Arka Harit
An ICAR-IIHR (Bengaluru) open-pollinated karela with spindle-shaped, glossy green fruit that has no tubercles, thick flesh and few seeds. The national checklist lists it at 12 t/ha for Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Zaid / summer
- Maturity period
- First pick ~60–65 days
- Expected yield
- About 12 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed
- Release
- Released by ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Arka Harit is an open-pollinated bitter gourd from ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru. The national checklist describes spindle-shaped fruit with a glossy green skin and no tubercles, thick flesh, moderate bitterness and few seeds, with an average yield of 12 t/ha. It is recommended for Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The thick flesh and low seed content give a good share of edible flesh. Because it is open-pollinated, farmers can save their own seed.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Arka Harit if you farm in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu or Kerala and want an open-pollinated karela with thick flesh, few seeds and glossy, spindle-shaped fruit without tubercles. It is listed at about 12 t/ha. Choose Coimbatore Long if your Tamil Nadu market pays for a long fruit. Choose Pusa Hybrid-1 or Pusa Hybrid-2 if you will pay for hybrid seed for about 19–20 t/ha, but those are north-Indian releases.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Spindle-shaped, glossy green fruit without tubercles
- Thick flesh and few seeds, so more of the fruit is edible
- Open-pollinated, so seed can be saved
Things to consider
- No special disease resistance, so the melon fruit fly and mildews need managing
- At about 12 t/ha it is well below the Pusa hybrids, which are listed near 19–20 t/ha
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu
- Kerala
Is a hybrid worth the extra seed cost?
Arka Harit is listed at about 12 t/ha, and the Pusa hybrids at about 19–20 t/ha. The gap is 7 to 8 tonnes per hectare, which looks large.
But the hybrids are north-Indian releases, and you pay for fresh seed every season. Work out the extra seed cost per hectare with your dealer's real prices, then the extra picking and the extra bower work for more fruit. Subtract these from the money for the extra 7 to 8 tonnes.
In the south, where the market likes the smooth, thick-fleshed Arka Harit fruit, an open-pollinated variety with saved seed can still win. Do the sum before you decide.
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 Bitter Gourd (Karela) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arka Haritthis page | A thick-fleshed, few-seeded southern karela with glossy spindle-shaped fruit, from ICAR-IIHR | First pick ~60–65 days | About 12 t/ha | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala |
| Coimbatore Long (CO-1) | A long green TNAU karela of 30–35 cm for Tamil Nadu markets that pay for length | First pick ~60–70 days | About 14 t/ha | Tamil Nadu |
| Pusa Do Mausami | An open-pollinated karela for both summer and the rainy season, ready for first picking in about 55 days | First pick in about 55 days from sowing | No separate figure published | Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar |
| Pusa Hybrid-1 | An F1 karela with about 20 t/ha for the spring-summer crop near Delhi-NCR, suited to pickling and dehydration | First pick ~55–60 days | About 20 t/ha | Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
| Pusa Hybrid-2 | An F1 karela recommended for the widest set of states, with 19–20 t/ha, for pickling and dehydration | First pick ~55–60 days | 19–20 t/ha | Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi |
| Pusa Vishesh | A dwarf-vine open-pollinated karela for high-density planting and small plots, suited to pickling and dehydration | No separate figure published | No separate figure published | Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar |
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 Bitter Gourd (Karela) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Bitter Gourd (Karela) 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 Bitter Gourd (Karela) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Bitter Gourd (Karela) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Bitter Gourd (Karela) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Bitter Gourd (Karela) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Bitter Gourd (Karela) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Does Arka Harit have tubercles like other karela?
No. The national checklist describes a glossy green skin without tubercles, so the fruit looks smoother than most karela. Check the fruit with your buyer, because some markets prefer the bumpy type.
How bitter is Arka Harit?
The checklist says moderate bitterness. That is not a mild, low-bitter karela, so it suits households that expect the usual taste.
What yield does Arka Harit give?
The national checklist gives 12 t/ha. That is lower than the hybrids, Pusa Hybrid-1 at about 20 t/ha and Pusa Hybrid-2 at about 19–20 t/ha.
Can I save seed from Arka Harit?
Yes, it is open-pollinated. Leave a few of the best fruits on the vine until they turn orange and ripe, then take out the seed and dry it. Keep the plot away from other karela.
Which states is Arka Harit meant for?
The national checklist names Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Outside the south, try a small strip first, because it was released for those conditions.
Sourced from: Checklist of Commercial Varieties of Vegetables (capsicum, carrot, cucumber, bottle gourd, bitter gourd) — TNAU Agritech national bulletin. editorial policy.