Golden Acre
The earliest common cabbage — small, round heads, first to market and open-pollinated, so seed can be saved.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Cabbage
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 80–90 days from transplanting
- Expected yield
- 300–350 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Not an ICAR/state-university breeding release — a 1920s American selection (Copenhagen Market type) introduced to India via germplasm accession EC-6774 (Japan) and maintained since as open-pollinated seed
About this variety
Golden Acre is the earliest common cabbage grown in India — a small, solid, round-headed type descended from the American "Copenhagen Market" selection popularised by seed house D. M. Ferry & Co. in the 1920s. Indian variety literature lists it as introduced via germplasm accession EC-6774 (Japan); it is not an ICAR or state-university breeding release, but a long-naturalised, open-pollinated type grown and re-seeded by farmers for decades. A directly-fetched university course compilation (slide deck) and a directly-fetched trade variety roundup both independently describe it this way.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
80–90 days from transplanting
Expected yield
300–350 q/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
- Earliest cabbage to reach market among the varieties in this registry
- Compact, round heads suit close spacing and high plant density
- Open-pollinated, so seed can be saved and re-sown farm to farm
- Short field duration frees the plot early for a second rabi vegetable crop
Things to consider
- Reported field duration in a directly-fetched course slide deck (about 60–65 days from transplanting) and a directly-fetched trade roundup (65–75 days) both run notably shorter than this record's 80–90-day figure — likely reflects real variation across different Golden Acre seed lots and growing regions rather than an error; treat 80–90 days as the safer planning window and expect an earlier harvest is often possible
- Being a century-old open-pollinated type, Golden Acre gives smaller heads (about 1–1.5 kg per source write-ups) and a lower total yield than modern hybrid cabbages, in exchange for earliness and seed-saving
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
- West Bengal
- Bihar
Frequently asked questions
Is Golden Acre an ICAR-bred variety like Pusa Drumhead?
No — Golden Acre is a decades-old American selection (the "Copenhagen Market" type) introduced to India and grown as open-pollinated seed ever since, not a formal Indian institute release.
Does Golden Acre resist black rot?
Sourced variety write-ups report field tolerance to black rot and head splitting.
Sourced from: Commercial Varieties and Hybrids in Cabbage and Cauliflower — university course slide deck, Top 11 Cabbage Varieties in India — India Inputs. editorial policy.