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Arbi (Taro)KharifCorm / cormel (vegetative)Updated 6 September 2026

Sree Kiran

The first hybrid taro variety released in India, from ICAR-CTCRI — a semi-erect, medium-tall plant with oval corms and cormels notable for keeping about 60 days after harvest, unusually long for taro.

SeasonKharif
Maturity period190–210 days
Expected yield17.5–28.5 t/ha
Suitable soilLoam

Quick facts

Crop
Arbi (Taro)
Type
Corm / cormel (vegetative)
Season
Kharif
Maturity period
190–210 days
Expected yield
17.5–28.5 t/ha
Suitable soil
Loam
Release
Released 2004 by ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram

About this variety

Sree Kiran is the first hybrid taro (Colocasia esculenta) variety released in India, bred by ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram, from the cross C-303 × C-383, and released in 2004. It grows into a semi-erect, medium-tall plant (70–80 cm) with a greenish-brown petiole and a moderately flowering habit, taking 190–210 days to mature. Its oval corms carry light-brown skin and white flesh, and CTCRI's own variety record lists 17.5 t/ha as its current farm-level yield with a potential of up to 28.5 t/ha under good management. Its standout trait is post-harvest keeping quality: the cormels hold for about 60 days after lifting, well beyond what most taro varieties manage, which matters for a crop that otherwise has to move to market within weeks of harvest.

Key characteristics

    Plant typeCorm / cormel (vegetative)
    Maturity190–210 days
    Yield potential17.5–28.5 t/ha
    Disease resistanceNo specific resistance claimed
    SoilLoam
    SeasonKharif

Sowing & cultivation

  • SpacingRidges/rows 45–60 cm apart, cormels 30–45 cm apart in the row

Yield & maturity

Maturity period

190–210 days

Expected yield

17.5–28.5 t/ha

Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.

Pest & disease considerations

Major diseases

  • No specific resistance claimed

Advantages & considerations

Why farmers may choose it

  • India's first hybrid taro variety, with a clear pedigree (C-303 × C-383) from a national research institute
  • Unusually long post-harvest keeping quality — about 60 days — which eases marketing pressure compared with most taro
  • Wide yield range (17.5–28.5 t/ha) gives real headroom under improved management

Things to consider

  • No specific leaf-blight or mosaic resistance is claimed for Sree Kiran — scout and manage disease as for a standard variety
  • Recommended primarily for Kerala conditions; performance in other states is not separately documented here

Suitable regions

States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.

  • Kerala