Pusa Vrishti
A newer IARI heat-tolerant tropical carrot bred for early sowing — it can go in from July in the northern plains, extending the season ahead of the normal window, with red self-coloured roots.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Carrot (Gajar)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- ~85–90 days
- Expected yield
- About 25 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Deep, loose, stone-free sandy loam to loam
- Disease resistance
- Bred with better tolerance of warm, wet early-season conditions
- 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 Vrishti is a newer tropical carrot from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, bred specifically for heat tolerance so it can be sown as early as July in the northern plains — well ahead of the usual September–November window. That lets a grower catch the early market before the main-season crop comes in. The roots are red and self-coloured, and it matures quickly at about 85–90 days. It is more tolerant of the warm, wet conditions of an early sowing than standard varieties, which struggle with germination and disease then.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Pusa Vrishti if you want to sow in July and sell carrots before the main-season crop arrives. It is heat tolerant, takes 85–90 days and is listed at about 25 t/ha. Choose Pusa Rudhira or Pusa Kesar for the normal winter sowing, because they are listed at about 33 and 30 t/ha. The catch is that Pusa Vrishti is newer, so seed supply and local results are still building.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJuly–August in the northern and central plains, for an early market
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Heat-tolerant — can be sown from July, catching the early market before the main crop
- Quick to mature at about 85–90 days
- Red, self-coloured roots; better germination and disease tolerance in warm, wet conditions
Things to consider
- An early sowing still needs a well-worked, stone-free bed and steady moisture during germination
- A newer variety, so seed supply and local yield data are still building
Suitable regions
A heat-tolerant tropical carrot for early (July–August) sowing across the northern and central plains, ahead of the normal season.
- Uttar Pradesh
- Bihar
- Madhya Pradesh
- Punjab
- Haryana
Counting from a July sowing
With 85–90 days to maturity, a crop sown on 1 July is ready from about 24 to 29 September. A crop sown on 31 July is ready from about 24 to 29 October. That is the early market, before the winter-sown carrots arrive.
The weeks after sowing are the risky ones. Heavy rain can crust the bed and wash seed out, and hot, wet soil carries disease. Raise the bed a little, keep a drain open, and sow thinly.
Do not sow the whole plot on one day. Sow in two or three lots a week apart, so one bad spell of weather does not take out the whole early crop.
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 Rudhira | 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 Vrishtithis page | 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 early can I sow Pusa Vrishti?
The national checklist says early sowing can begin in July under North Indian plains conditions. That is ahead of the usual September to November window for other carrots.
How much does Pusa Vrishti yield?
The checklist gives an average of about 25 t/ha and 85–90 days to maturity. That is lower than Pusa Rudhira at about 33 t/ha, so use Pusa Vrishti for the early sowing, not for the main season.
Why do ordinary carrots fail in a July sowing?
Most carrot varieties germinate poorly in hot, wet soil and then get leaf diseases. Pusa Vrishti is bred to tolerate heat, so it handles that early sowing better. It still needs a well-worked bed and steady moisture while the seedlings come up.
Can I save seed from Pusa Vrishti?
It is open-pollinated, so seed from healthy plants stays close to type. Carrot makes seed in its second stage and crosses with other carrots, so keep the seed plot away from them.
Is the root colour of Pusa Vrishti red?
Yes, the summary above describes red, self-coloured roots. The national checklist does not give a root colour for Pusa Vrishti, so check a sample from your seed dealer 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.