Punjab Arvi-1
Released by Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, with tall, obliquely erect green leaves and long, fairly thick corms — the main institutional taro release for the north-western plains.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Arbi (Taro)
- Type
- Corm / cormel (vegetative)
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 176 days
- Seed rate
- Seed cormels over 75 g gave the highest yield in PAU's Ludhiana trial. At 60 x 30 cm that is 55,500 plants a hectare, which means more than 4 tonnes of cormels.
- Expected yield
- About 225 q/ha (22.5 t/ha), PAU release figure
- Suitable soil
- Sandy loam with pH 7.4 at the PAU trial site; irrigated as and when needed.
- Disease resistance
- No specific resistance claimed
- Release
- Announced August 2009 by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana (D.S. Cheema, A.S. Dhatt, A.S. Sidhu); approved for general cultivation in Punjab by the State Variety Approval Committee
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Punjab Arvi-1 is Punjab Agricultural University's first arvi (taro) variety. PAU, Ludhiana, announced it in August 2009 after D.S. Cheema, A.S. Dhatt and A.S. Sidhu developed it, and the State Variety Approval Committee approved it for general cultivation in Punjab. The plants are tall, with large, dark green leaves held at a slant and a long petiole that sheathes the base. The corms are brown, long and medium-thick, with creamy flesh. It matures in 176 days, and PAU's release figure is about 225 q/ha (22.5 t/ha). It is recommended for all of Punjab except Bathinda district. PAU's own trial at Ludhiana shows that seed cormel weight changes the yield a great deal: over 75 g gave about 31 t/ha and under 30 g gave about 11 t/ha. PAU made no disease claim for it.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Punjab Arvi-1 if you farm in Punjab outside Bathinda district, where PAU recommends it. It is PAU's first arvi, released in 2009, and matures in 176 days. PAU's release figure is 225 q/ha (22.5 t/ha). The same variety gave about 31 t/ha at Ludhiana when seed cormels over 75 g were planted, and only about 11 t/ha with cormels under 30 g. So the choice is half variety and half planting material. Do not choose it for the humid east, where we found no trial, and note that PAU makes no disease claim for it.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeFirst week of March in the PAU Ludhiana trial; dug in the last week of September.
- Seed rateSeed cormels over 75 g gave the highest yield in PAU's Ludhiana trial. At 60 x 30 cm that is 55,500 plants a hectare, which means more than 4 tonnes of cormels.
- Spacing60 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants, cormels set 6 to 7.5 cm deep (PAU trial).
- Fertilizer80:60:80 kg/ha N:P2O5:K2O in the PAU Ludhiana trial; other practices as per the PAU package.
- Harvesting176 days to maturity (PAU release notice). In the trial the crop was dug in the last week of September.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Matures in 176 days, the shortest of the arbi varieties listed here, so the land is free sooner
- PAU's release figure of about 225 q/ha (22.5 t/ha), and about 31 t/ha in PAU's own trial with seed cormels over 75 g
- The one arvi variety released by PAU for Punjab
Things to consider
- PAU makes no leaf blight or mosaic claim, so scout and manage disease as for a standard variety
- Recommended for Punjab except Bathinda district. We found no trial for the humid eastern taro belt
- The best yield needs heavy seed cormels (over 75 g), which means more than 4 tonnes of planting material a hectare at 60 x 30 cm
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Punjab
Seed cormel size decides this crop as much as the variety
PAU grew Punjab Arvi-1 at Ludhiana for two seasons, 2011 to 2013, with the same field, spacing and fertiliser, and changed only the weight of the seed cormel. The yield in t/ha ran from about 11 with cormels under 30 g, to 17 with 30 to 45 g, 22 to 23 with 45 to 60 g, 27 with 60 to 75 g, and 31 with cormels over 75 g. The release figure of 22.5 t/ha is about what 45 to 60 g seed gave.
The heavier seed costs more. At the trial's 60 x 30 cm there are 55,500 plants a hectare, so 75 g seed means more than 4 tonnes of cormels to buy or set aside, against less than 1.7 tonnes at 30 g. Going from 45 to 60 g seed up to over 75 g added 8.4 and 9.6 t/ha in the two years. Work out what that is worth at your price before you decide.
PAU's explanation is that heavier cormels carry more reserve food, so the plants grow taller, close their canopy earlier and make more leaf area. So when you save seed from your own crop, put aside the biggest healthy cormels, not the leftovers. CTCRI's general advice for taro, 35 to 45 g, is lighter than PAU's best result.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This crop is grown from tubers, so your own field can supply next season. Keep medium-sized, firm tubers from healthy plants, store them cool and dark, and throw out anything soft or rotting — the disease travels inside the tuber. Replace your stock with certified planting material every few seasons, because virus builds up quietly year after year.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Arbi (Taro) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panchamukhi | Farmers whose buyers pay for big mother corms rather than small cormels | Not published (taro in general: 5 to 8 months, CTCRI) | 20.00 t/ha corm yield in a 40-cultivar trial (mother corm, not cormel yield) | West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha |
| Punjab Arvi-1this page | Punjab farmers who want an early taro and can buy heavy seed cormels | 176 days | About 225 q/ha (22.5 t/ha), PAU release figure | Punjab |
| Sree Hira | Odisha farmers with leaf blight on rainfed upland or irrigated medium and low land | About 180 days (6 months) | About 18 t/ha (leaflet); 18 to 20 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin) | Odisha |
| Sree Kiran | Kerala farmers who cannot sell the whole crop in one week and want a taro that keeps | 190–210 days | 17.5 t/ha usual, 28.5 t/ha potential (CTCRI) | Kerala |
| Sree Pallavi | Kerala farmers with a leaf blight or mosaic history who sell small cormels | 7 months (about 210 days) | 16 t/ha usual, 18 t/ha potential (CTCRI) | Kerala |
| Sree Rashmi | Kerala smallholders who want a non-acrid taro that does not need heavy inputs | 210–240 days | 18 to 20 t/ha usual, 32 t/ha potential (CTCRI) | Kerala |
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 Arbi (Taro) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Arbi (Taro) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Arbi (Taro) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Arbi (Taro) 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 Arbi (Taro) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Arbi (Taro) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
When is Punjab Arvi-1 planted and dug?
The release notice gives 176 days to maturity. In PAU's trial at Ludhiana the crop was planted in the first week of March and dug in the last week of September. Plan on late summer for digging, and look for yellowing and collapsing leaves rather than counting days.
What seed cormel size should I plant?
PAU's 2011 to 13 trial gave, in t/ha for two years: over 75 g, 31.2 and 31.6; 60 to 75 g, 27.3 and 27.0; 45 to 60 g, 22.8 and 22.0; 30 to 45 g, 17.0 and 16.5; under 30 g, 11.0 and 10.8. At 60 x 30 cm that is 55,500 plants a hectare, so over-75 g seed means more than 4 tonnes of planting material. CTCRI's general advice for taro is 35 to 45 g, which is lighter than the PAU best.
What spacing and fertiliser did PAU use?
In the Ludhiana trial the seed cormels were set 6 to 7.5 cm deep, 60 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants, with 80:60:80 kg/ha of N:P2O5:K2O. The soil was sandy loam with pH 7.4. The crop was irrigated as and when needed, and the other practices followed the PAU package. Check the current PAU package for your own season.
Why is Bathinda left out?
PAU's notice says the variety is recommended all over Punjab except Bathinda district, and it gives no reason. We have not found one, so we will not guess. If you farm in Bathinda, ask your KVK or the PAU vegetable department before you buy planting material.
Is Punjab Arvi-1 resistant to leaf blight?
PAU's release notice makes no disease claim, so treat it as an ordinary variety. Plant clean cormels, take off infected leaves, and mulch. CTCRI says leaf blight costs 25 to 50% of the yield when it is left alone. The varieties its bulletin names as resistant are Muktakeshi, Bhu Sree and Bhu Kripa.
Sourced from: PAU Releases Three New Vegetable Varieties — ICAR news (11 August 2009), Effect of seed cormel weight on growth and yield of taro in Punjab conditions — Journal of Root Crops 42(1), 2016, Taro — ICAR-CTCRI technical bulletin (2025). editorial policy.