Pusa Asita (black carrot)
An IARI variety with deep purple-black roots high in anthocyanin, grown for kanji, juice and the natural-colour market rather than the table; roots are long and self-coloured.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Carrot (Gajar)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 100–110 days
- Expected yield
- 20–25 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Deep, loose, stone-free sandy loam to loam
- Release
- Released by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi
About this variety
Pusa Asita is a black (deep purple) carrot from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, coloured through by a high anthocyanin content. It is grown as a special crop rather than a table carrot — the main outlets are the traditional fermented drink kanji, black-carrot juice, and use as a natural food colour. The roots are long and self-coloured and mature in about 100–110 days from a sowing in the same October–November window as the red types.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
100–110 days
Expected yield
20–25 t/ha
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- No special resistance claimed
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Deep purple-black, anthocyanin-rich roots — a genuine premium and niche crop
- Strong demand from the kanji, juice and natural-food-colour trade
- Long, self-coloured roots that grow on the same calendar as the red types
Things to consider
- A niche crop — the buyer (kanji maker, juice unit, colour processor) usually needs to be lined up before planting a large area
- A little longer to mature than the red Asiatic types, and no special disease resistance
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Delhi
- Rajasthan