Pusa Rudhira
An improved IARI red Asiatic variety with long, smooth, self-red roots rich in lycopene, higher yield than Pusa Kesar and good uniformity — among the most planted plains carrots today.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Carrot (Gajar)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 85–90 days
- Expected yield
- About 33 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Deep, loose, stone-free sandy loam to loam
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed
- Release
- Released by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Pusa Rudhira is an improved tropical (Asiatic) red carrot from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, developed as a higher-yielding, more uniform successor to Pusa Kesar. The roots are long, smooth and red right through, with a small core and a high lycopene content. The national checklist gives 85–90 days to maturity, delayed bolting and an average yield of about 33 t/ha. It is one of the most widely planted carrots in the northern plains and is used fresh, for juice and for processing.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Pusa Rudhira if you grow red carrots in the northern plains and want a bit more yield than Pusa Kesar (about 33 t/ha against 30 t/ha) and delayed bolting. It takes 85–90 days and is open-pollinated, so you can save seed. Choose Pusa Kesar if you want the all-India variety with the longest track record. Choose Pusa Vrishti if you want to sow in July. Choose Pusa Asita for a black carrot, only with a buyer.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Listed at about 33 t/ha, above Pusa Kesar at about 30 t/ha
- Smooth, long, red-through roots that are high in lycopene
- Ready in 85–90 days, and bolts late
- Suits fresh sale, juice and processing
Things to consider
- No special disease resistance, so Alternaria leaf blight needs watching
- Root shape still depends on a deep, loose, stone-free seedbed and only well-rotted manure
- The checklist says it gave more than 50% higher yield than Pusa Kesar in trials, but also lists 33 t/ha against 30 t/ha for Pusa Kesar. Plan on the averages
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Bihar
- Rajasthan
- Delhi
Reading the 50% claim
The national checklist says Pusa Rudhira gave more than 50% higher yield than Pusa Kesar. The same table lists 33 t/ha for Pusa Rudhira and 30 t/ha for Pusa Kesar, and that is about 10% higher.
Both can be true. The 50% figure is from the release trials against a check, and the table lists averages. A trial result is the best case under good management, and an average is closer to what farmers get.
So budget on about 33 t/ha. If your own strip beside Pusa Kesar beats it by 10% or more, you have a good reason to switch.
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 Carrot (Gajar) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hisar Gairic | A long-rooted red carrot from CCS HAU, with a self-coloured core, for Haryana | No separate figure published | About 30 t/ha | Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh |
| Nantes | The small, sweet, bright orange temperate carrot for salads and the table, sown in the cool season | 90–100 days | About 12 t/ha | Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu |
| Pusa Asita (black carrot) | A black, anthocyanin-rich carrot for kanji, juice and natural colour, from IARI | 95–100 days | About 30 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan |
| Pusa Kesar | The all-India standard red carrot from IARI: deep red, self-coloured, 80–90 days | 80–90 days | About 30 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan |
| Pusa Nayanjyoti | An orange, coreless carrot hybrid from IARI, for the NCR and Himachal Pradesh | No separate figure published | 35–45 t/ha | Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh |
| Pusa Rudhirathis page | An improved red carrot from IARI with 85–90 days, delayed bolting and about 33 t/ha | 85–90 days | About 33 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, Delhi |
| Pusa Vrishti | A heat-tolerant carrot that can be sown from July, for the early market, from IARI | ~85–90 days | About 25 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana |
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 Carrot (Gajar) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Carrot (Gajar) 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 Carrot (Gajar) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Carrot (Gajar) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Carrot (Gajar) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Carrot (Gajar) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Carrot (Gajar) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
How much better is Pusa Rudhira than Pusa Kesar?
The checklist says it gave more than 50% higher yield than Pusa Kesar in trials, but its listed averages are about 33 t/ha for Pusa Rudhira and 30 t/ha for Pusa Kesar. On your farm expect a small gain, not 50%.
How many days does Pusa Rudhira take?
The national checklist gives 85–90 days to maturity. That is about the same as Pusa Kesar at 80–90 days.
Is Pusa Rudhira slow to bolt?
Yes, the checklist lists delayed bolting. That gives you a wider harvest window if the winter ends early or you cannot dig on time. Do not rely on it for very late sowings.
Can I save seed from Pusa Rudhira?
Yes, it is open-pollinated. Replant the best roots for the second stage, and grow the seed plot away from other carrots, because carrot crosses easily.
What is lycopene doing in a carrot?
Lycopene is the red pigment, the same one that colours tomato. Red carrots like Pusa Rudhira have more of it, which gives the deep red colour. Orange carrots like Nantes get their colour from carotene instead.
Sourced from: Checklist of Commercial Varieties of Vegetables (capsicum, carrot, cucumber, bottle gourd, bitter gourd) — TNAU Agritech national bulletin. editorial policy.