of the main varieties. Do not choose it if you need the biggest fruit: it is medium, 36.52 g at Bikaner, against Krishna's 48.3 g. Choose Krishna for size, Kanchan for vitamin C and pickle, and Chakaiya to extend picking into December.
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 in the trials that included it: 105 kg a tree at Bikaner and 42.34 kg at Bhubaneswar.
- Best fruit set (51.95%) and retention (26.40%), the most juice and vitamin C in the Gujarat trial, and low astringency.
- Earliest to ripen: last week of October at Vejalpur and Godhra. TNAU also names it a preferred Tamil Nadu variety.
Things to consider
- Fruit is only medium: 36.52 g at Bikaner, against Krishna's 48.3 g.
- The Parbhani trial gave it the lowest vitamin C (362.32 mg per 100 g), so quality varies by place.
- It ripens first, so your whole crop can arrive while the market is also full of early fruit.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
NA-7 as the backbone of a mixed orchard
NA-7 is the safe base for an amla block. It topped the yield in the two trials that recorded kilos, 105 kg a tree at Bikaner and 42.34 kg at Bhubaneswar. In Gujarat it set the most fruit (51.95%) and carried the most juice and vitamin C.
But a single-variety block ripens all at once. At Godhra NA-7 was ripe 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. A block that is mostly NA-7, with a few rows each of Krishna and Chakaiya, gives picking across five or six weeks.
A simple plan for 100 trees: 60 NA-7 for the main crop, 20 Krishna for the large fruit, 20 Chakaiya for the December picking. Mark the rows on a sketch, and record each row's kilos every year, so you can adjust the mix after three seasons.
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-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-7this page | 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
How reliable is NA-7's high yield?
It was the best in both places that recorded kilos: 105 kg a tree at Bikaner (8 × 8 m, planted 1996, mean of 2002–03) and 42.34 kg at Bhubaneswar, where Krishna came second. At Parbhani it was not in the yield ranking, as Kanchan led with 99.79 kg. So NA-7 is a strong choice, but not an unbeaten one.
Does NA-7 ripen in October or January?
The trials we found show October. At Vejalpur, Gujarat, it was ripe on 23–31 October, 208 days from fruit set, the shortest of nine varieties. At Godhra it ripened in the last week of October. The end of January is sometimes quoted, but no trial supports that. In Tamil Nadu or Odisha it may be later, so watch the seed colour.
Is NA-7 good for eating fresh?
In the Gujarat trial NA-7 had low astringency, while Krishna, Chakaiya and NA-10 were high. It also had the highest juice (64.45%) and TSS (11.50 °Brix) there. Less bite and more juice make it easier to eat fresh than the sharper types. Fruit weight is medium, 33.76 g in Gujarat.
How many NA-7 trees per hectare?
TNAU gives 6 × 6 m, which is 277 trees a hectare. The Bikaner orchard used 8 × 8 m (156 trees), and NA-7 was the tallest there, 3.45 m, with the widest spread, 4.0 × 4.2 m. A 6 × 6 m block is fine in the early years, but be ready to thin or prune as the canopies meet.
Can NA-7 be grown in Tamil Nadu?
TNAU's amla page lists NA-7 among the popular varieties and, with BSR-1, as a preferred variety for the state. At Bhubaneswar, a tropical eastern site, it was the most productive variety (42.34 kg a tree). So it is not a north-India-only variety. Still, buy plants from a nursery in your own region and start with a small block.
Sourced from: Amla — TNAU Agritech Portal, Horticulture: Fruits, Evaluation of aonla germplasm in hot arid ecosystem — Indian J. Hort. 67 (Special Issue), 2010, Flowering behaviour, yield dynamics and fruit quality of Indian gooseberry in the eastern tropical region — Indian J. Agric. Sci. 86(9), 2016, 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, Comparative performance of aonla cultivars under Parbhani conditions — Int. J. Bio-resource & Stress Management. editorial policy.