Crosby Egyptian
An old, very early open-pollinated variety with flattened, top-shaped, smooth dark red roots and small tops — fast to a marketable size, suiting catch-cropping and the earliest sowings.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- ~50–55 days
- Seed rate
- 6–9 kg/ha sown in lines (about 2.5–3.5 kg/acre)
- Expected yield
- 15–22 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
About this variety
Crosby Egyptian is a long-established, very early open-pollinated beetroot with flattened, top-shaped, smooth dark red roots and compact tops. It is among the fastest beetroots to reach a marketable size, which makes it useful as a catch crop between other plantings or for the very earliest sowing in a succession programme — but roots left in the ground past their size window turn woody quickly, so timely lifting matters more than usual with this variety.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeSeptember to November — among the earliest-sowable beetroot varieties
- Seed rate6–9 kg/ha sown in lines (about 2.5–3.5 kg/acre)
- SpacingRows 30–40 cm apart; thin to 8–10 cm between plants
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
~50–55 days
Expected yield
15–22 t/ha
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- No special resistance claimed
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Among the fastest beetroots to a marketable size
- Useful as a catch crop or for the earliest succession sowing
- Smooth, dark red, flattened roots
Things to consider
- Turns woody quickly if left in the ground past its size window
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
- Punjab
- Haryana