Early Kunwari
An early-group variety on the same warm-curding line as Pusa Meghna.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Cauliflower
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 60–75 days (after transplant)
- Seed rate
- 500 g per acre — early cauliflower takes twice the seed of a main or late season crop, which needs 250 g per acre
- Expected yield
- Medium
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- pH
- 6.0–7.0
- Disease resistance
- Moderate
- Release
- Bred by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. The exact release year could not be confirmed
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Early Kunwari is a very-early cauliflower belonging to the traditional "Kunwari" maturity group, bred by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. It forms hemispherical curds with an even surface, open-type, yellowish-white and medium-sized, compact, ready for harvest from mid-September to mid-October — the earliest curding window among the Kunwari-group varieties. Reported average yield is 8 t/ha, and it is recommended for Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Early Kunwari if you want cauliflower on the market before anyone else. This PAU Ludhiana variety curds in the earliest window of the Kunwari group, harvested mid-September to mid-October, and is recommended for Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. Curds are hemispherical, even-surfaced, yellowish-white, medium and compact, with an average yield around 8 t/ha. The trade-off is plain: earliness, not tonnage, and the exact release year and cross are not confirmed from a PAU source. Choose Pusa Meghna for a bigger early-season yield, Pant Gobhi 3 if your autumn is hot, and Pusa Snowball K-1 or Snowball-16 for heavy winter curds.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune–July transplanting, the early-variety window. Sowing it at the wrong time is what causes buttoning, so do not push this one later (PAU)
- Seed rate500 g per acre — early cauliflower takes twice the seed of a main or late season crop, which needs 250 g per acre
- Spacing45 x 30 cm, the spacing PAU gives early and late season crops; main season goes to 45 x 45 cm
- Sowing methodGive the nursery a heavy dose of well-rotted farmyard manure and frequent water, and shade the beds with a sarkanda thatch against sun stroke — early nurseries die back in the heat otherwise. Transplant into a cool, moist field in the afternoon and irrigate at once
- IrrigationFirst irrigation right after transplanting, then every 7–8 days in summer and 10–15 days in winter; 8–12 irrigations in all (PAU)
- Fertilizer40 tonnes farmyard manure with 50 kg N (110 kg urea), 25 kg P2O5 (155 kg single superphosphate) and 25 kg K2O (40 kg muriate of potash) per acre. All the manure, P and K with half the N before transplanting, the rest four weeks later (PAU)
- HarvestingReady for harvest mid-September to mid-October — the earliest curding window of the Kunwari maturity group
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Earliest curding window in the Kunwari group, so you reach the market before the main early-cauliflower flush
- Compact, even-surfaced hemispherical curds valued for uniform appearance
Things to consider
- The exact release year and parentage cross could not be confirmed from a PAU source. The PAU-Ludhiana breeding attribution and all agronomic figures rest on secondary sources.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Delhi
Nursery timing for the first cut of the season
Early Kunwari has the earliest curding window in its group, cut from mid-September to mid-October, and that window is worth money because supply is thin before the main flush. The whole thing is decided in the nursery, weeks before anything shows in the field.
Count backwards: from the date you want to be cutting, subtract the 60–75 days this variety takes after transplanting, and then the time the seedling needs in the nursery. That tells you the sowing date, and it falls in hot, wet weather, which is the hard part. Raise the nursery on raised beds under a shade net or a thatch, use clean seed and new or sterilised soil, water lightly and often so seedlings do not damp off, and transplant in the evening. Protect the young crop from heavy rain and keep the field drained — a waterlogged early crop misses the window entirely.
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 Cauliflower variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Kunwarithis page | The first cauliflower of the season, cut mid-September to mid-October | 60–75 days (after transplant) | Medium | Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi |
| Pant Gobhi 3 | Curding in the autumn heat, when snowball types cannot | 70–80 days from transplanting | 120–150 q/ha | Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh |
| Pant Shubhra | The December–January window, with curds that keep their colour | 75–90 days | Medium–high | Uttarakhand |
| Pusa Meghna | A well-known early cauliflower for September–October curding | 60–75 days (after transplant) | 170–180 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh |
| Pusa Sharad | The November–December window at the highest yield here | About 80–85 days after transplanting | 240–260 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, West Bengal |
| Pusa Snowball K-1 | Snow-white winter curds that hold colour if harvest slips | 90–100 days from transplanting | 150–200 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar |
| Snowball-16 | The latest window, harvested January to March | 95–110 days | High | Punjab |
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 Cauliflower is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Cauliflower 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 Cauliflower variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Cauliflower into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Cauliflower in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Cauliflower rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Cauliflower seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Who developed Early Kunwari cauliflower?
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, per secondary sources.
When is Early Kunwari ready for harvest?
Mid-September to mid-October — the earliest curding window among the Kunwari-group cauliflower varieties.
Which states is Early Kunwari actually recommended for?
Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.
What does an Early Kunwari curd look like?
Hemispherical with an even surface, open-type, yellowish-white and medium-sized, compact.
What yield does Early Kunwari give?
About 8 t/ha on average, per corroborated secondary sources.
Is an 8 t/ha yield worth it for an early cauliflower?
It depends on the September price. Early cauliflower often sells at several times the mid-winter rate, so a light crop cut before the flush can earn more per acre than a heavy crop sold when every grower is harvesting. Check last year's mandi rates for that fortnight before you commit.
When should I sow the nursery for Early Kunwari?
Work back from the harvest window: curds come mid-September to mid-October and the crop takes 60–75 days after transplanting, so the nursery goes in through the monsoon months. Raise it on a raised bed with drainage, because nursery losses in heavy rain are the main risk with an early crop.
Can I grow Early Kunwari outside the four listed states?
Its recommendation covers Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, which share the autumn temperature pattern it was selected in. Further east or south, the early group behaves differently, so ask your KVK which early cauliflower is advised for your district instead.
Can I grow Early Kunwari as a winter crop?
No. It is an early kharif type, cut mid-September to mid-October, and it curds in warmth that would stop a snowball variety. For December–January use Pusa Sharad, and for January–March use Snowball-16 or Pusa Snowball K-1.
Early Kunwari or Pant Gobhi 3 for the early window?
Both curd in the autumn heat. Early Kunwari is a PAU variety listed for Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, cut mid-September to mid-October. Pant Gobhi 3 is a GBPUAT synthetic listed for Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh at 120–150 q/ha. Pick the one released for your state.
Sourced from: Package of Practices for Vegetable Crops, Punjab Agricultural University: cauliflower transplanting windows and seed rate by season group, spacing, nursery care, fertiliser and irrigation. editorial policy.