Kashi Pragati (VRO-6)
An ICAR-IIVR (Varanasi) open-pollinated okra, coded VRO-6 and notified in 2006. The plant is tall and carries 20–25 dark green, five-ridged pods of 11–13 cm. The first pick comes in 44–46 days, and it resists yellow vein mosaic and okra leaf curl virus.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Bhindi (Okra)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First pick in 44–46 days
- Seed rate
- 12–14 kg/ha for the February sowing, 8–10 kg/ha for the June sowing
- Expected yield
- Average 16 t/ha, potential 18 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Identified 2002; notified 25 April 2006 (S.O. 597(E)) by ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi
About this variety
Kashi Pragati (VRO-6) is an open-pollinated okra from ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi. It was identified in 2002 and notified on 25 April 2006. The plant is tall, 120–140 cm, with short internodes, and carries 20–25 dark green, five-ridged pods per plant. IIVR gives a pod length of 11–13 cm and a weight of 10–12 g. The first pick comes 44–46 days after sowing, and the crop runs from seed to seed in 90–95 days. IIVR lists it as resistant to yellow vein mosaic virus and okra leaf curl virus. The average yield is 16 t/ha, and the potential is 18 t/ha. This is an okra variety. It is sometimes confused with a bitter gourd of the same name, but IIVR does not list a bitter gourd called Kashi Pragati.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Kashi Pragati if you want an okra that starts picking in 44–46 days and resists both yellow vein mosaic and okra leaf curl virus, in the plains from Rajasthan and Gujarat to Bihar and West Bengal. Its average yield is 16 t/ha, and you can save seed. Choose Kashi Kranti if you want straight, glossy five-ridged pods for the eastern and central plains. Choose Arka Anamika if you want the higher listed yield of 20 t/ha. The catch is that the pods are small, 10–12 g, so there is more picking work for every kilo.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeFebruary and June, the two sowings for which IIVR gives figures
- Seed rate12–14 kg/ha for the February sowing, 8–10 kg/ha for the June sowing
- Spacing60 x 30 cm for the February sowing and 60 x 45 cm for the June sowing (row to row x plant to plant)
- Fertilizer120 kg N, 60 kg P and 60 kg K per hectare, with 20 t/ha farmyard manure
- HarvestingFirst harvest 44–46 days after sowing; seed to seed in 90–95 days
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
First pick in 44–46 days
Expected yield
Average 16 t/ha, potential 18 t/ha
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Resistant to yellow vein mosaic virus and okra leaf curl virus
- First pick in 44–46 days
- Tall plant with 20–25 dark green, five-ridged pods
- Open-pollinated, so seed can be saved (IIVR gives a seed yield of 14–15 q/ha)
Things to consider
- IIVR and the national checklist differ on the pod length (11–13 cm against 8–10 cm) and on the plant height (120–140 cm against 130–175 cm). See a sample pod before you plan for a market
- Virus resistance lowers the risk but does not remove the need for whitefly control
- The pods are small, 10–12 g, so there is more picking work for every kilo
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Rajasthan
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Uttar Pradesh
- Bihar
- West Bengal
- Chhattisgarh
- Uttarakhand
- Delhi
- Odisha
- Andhra Pradesh
Two official sources, two pod sizes: plan on the smaller
IIVR gives the pod as 11–13 cm long and 10–12 g. The national checklist, which also lists IIVR as the source, gives 8–10 cm. Both are published, and they do not agree.
The check that matters is the yield. At 60 x 30 cm, one hectare holds about 55,500 plants. IIVR gives 20–25 pods of 10–12 g, which is 200–300 g a plant, and an average of 16 t/ha works out to about 290 g a plant. The numbers fit together.
So do not plan on big pods. Pick every second day while the pods are tender, and ask your buyer whether he takes short pods before you sow a large area.
Can you save seed from this crop?
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 Bhindi (Okra) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arka Abhay | Fields hit by leaf curl as well as yellow vein mosaic | First pick ~50–55 days | 15–18 t/ha | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu |
| Arka Anamika | Rainy-season okra with spineless, long-tender pods | First pick ~55 days | 12–18 t/ha | Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha |
| Hisar Unnat (HRB-108) | The hot, dry north-west summer crop | First pick ~50 days | 12–15 t/ha | Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh |
| Kashi Kranti (VRO-22) | Early, glossy straight pods across the eastern and central plains | First pick ~45–50 days | 15–18 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal |
| Kashi Pragati (VRO-6)this page | A tall, early, virus-resistant okra with 20–25 dark green pods per plant, from ICAR-IIVR | First pick in 44–46 days | Average 16 t/ha, potential 18 t/ha | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh |
| Parbhani Kranti | A long-proven rainy-season okra for Maharashtra and nearby states | First pick ~55 days | 9–12 t/ha | Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana |
| Pusa A-4 | Long tender pods with a lighter spray load in the northern plains | First pick ~45 days | 13–16 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi |
| Pusa Sawani | A familiar pod type, only where whitefly is under firm control | First pick ~50 days | 10–15 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal |
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 Bhindi (Okra) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Bhindi (Okra) 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 Bhindi (Okra) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Bhindi (Okra) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Bhindi (Okra) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Bhindi (Okra) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Bhindi (Okra) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kashi Pragati a bitter gourd or an okra?
It is an okra. IIVR, Varanasi lists Kashi Pragati (VRO-6) under okra, notified in 2006, and the national checklist lists it with the okra varieties as well. We found no bitter gourd of that name in IIVR's lists.
What yield does Kashi Pragati give?
IIVR gives an average of 16 t/ha and a potential of 18 t/ha. The national checklist gives 18–19 t/ha in the rainy season and 13–14 t/ha in summer. Plan on the lower summer figure for a summer crop.
How much seed and what spacing for Kashi Pragati?
For the February sowing IIVR gives 12–14 kg of seed per hectare at 60 x 30 cm. For the June sowing it gives 8–10 kg per hectare at 60 x 45 cm. The rainy-season plants are given more room because they grow larger.
Does Kashi Pragati resist yellow vein mosaic?
IIVR lists it as resistant to yellow vein mosaic virus and okra leaf curl virus. Whitefly spreads both, so keep whitefly down from the seedling stage, because resistance lowers the risk but is not a guarantee.
Can I save seed from Kashi Pragati?
Yes, it is open-pollinated, and IIVR gives a seed yield of 14–15 q/ha. Leave pods from your healthiest, truest plants to dry on the plant, and take the seed from those. Seed to seed takes 90–95 days.
What fertiliser does Kashi Pragati need?
120 kg N, 60 kg P and 60 kg K per hectare, with 20 t/ha of farmyard manure. Okra picks for weeks, so split the nitrogen rather than putting it all in at sowing, and work the farmyard manure in well before the seed goes down.
How many pods should one Kashi Pragati plant give?
20–25 dark green pods per plant, on a tall plant, with the first harvest 44–46 days after sowing. Keep picking on time: a pod left to harden on the plant tells it to stop setting new ones, and that is how a 16 t/ha crop quietly becomes a smaller one.
Sourced from: IIVR Vegetable Varieties: A Ready Reckoner (IIVR Technical Bulletin 41), okra entry for Kashi Pragati (VRO-6), Checklist of Commercial Varieties of Vegetables (okra section) — TNAU Agritech national bulletin. editorial policy.