Indra (F1 hybrid)
A private F1 hybrid from Syngenta, recommended by the company for all of India in kharif, rabi and summer. The plant is medium-tall and bushy, and the dark green, glossy, thick-walled fruit weighs about 170 g. The company gives 12–15 t/acre.
Quick facts
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Fruit set from 50–55 days after transplanting; mature green fruit picked from 60–70 days
- Seed rate
- 250–300 g per acre (about 620–740 g per hectare), per Syngenta
- Expected yield
- 12–15 t/acre (about 30–37 t/ha), per Syngenta
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Strong plant; no disease resistance claimed
- Release
- Private hybrid from Syngenta; no public-sector release
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Indra is a private F1 hybrid capsicum from Syngenta. The company recommends it for all of India in kharif, rabi and summer, and lists good fruit set in both cold and heat and wide adaptability. The plant is medium-tall and bushy, with strong growth, short internodes and dense dark green leaves that shelter the fruit. The fruit is dark green, glossy and thick-walled, about 170 g, 10–12 cm long, 10 cm round, with 3–4 lobes. Syngenta says fruit set starts 50–55 days after transplanting and that fruit keeps well for long-distance transport. The company gives an average yield of 12–15 t/acre, depending on season and farming practice. These are the company's own figures. No independent trial is published for Indra.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Indra if you can pay for hybrid seed and sell to a distant market. Syngenta describes dark green, glossy, thick-walled fruit of about 170 g that keeps well in transport, and gives 12–15 t/acre (about 30–37 t/ha). Fruit set starts 50–55 days after transplanting. Choose Arka Mohini if you want public-sector seed that you can save. Choose California Wonder for the cheapest open-pollinated green type. Choose Bomby if you want red fruit. The catch is that every number for Indra comes from Syngenta, and no independent trial is published.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeSummer, rabi and kharif; Syngenta recommends it for all three seasons
- Seed rate250–300 g per acre (about 620–740 g per hectare), per Syngenta
- Spacing150 x 45 cm (row to plant), with 12,000–14,000 plants per acre, per Syngenta
- FertilizerSyngenta gives a total of 80:100:120 kg N:P:K per acre, with 8–10 t of farmyard manure per acre. Apply half the N and all the P and K as basal, then 25% of the N at 30 days and 25% at 50 days (counted from sowing in Syngenta's text)
- HarvestingFull mature, firm green fruit is picked from 60–70 days, then every 5 to 7 days. Timely picking keeps the plant flowering
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Syngenta lists good fruit set in both cold and heat, and wide adaptability across India
- Strong plant with short internodes and dense leaves that shelter the fruit
- Thick-walled, glossy fruit of about 170 g that keeps well in transport
Things to consider
- Hybrid seed costs more and must be bought new every season
- Syngenta does not claim resistance to leaf curl virus, so control whitefly and thrips from the nursery stage
- Every figure comes from Syngenta. Its page gives 12,000–14,000 plants per acre and a 150 x 45 cm spacing, and those two do not match (150 x 45 cm would be about 60,000 plants an acre), so ask a Syngenta agronomist how the beds are laid out
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
- Karnataka
- Gujarat
- Rajasthan
- Madhya Pradesh
- Chhattisgarh
- Uttar Pradesh
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- West Bengal
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- Odisha
- Punjab
- Tamil Nadu
Plan your cash flow around the start of fruiting
Syngenta says fruit set starts 50–55 days after transplanting, and that full mature green fruit is picked from 60–70 days. It does not say where the second count begins. If it begins at transplanting, you start picking 20 to 40 days before California Wonder, which the IARI checklist puts at 90–100 days.
That head start only pays if you can use it. Have pickers, crates and a buyer ready when the first fruit comes, and check that early-season prices in your market are higher than later ones.
Then compare the extra cost of hybrid seed with the money from the extra weeks of selling. Do the sum in rupees per acre with your dealer's real seed price, not with the brochure.
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 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 Gaurav | 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)this page | 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
Can I save seed from Indra?
No. Indra is an F1 hybrid, so seed from your crop will not come true and yields will fall. Buy fresh seed every season.
How soon does Indra start fruiting?
Syngenta says fruit set starts 50–55 days after transplanting, and that full mature green fruit is picked from 60–70 days. The IARI checklist puts California Wonder at 90–100 days to first picking. Treat the Indra days as the company's figures and note your own dates in the first crop.
What yield does Indra give?
Syngenta gives an average of 12–15 t/acre, which is about 30–37 t/ha, depending on season and farming practice, with fruit of about 170 g. That is the company's own range, so treat it as a target. Arka Mohini is listed at about 20 t/ha by IIHR, from a different trial.
How much Indra seed and how many plants do I need?
Syngenta gives 250–300 g of seed per acre, which is about 620–740 g per hectare, and 12,000–14,000 plants per acre. Its spacing of 150 x 45 cm would give far more plants, so ask the Syngenta agronomist how to lay out the beds before you order seed.
Which states and seasons is Indra recommended for?
Syngenta recommends it for all of India and lists 18 states for kharif and summer, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It also lists rabi for most of them. Ask local farmers who have already grown it in your area.
Sourced from: Indra — Variety Capsicum, Syngenta India (traits, agronomy, expected yield), Sweet Pepper — Syngenta India (plant and fruit description of Indra, Bomby and Orobelle). editorial policy.