Ooty 1
A TNAU (Horticultural Research Station, Ooty) selection with round roots and a uniform deep blood-red flesh, bred for the Nilgiris and hill conditions, high-yielding under cool hill weather.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- ~120 days (TNAU)
- Seed rate
- 6–9 kg/ha sown in lines (about 2.5–3.5 kg/acre)
- Expected yield
- ~28 t/ha (TNAU)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed
- Release
- Released by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in 1992, selected at the Horticultural Research Station, Ooty
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Ooty 1 is a beetroot that Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) released in 1992, selected at the Horticultural Research Station, Ooty, for the Nilgiris and similar hill conditions. TNAU's lecture note describes it as a variety with round roots and blood-red flesh that yields 28 t/ha in 120 days and sets seed under Nilgiris conditions. TNAU's Agritech page names Ooty 1 first among the popular beetroot varieties and lists the Nilgiris among Tamil Nadu's beetroot districts. Its performance in the hot plains is not documented.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Ooty 1 if you farm in the Nilgiris or a similar cool hill area of Tamil Nadu. It comes from the Horticultural Research Station, Ooty (TNAU), and TNAU lists it first among the popular beetroot varieties. TNAU's lecture note gives 28 t/ha in 120 days, while TNAU's Agritech page gives 20 to 25 t/ha in 120 days for beetroot in general. Do not choose it for the hot plains. Its performance there is not documented, so try a small plot first.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeSuited to year-round sowing under Nilgiris hill conditions
- Seed rate6–9 kg/ha sown in lines (about 2.5–3.5 kg/acre)
- SpacingRows 30–45 cm apart; thin to 8–12 cm between plants
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Uniform, deep blood-red flesh that holds colour well
- High-yielding under cool hill conditions
- The standard recommended variety for the Nilgiris
Things to consider
- Bred and tested for hill conditions — performance in the hot plains is not documented
Suitable regions
Bred specifically for the Nilgiris and similar hill conditions — check with the local KVK before growing it in the plains.
- Tamil Nadu
A hill beet: what the Nilgiris give it, and the plains trial to run first
Ooty 1 was selected at the Horticultural Research Station, Ooty, for the Nilgiris and similar cool hill conditions. That is where its numbers come from: 28 t/ha in 120 days in TNAU's lecture note. TNAU's Agritech page, for beetroot in general, gives 20 to 25 t/ha in 120 days and calls the crop a cool-weather one.
A hill crop runs longer because cool weather slows growth. In the plains, heat speeds the crop up but can also cut root quality, and TNAU's lecture note says high temperature causes zoning. No record exists of how it performs in the hot plains. So treat any Ooty 1 figure from the hills as a hill figure.
If you farm below the hills, run a small trial first. Use the cool season for your district, sow 3 rows of Ooty 1 beside 3 rows of a variety your neighbours already grow, and record the days to harvest, the root shape and the weight of 20 roots from each. A trial of this size costs very little seed. It keeps you from planting a block of a variety that was bred for different weather.
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 Beetroot (Chukandar) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crimson Globe | Farmers who want a quick main-crop beet with crimson flesh and no ring-zoning | ~55–60 days (TNAU) | Best plot 31.7 t/ha marketable in a Gujarat trial (30 October sowing, 30 x 15 cm) | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar |
| Crosby Egyptian | Farmers who need a very quick beet to fill a gap between crops or to start a staggered sowing | ~55–60 days (TNAU) | No variety figure published (25–30 t/ha is the general beetroot figure) | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana |
| Detroit Dark Red | Farmers who want one safe, widely available main-crop beetroot with deep red flesh | ~80–100 days (TNAU) | 25–30 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana |
| Early Wonder | Farmers near a city who can sell roots tied with their tops as a bunching beet | ~55–60 days | No variety figure published (25–30 t/ha is the general beetroot figure) | Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi |
| MSH-102 (hybrid types) | Larger commercial and processing farmers who need very uniform, high-yielding roots and will buy fresh seed every season | ~80–95 days | 30–40 t/ha | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab |
| Ooty 1this page | Hill farmers in the Nilgiris and similar cool areas of Tamil Nadu who want a beet bred for their weather | ~120 days (TNAU) | ~28 t/ha (TNAU) | Tamil Nadu |
| Ruby Queen | Farmers who sell small, tender, sweet beets to the young-beet and salad trade | ~55–65 days | No variety figure published (25–30 t/ha is the general beetroot figure) | Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka |
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 Beetroot (Chukandar) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Beetroot (Chukandar) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Beetroot (Chukandar) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Beetroot (Chukandar) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Beetroot (Chukandar) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Beetroot (Chukandar) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Beetroot (Chukandar) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Ooty 1 grown, and where is it sold?
TNAU lists the beetroot growing districts of Tamil Nadu as Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Dindigul and Theni. The major markets it names are Mettupalayam, Coimbatore and Erode. TNAU does not say how much of that area is Ooty 1, since the list is for beetroot as a whole. If you are in one of those districts, a nearby market is the first place to ask which variety buyers prefer.
When do I sow Ooty 1 in the Nilgiris?
TNAU's Agritech page gives July and August as the planting time for beetroot. TNAU's lecture note says beetroot is a winter crop in the plains and a spring-summer crop in the hills, sown by March and April. Ooty 1 itself suits year-round sowing under Nilgiris hill conditions. All can hold in cool hill weather, but sow in your own district's cool months if you are outside the Nilgiris. A crop of 120 days sown on 1 July is ready about 29 October.
What fertiliser schedule does TNAU give for beetroot?
TNAU gives 20 t/ha of FYM and 60:160:100 kg/ha of N, P and K as basal, then 60 kg/ha of N at 30 days. For fertigation the total is 120:160:100 kg/ha over 120 days, split into 30 days of vegetative growth, 60 days of early root growth and 30 days to maturity. The nitrogen shares are 48, 48 and 24 kg. Use these as a guide and check your soil test.
Can I grow Ooty 1 in the plains of Tamil Nadu?
It was bred for the Nilgiris and similar hill conditions, and its performance in the hot plains is not documented. TNAU grows beetroot in Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Dindigul and Theni too, but it does not say which variety. Try 2 or 3 rows next to a variety already grown in your district, and compare days, root shape and weight before you plant more.
Can I save seed from Ooty 1?
It is open-pollinated, so seed saved from it stays true to type. TNAU's lecture note says Ooty 1 sets seed under Nilgiris conditions, which fits the general rule that beet is a biennial needing a cold spell of 4.4 to 7.7 degrees C for 6 to 8 weeks to flower. Beet is wind-pollinated, so beet or chard nearby can cross with it, and TNAU asks for 1000 m isolation for certified seed. For seed you can trust to name, ask the Horticultural Research Station, Ooty.
Sourced from: Beet root (Beta vulgaris) — TNAU Agritech Portal, Horticulture, Beet root: origin, varieties, package of practices — TNAU eAgri HORT 281, Lecture 30, Crop varieties released from TNAU (1921–2024): Beetroot Ooty 1, 1992. editorial policy.