Pusa Hybrid-1
An IARI F1 hybrid with medium-long, medium-thick, glossy green fruit, suited to pickling and dehydration. The national checklist lists it as a higher yielder than Pusa Vishesh and Pusa Do Mausami, with about 20 t/ha in the spring-summer season.
Quick facts
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Zaid / summer
- Maturity period
- First pick ~55–60 days
- Seed rate
- About 2–2.5 kg/ha (under 1 kg/acre) — far less than an open-pollinated variety
- Expected yield
- About 20 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed
- Release
- Released by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Pusa Hybrid-1 is an F1 hybrid bitter gourd from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. The national checklist describes medium-long, medium-thick, glossy green fruit that suits pickling and dehydration, with first picking in 55–60 days, and calls it a higher yielder than Pusa Vishesh and Pusa Do Mausami. The listed yield is about 20 t/ha. It is suited to the spring-summer season and recommended for the NCR. It is best grown on a bower with a full fruit-fly control programme. Fresh hybrid seed must be bought each season.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Pusa Hybrid-1 if you farm near Delhi-NCR, grow in spring-summer on a bower, and will pay for hybrid seed for a listed yield of about 20 t/ha with first picking in 55–60 days. It suits buyers who pickle or dehydrate karela. Choose Pusa Hybrid-2 if you farm in one of the many other states it is recommended for. Choose Pusa Do Mausami if you want open-pollinated seed and a rainy-season sowing too.
Sowing & cultivation
- Seed rateAbout 2–2.5 kg/ha (under 1 kg/acre) — far less than an open-pollinated variety
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Listed as a higher yielder than Pusa Vishesh and Pusa Do Mausami, at about 20 t/ha
- Medium-long, medium-thick, glossy green fruit
- Suits pickling and dehydration, and the spring-summer season
Things to consider
- Fresh hybrid seed must be bought every season — saved seed does not come true
- To realise its yield it needs a bower and a proper fruit-fly programme from first flower
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Delhi
- Haryana
- Uttar Pradesh
Compare seed by weight per acre
Pusa Hybrid-1 needs about 2–2.5 kg of seed per hectare, which is about 0.8 to 1 kg per acre. Pusa Do Mausami needs 4–6 kg per hectare, which is about 1.6 to 2.4 kg per acre.
So the hybrid packet is half the weight, but each gram costs more. Ask your dealer for the price per kilo of both, multiply by the seed rate for your area, and compare the two totals.
Add the gain from the yield: about 20 t/ha for the hybrid against no published figure for Pusa Do Mausami. If you cannot put a number on the gain, run a trial strip of each before you switch the whole plot.
Where the planting material comes from
This is a hybrid, so seed kept from your own harvest will not breed true. The next crop comes up uneven in height, maturity and yield. Buy fresh certified seed every season and keep the bag tag until harvest.
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 Harit | 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-1this page | 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
How much does Pusa Hybrid-1 yield?
The national checklist gives about 20 t/ha and says it out-yields Pusa Vishesh and Pusa Do Mausami. Getting there needs a bower, steady water and a fruit-fly control programme from first flower.
Which season is Pusa Hybrid-1 for?
The checklist says it is suitable for growing in the spring-summer season. It does not recommend it for the rainy season, so do not assume the same yield then.
What is pickling and dehydration use for karela?
Karela is pickled whole or sliced, and it is also dried into chips or powder. A processor wants a certain fruit size and a steady supply, so line up that buyer before you plant a large area.
Can I save seed from Pusa Hybrid-1?
No. It is an F1 hybrid, so seed from your crop will not come true and the yield will fall. Buy fresh seed every season. The seed rate given above is about 2–2.5 kg per hectare.
How soon can I pick Pusa Hybrid-1?
The checklist gives first picking in 55–60 days. Pusa Do Mausami is ready in about 55 days, so the hybrid does not save you time. Its advantage is yield.
Sourced from: Checklist of Commercial Varieties of Vegetables (capsicum, carrot, cucumber, bottle gourd, bitter gourd) — TNAU Agritech national bulletin. editorial policy.