Arka Gaurav
An ICAR-IIHR selection, indeterminate with green foliage, thick-fleshed 3-4 lobed green fruit that ripens orange-yellow, and notably tolerant of bacterial wilt — a real advantage on land with a wilt history.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- ~150 days full cycle
- Seed rate
- 400–500 g/ha for nursery sowing (about 160–200 g/acre)
- Expected yield
- ~16 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Bacterial wilt tolerant
- 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 Gaurav is a capsicum from ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, selected from the American cultivar Golden Dalwonder. The plant keeps growing and bearing, and has green leaves. The fruit is thick-fleshed, 3–4 lobed and green, averages 130–150 g, stands erect and ripens orange-yellow. It is listed as tolerant of bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum), which helps on fields where that disease keeps coming back. Tolerance is not immunity, so drainage and crop rotation still matter.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Arka Gaurav if bacterial wilt has hit your capsicum, tomato or brinjal before. It is listed as wilt tolerant, gives about 16 t/ha and its fruit weighs 130–150 g. Choose Arka Mohini if your land is clean and you want more yield (about 20 t/ha) and bigger fruit (180–200 g). Choose California Wonder if you want the plain open-pollinated green bell pepper and have no wilt problem.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeNursery sown September; transplanted October–November in southern plains
- Seed rate400–500 g/ha for nursery sowing (about 160–200 g/acre)
- Spacing60–75 cm between rows, 45–60 cm between plants
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Tolerates bacterial wilt, which helps on land where the disease keeps coming back
- Erect fruit that ripens to a distinctive orange-yellow
- Public-sector variety, listed for all of India in the national checklist
Things to consider
- Somewhat lower yield than the modern private F1 hybrids
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
Use the wilt tolerance as one tool, not the whole plan
Bacterial wilt lives in the soil. A tolerant variety helps, but it will not clean the field. Plan three things together with Arka Gaurav.
First, raise seedlings on clean nursery mix, never on soil from an old capsicum, tomato or brinjal bed. Second, shape the beds so water runs off and does not stand around the stem. Third, rest the plot from the same crop family for at least one season.
If a few plants wilt and collapse, pull them out with the roots and take them off the field. Do not irrigate from the wilted rows to the healthy rows.
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 Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arka Basant | A small, cream-coloured, conical capsicum that ripens orange-red, from ICAR-IIHR | ~150–160 days full cycle | About 15 t/ha | Karnataka |
| Arka Gauravthis page | A bacterial-wilt-tolerant green capsicum that ripens orange-yellow, from ICAR-IIHR | ~150 days full cycle | ~16 t/ha | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh |
| Arka Mohini | A thick-walled, dark green blocky capsicum that ripens red, with about 20 t/ha from ICAR-IIHR | ~160 days full cycle | ~20 t/ha | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu |
| Bomby / Orobelle (coloured F1 hybrids) | Coloured F1 capsicums from Syngenta, for farmers who can sell red or yellow fruit, and who stake the plants | Mature green fruit picked from 60–70 days; red (Bomby) or yellow (Orobelle) takes longer | Bomby 12 t/acre (about 30 t/ha), per Syngenta; no figure published for Orobelle | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Punjab |
| California Wonder | The plain open-pollinated green bell pepper that many Indian capsicums descend from, with seed you can save | First picking about 90–100 days after transplanting | 15–20 t/ha (open field) | Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab |
| Indra (F1 hybrid) | A private F1 green capsicum with strong plants and uniform 170 g fruit, for farmers selling to distant markets | Fruit set from 50–55 days after transplanting; mature green fruit picked from 60–70 days | 12–15 t/acre (about 30–37 t/ha), per Syngenta | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu |
| Yolo Wonder | An open-pollinated green bell pepper close to California Wonder, with slightly darker, longer fruit | First harvest ~70–80 days after transplant | 15–20 t/ha (open field) | Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra |
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 Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) 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 Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Does wilt tolerance mean Arka Gaurav cannot get bacterial wilt?
No. Tolerant means it copes better than most varieties, not that it is immune. On infected land also use well-drained beds, avoid standing water, and do not plant capsicum, tomato, brinjal or chilli in the same plot two seasons running.
How is Arka Gaurav different from Arka Mohini?
Arka Gaurav has erect fruit of 130–150 g that ripens orange-yellow, yields about 16 t/ha and takes about 150 days. Arka Mohini has hanging, dark green fruit of 180–200 g that ripens red, yields about 20 t/ha and takes about 160 days.
What fruit size and yield does Arka Gaurav give?
The national checklist gives an average fruit weight of 130–150 g and an average yield of 16 t/ha. The fruit is thick-fleshed with 3–4 lobes.
Can I save seed from Arka Gaurav?
Yes, it is open-pollinated. Keep it away from other capsicum and chilli plots if you want the seed to stay true.
Can I grow Arka Gaurav outside Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh?
The summary above lists Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, while the national checklist says all over India. Outside the south, try it on a small plot for one season before you plant a large area.
Sourced from: Checklist of Commercial Varieties of Vegetables (capsicum, carrot, cucumber, bottle gourd, bitter gourd) — TNAU Agritech national bulletin. editorial policy.