Pusa Mukta
An IARI variety with strong resistance to black rot, useful where the disease is a problem.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Cabbage
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 80–90 days
- Seed rate
- 200–250 g per acre for a transplanted crop
- Expected yield
- Medium–high
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- pH
- 5.5–6.5
- Disease resistance
- Strongly resistant to black rot (near-immune in trials, ~3% incidence vs 63-66% in susceptible checks)
- Release
- Released and notified in 1989 by ICAR-IARI, Regional Station Katrain, per secondary sources; not checked against the original notification
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Pusa Mukta is an open-pollinated cabbage bred at ICAR-IARI's Regional Station, Katrain (Kullu Valley, Himachal Pradesh) from a cross of EC 24855 x EC 10109 by pedigree selection, released and notified in 1989. IARI, New Delhi supplies seed of this cultivar. A molecular study measured only 3% black-rot disease incidence in Pusa Mukta versus 63–66% in susceptible checks under controlled screening, a strong resistance result. Plants have a short stalk and light-green, slightly puckered leaves with wavy margins, bearing medium-sized, compact, flatish-round heads of 1.5–2.0 kg each. It is described as well adapted across India. Secondary descriptions put maturity at about 70–80 days, a little shorter than the 80–90 days used above; the two overlap at 80 days.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Pusa Mukta if black rot is what ruins your cabbage. Bred at ICAR-IARI's Katrain station from EC 24855 × EC 10109 and notified in 1989, it showed only about 3% black-rot incidence under controlled screening against 63–66% in susceptible checks — real resistance, not mild tolerance. It ripens in the same 80 to 90 days as Pusa Drumhead but its heads are about half the weight of Drumhead's 3–4 kg, so on clean land it is the weaker pick. It is described as well adapted across India, though only Delhi is listed here and no state recommendation is published. Yield figures conflict between sources, from 250–300 q/ha to 436 q/ha, so plan on the Medium–high band. For maximum weight on clean land, Pusa Drumhead; for the earliest harvest, Golden Acre.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeSeptember to October in the plains. The Tamil Nadu guide lists Pusa Mukta as its hill variety, where sowing runs January–February, July–August or September–October
- Seed rate200–250 g per acre for a transplanted crop
- Spacing45 x 45 cm if you treat it as an early variety, 67.5 x 45 cm if as a late one — go by how long your own crop takes to head
- Sowing methodSow in rows 10 cm apart on raised beds drenched with copper oxychloride at 2.5 g/litre; seedlings transplant at 40–45 days. Black rot spreads from infected seed, so start clean
- IrrigationFirst irrigation straight after transplanting, then every 10–15 days, 8–12 in total (PAU)
- Fertilizer40 t farmyard manure with 50 kg N, 25 kg P2O5 and 25 kg K2O per acre, half the nitrogen held back for four weeks after transplanting (PAU)
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Strong, lab-measured black-rot resistance (3% incidence vs. 63-66% in susceptible checks per the PMC study) rather than merely partial tolerance
- Bred specifically for black-rot pressure and reported as well adapted across India
Things to consider
- Yield figures conflict between sources: one comparative-trial summary reports 436.57 q/ha, while a cabbage breeding review reports 250–300 q/ha. Neither is asserted as the confirmed figure, and the broad "Medium-high" rating fits either.
- Pusa Mukta was bred at IARI's Katrain station (Himachal Pradesh) and is described as well adapted across India, but no specific state list is published. Only Delhi is listed above, so check locally before sowing elsewhere.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Delhi
For the field where black rot keeps winning
Pusa Mukta is strongly resistant to black rot — in trials it showed about 3% incidence against 63–66% in susceptible checks. That is the kind of difference that decides whether a crop is sold or ploughed in, and it is the one reason to choose this variety over a heavier-yielding one.
Use it where the history justifies it: a plot where cabbage, cauliflower or another crucifer has been lost to black rot, showing V-shaped yellow-brown patches at the leaf margins with darkened veins. Resistance plus hygiene is what clears a field, so keep using clean treated seed, raise the nursery away from old crucifer ground, do not work the crop when the leaves are wet, and remove affected plants. One honest note: this variety is officially recommended for Delhi, so outside that, ask your KVK about local performance before planting a large area.
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 Cabbage variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Acre | The first cabbage to market, from seed you can save | 60–65 days from transplanting | 200–240 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar |
| Pride of India | An early cabbage that still gives a decent-sized head | 70–80 days after transplanting | 200–280 q/ha | |
| Pusa Drumhead | Heavy flat heads for weight and storage, on a longer season | 80–90 days from transplanting | 500–540 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana |
| Pusa Muktathis page | Fields where black rot keeps destroying the cabbage crop | 80–90 days | Medium–high | Delhi |
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 Cabbage is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Cabbage 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 Cabbage variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Cabbage into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Cabbage in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Cabbage rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Cabbage seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the parentage of Pusa Mukta cabbage?
EC 24855 x EC 10109 by pedigree selection, bred at ICAR-IARI's Regional Station, Katrain (Himachal Pradesh).
How resistant is Pusa Mukta to black rot?
Yes, strongly resistant. A molecular study found only 3% disease incidence under controlled screening, versus 63–66% in susceptible check cultivars.
What does a Pusa Mukta cabbage head look like?
Medium-sized, compact, flatish-round heads weighing about 1.5-2.0 kg, with a short stalk and light-green, slightly puckered, wavy-margined leaves, per corroborated secondary sources.
How long does Pusa Mukta take to mature?
About 70–80 days per secondary sources, overlapping the 80–90 days shown above at 80 days.
What yield does Pusa Mukta give?
Sources disagree: one comparative-trial summary reports 436.57 q/ha, another breeding review reports 250–300 q/ha. Neither is confirmed, so rely on the broad "Medium-high" rating.
How do I know black rot is my problem?
Look for V-shaped yellow-brown patches running in from the leaf margin, with blackened veins, often worse after rain or overhead irrigation and spread by working among wet plants. If that is what you see every season, a resistant variety like Pusa Mukta changes the crop more than any spray will.
Can I grow Pusa Mukta outside Delhi?
It was bred at Katrain in Himachal Pradesh and is described as well adapted across India, but no published state list exists, so only Delhi is shown here. Ask your KVK, and if black rot is heavy in your area, trying one plot is worth it even without a formal recommendation.
Why do the yield figures for Pusa Mukta differ so much?
One comparative trial reports 436.57 q/ha while a breeding review gives 250–300 q/ha, and neither can be called the confirmed figure. Plan on the lower end and treat the higher one as what a well-managed trial achieved; the real reason to grow it is the disease resistance.
How much Pusa Mukta seed do I need?
200–250 g per acre for a transplanted crop. On black-rot land the nursery is where the trouble usually starts, so use treated seed and a fresh nursery site rather than last season's bed.
If black rot is not a problem on my land, should I still pick Pusa Mukta?
Probably not. Pusa Mukta earns its place on resistance, near-immune in trials at about 3% incidence against 63-66% in susceptible checks. On clean land, Pusa Drumhead at 500–540 q/ha will usually put more weight in the trolley over the same winter.
Sourced from: Identification of genes associated with black rot resistance in cabbage — PMC study using Pusa Mukta, Package of Practices for Vegetable Crops, Punjab Agricultural University: cabbage planting time, seed rate, spacing, fertiliser and irrigation, Crop Production Guide (Horticulture), TNAU and Department of Horticulture, Tamil Nadu: Pusa Mukta listed as a hill cabbage, season and nursery. editorial policy.