GAUCH 1
An older Gujarat Agricultural University hybrid still widely planted for its high yield ceiling in both Gujarat's irrigated tracts and southern India's rainfed castor belt — but its known wilt susceptibility is exactly why GCH 8 is now the safer pick on a field with wilt pressure.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Castor
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 150–180 days
- Seed rate
- General castor-hybrid field guidance suggests around 10–12 kg/ha — not confirmed as GAUCH 1-specific
- Expected yield
- High under irrigation; lower and more variable rainfed
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
- Release
- Reported released 1973–1976 (two independently fetched sources disagree on the exact year) · Gujarat Agricultural University — cross of pistillate line VP-1 × male line V-19
About this variety
GAUCH 1 is an early castor hybrid from Gujarat Agricultural University, with two directly-fetched sources disagreeing on the exact release year (1973 in one, 1976 in the other) but agreeing on its cross — pistillate line VP-1 × male line V-19. It is described as an early-maturing hybrid with a drought-escape mechanism, giving high yield potential in both Gujarat's irrigated tracts and southern India's rainfed castor belt, but with a known susceptibility to wilt and root rot that matches this record's own diseaseResistance field closely.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeKharif sowing, generally the first fortnight of July in Gujarat, per general castor cultivation guidance — not confirmed as GAUCH 1-specific
- Seed rateGeneral castor-hybrid field guidance suggests around 10–12 kg/ha — not confirmed as GAUCH 1-specific
- SpacingA directly-fetched Agri Farming guide suggests a female:male planting ratio of 4-6:1 for hybrid castor seed production generally, with spacing of roughly 90×40 to 90×60 cm — not confirmed as GAUCH 1-specific
- FertilizerGeneral castor guidance suggests around 40:40:20 kg N:P:K/ha — full P and K plus half the N applied at sowing, remaining N about a month later — not confirmed as GAUCH 1-specific
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Sandy to sandy loam, matching this record's own sandy soil field
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
150–180 days
Expected yield
High under irrigation; lower and more variable rainfed
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Reported as an early-maturing hybrid with a drought-escape mechanism, useful where rainfall is less assured
- High yield potential, adaptable to both Gujarat's irrigated tracts and southern India's rainfed castor belt
Things to consider
- Two independently fetched sources disagree on the exact release year — one states 1973, another 1976 — though both agree on the VP-1 × V-19 parentage and the wilt/root-rot susceptibility
- One of the two fetched sources calls GAUCH 1 "the country's first castor hybrid" from Gujarat, but other search results attribute that distinction instead to GCH-3, reported released in 1968 — several years earlier — so the "first hybrid" claim is treated as unconfirmed here and not used in the description above
- Seed rate, spacing, fertilizer and sowing-window figures above are general commercial castor-hybrid cultivation guidance, not figures confirmed specific to GAUCH 1
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Gujarat
- Karnataka
- Tamil Nadu
Frequently asked questions
Why does GAUCH 1 still get planted despite its wilt susceptibility?
Its high yield ceiling and early-maturing, drought-escaping habit still make it attractive in both Gujarat's irrigated tracts and southern India's rainfed belt, and as an older, well-established hybrid it is widely available and familiar to growers. But on land with recent wilt history, GCH 8 — bred specifically for wilt resistance — is now the safer choice, per this record's own note.
Was GAUCH 1 really India's first castor hybrid?
One fetched source describes it that way, but this claim is not well corroborated — other sources point to GCH-3, reported released in 1968 from Gujarat, as an earlier hybrid. Treat the "first hybrid" framing with caution rather than as a confirmed fact.
Sourced from: Castor Cultivation Information Guide — Agri Farming, Castor Crop Cultivation: Techniques and High-Value Varieties — Agriculture.Institute. editorial policy.