Swarnamangala
A tall CPCRI selection from a Vietnamese accession with the highest mean yield among the CPCRI tall releases here (3.88 kg dry kernel a palm) and 26.52% chali recovered from fresh nuts. CPCRI recommends it only under irrigation.
Quick facts
- Type
- Seedling (selected seed nut)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- First flowers about 46 months after planting, under irrigation (CPCRI)
- Seed rate
- One nursery seedling a pit, not seed in the field. About 1,370 palms a hectare at 2.7 x 2.7 m, or about 920 at 3.3 x 3.3 m in a mixed garden (DASD).
- Expected yield
- 3.88 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,320 kg/ha); potential 5.50 kg
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Climate
- Arecanut can be grown up to about 1,000 m above sea level (DASD).
- Disease resistance
- No major disease or pest seen in CPCRI trials; guard against fruit rot where it is common
- Release
- Introduced from Vietnam in 1961 as accession VTL 12; recommended for release by the CPCRI Institute Research Council in 2005
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Swarnamangala is a tall arecanut selection from ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Regional Station, Vittal. It was chosen from VTL 12, an accession introduced from Vietnam in 1961, and recommended for release by the CPCRI Institute Research Council in 2005 for the areca-growing areas of Karnataka and Kerala. The palm is tall with a medium-thick stem, shorter internodes and a partly drooping crown, and the population is homogeneous and consistent in yield. The nuts are orange to deep yellow, bold, and oblong to round. The trial mean is 3.88 kg dry kernel a palm a year (5,320 kg a hectare), with a potential of 5.50 kg (7,700 kg a hectare), and 26.52% chali is recovered from fresh nuts. Flower initiation is at 46 months. CPCRI recommends it only under irrigated conditions.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Swarnamangala if you can irrigate and want the best mean yield: 3.88 kg dry kernel a palm (5,320 kg a hectare), with 26.52% chali recovered from fresh nuts. CPCRI recommends it only under irrigated conditions, so a rainfed garden should not use it. It also flowers at about 46 months, later than Mangala. CPCRI recommends it for Karnataka and Kerala. We found no Assam trial, so we have removed Assam from its states and suggest Kahikuchi there.
Sowing & cultivation
- Seed rateOne nursery seedling a pit, not seed in the field. About 1,370 palms a hectare at 2.7 x 2.7 m, or about 920 at 3.3 x 3.3 m in a mixed garden (DASD).
- Spacing2.7 x 2.7 m; 3.3 x 3.3 m when arecanut is grown as a mixed crop (DASD).
- IrrigationDry season: hose irrigation once in 4 to 7 days at 175 litres a palm, or drip at 20 litres a palm a day (DASD).
- Fertilizer100 g N, 40 g P2O5 and 140 g K2O a palm a year, with 12 kg green leaf, compost or FYM, in 2 equal splits in April to May and September to October. Give 1/3 of the dose in the first year, 2/3 in the second year and all of it from the third year (DASD).
- HarvestingFlower initiation about 46 months after planting; CPCRI recommends it only under irrigated conditions.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Highest trial mean among the CPCRI tall releases here: 3.88 kg dry kernel a palm (5,320 kg a hectare)
- 26.52% chali recovered from fresh nuts
- A homogeneous population, consistent in yield, with no major disease or pest seen in CPCRI trials
Things to consider
- CPCRI recommends it only under irrigated conditions, so the 3.88 kg should not be expected from a rainfed garden
- Flowers about 46 months after planting, later than Mangala (36 to 40)
- Recommended for Karnataka and Kerala only. We found no trial in Assam, so Assam is no longer listed
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Kerala
Irrigation comes first: the one condition CPCRI sets
CPCRI recommends Swarnamangala for cultivation only under irrigated conditions. The 3.88 kg dry kernel a palm that makes it the leader among the tall releases here was measured in that setting. A rainfed garden should not expect the same figure.
The Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development gives the dry-season schedule: hose irrigation once in 4 to 7 days at 175 litres a palm each time, or drip at 20 litres a palm a day. At 2.7 x 2.7 m, which is about 1,370 palms a hectare, drip at that rate is about 27,000 litres a day for a hectare. Check that your source can supply it through the dry months before you plant.
If it cannot, the better choice may be a variety CPCRI describes as relatively tolerant to water-limited conditions: Sumangala, Sreemangala or Mohitnagar. They gave less (3.28, 3.18 and 3.67 kg), but a 3.67 kg palm that gets what it needs beats a 3.88 kg palm that does not.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Arecanut (Supari) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahikuchi | Assam and Meghalaya farmers who want the variety both CPCRI and the Assam package recommend | First flowers 50–52 months after planting; bearing by the 5th year (CPCRI, AAU) | 3.70 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,073 kg/ha); potential 5.30 kg | Assam, Meghalaya |
| Mangala | Farmers who want the earliest flowering and can irrigate, in an open garden | First flowers 36–40 months after planting (CPCRI) | 2.90 kg dry kernel/palm/year (3,700–3,900 kg/ha); potential 4.50 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Mohitnagar | North Bengal farmers, and anyone who wants uniform palms that settle into steady yield early | First flowers 48 months after planting (CPCRI) | 3.67 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,030 kg/ha); potential 5.50 kg | West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala |
| Sreemangala | Farmers who sell dried chali and want bold, round nuts | First flowers 44–48 months after planting (CPCRI) | 3.18 kg dry kernel/palm/year (4,240–4,500 kg/ha); potential 5.40 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Sumangala | Farmers who want a well-tested tall palm that copes better with dry spells | First flowers 42–46 months after planting, under irrigation (CPCRI) | 3.28 kg dry kernel/palm/year (3,900–4,350 kg/ha); potential 5.60 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| Swarnamangalathis page | Farmers who can irrigate and want the best average yield and recovery among CPCRI's tall releases | First flowers about 46 months after planting, under irrigation (CPCRI) | 3.88 kg dry kernel/palm/year (5,320 kg/ha); potential 5.50 kg | Karnataka, Kerala |
| VTLAH-1 | Farmers who want a short, easy-to-harvest palm, can irrigate and accept a lower yield per palm | First flowers 45 months after planting (CPCRI) | 2.54 kg dry kernel/palm/year (3,100–3,400 kg/ha); potential 3.20 kg | Karnataka, 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 Arecanut (Supari) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Arecanut (Supari) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Arecanut (Supari) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Arecanut (Supari) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Arecanut (Supari) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Arecanut (Supari) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Swarnamangala yield?
The CPCRI variety compilation gives a trial mean of 3.88 kg dry kernel a palm a year, which is 5,320 kg a hectare, and a potential of 5.50 kg (7,700 kg a hectare). It is the highest mean among CPCRI's tall releases compared here. Remember that the trial was irrigated.
What does 26.52% chali recovery mean?
It means that 100 kg of fresh nuts gave about 26.5 kg of chali, the dried kernel. A higher recovery means more dried product from the same weight of nuts you harvest, which is why CPCRI lists "high recovery of kernel" as part of the purpose of this variety. Your own recovery depends on how ripe the nuts are and how you process them.
Can I grow Swarnamangala in Assam?
CPCRI recommends it for areca-growing areas of Karnataka and Kerala, and we found no trial of it in Assam. For Assam and Meghalaya, CPCRI recommends Kahikuchi, and the Assam Agricultural University package lists Kahikuchi and Nalbari. If you want to test Swarnamangala there, plant a small irrigated block beside Kahikuchi.
Where does Swarnamangala come from?
It was selected from VTL 12, an accession introduced from Vietnam in 1961. The CPCRI Institute Research Council recommended it for release in 2005. It is the newest of the tall CPCRI releases here. The plant is tall with a medium-thick stem and shorter internodes, a uniform stand, and CPCRI saw no major disease or pest in trials.
Sourced from: Improved varieties of coconut, arecanut and cocoa — ICAR-CPCRI (variety records, yields, flowering), Calendar for arecanut — Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development, Technical Bulletin 67 (spacing, fertiliser, irrigation). editorial policy.