Byadgi
The GI-tagged Karnataka landrace grown for deep red colour and mild pungency, not heat — the oleoresin trade pays a premium outright heat can't match.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Chilli
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 170–180 days
- Seed rate
- 1.0 kg per hectare as an open-pollinated variety
- Expected yield
- 8–15 q/ha (dry chilli)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate fruit rot tolerance
- Release
- Not a single bred/released variety in the ICAR sense — a long-cultivated Karnataka landrace/type, granted Geographical Indication tag number 129 in February 2011
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Byadgi (also spelled Byadagi) is a GI-tagged Karnataka chilli type named for the town of Byadagi in Haveri district, grown across that district as well as parts of neighbouring Dharwad and Goa. It received Geographical Indication tag number 129 in February 2011. It's a Capsicum annuum type valued far more for deep-red colour and mild, aromatic pungency than heat. The same source gives an ASTA colour value of 156.9, a very high rating, against a comparatively low reported Scoville range of about 5,000–15,000 SHU. Reported capsaicin figures disagree sharply across sources: one describes 'negligible' capsaicin around 0.03%, another 0.8–1.3%. That is a real disagreement rather than a single settled figure, so a range is given above and the discrepancy noted. Two named sub-types are grown: Kaddi (long, thin, wrinkled/gnarled, fewer seeds) and Dabbi (smaller, plumper, more seeds, less pungent, favoured for oleoresin extraction and masala blending for its superior colour). About 50 litres of oleoresin can be extracted per tonne of chillies, and Byadgi chilli trade represents the second-largest turnover among all Indian chilli varieties, with annual sales around ₹30 billion (Rs 3,000 crore) at the Byadgi APMC market alone.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Byadgi if you farm Haveri, Dharwad or nearby Karnataka tracts and sell into the colour trade. Its value is a very high ASTA colour rating of 156.9 with mild, aromatic pungency of about 5,000–15,000 SHU — the oleoresin, masala and cosmetics buyers pay for that combination, and the GI tag (number 129, February 2011) separates genuine Byadgi from look-alike red chilli. About 50 litres of oleoresin come out of a tonne of chilli. Within Byadgi, Kaddi is the long, thin, wrinkled type grown most widely, while plumper Dabbi is preferred for oleoresin and masala blends. If your buyer pays for heat instead, grow Teja or Guntur Sannam.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJanuary–February, June–July or September–October
- Seed rate1.0 kg per hectare as an open-pollinated variety
- Spacing60 x 45 cm
- Sowing methodRaise the nursery on beds with the seed treated against damping off, and transplant 40–45 day old seedlings onto ridges. A long-duration colour chilli pays for a strong, unchecked seedling
- IrrigationWeekly irrigation
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained loam rich in organic matter
- pH
- 6.5–7.5
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A very high ASTA colour rating (156.9) with comparatively mild pungency is exactly the combination that the oleoresin, spice-blend and cosmetics trades pay a premium for.
- GI protection (since February 2011) formally distinguishes genuine Byadgi-origin chilli from other red chillies sold under the same name, backing the trade's willingness to pay more for it.
Things to consider
- Sources disagree sharply on Byadgi's capsaicin content — one figure is 'negligible' (~0.03%), another reports 0.8–1.3% — likely reflecting the difference between the milder Dabbi and hotter Kaddi sub-types, or simply inconsistent measurement across sources; stated here as a range with the disagreement flagged rather than picking one figure.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
Colour grading, and what the GI tag does for you
Byadgi is bought for colour, not heat: an ASTA colour value of 156.9 with mild pungency of about 5,000–15,000 SHU, which is what the oleoresin and masala trade pays for. The February 2011 Geographical Indication (number 129) defines genuine Byadgi-origin chilli, and that is why the grade holds its premium — but it is the grade that is protected, not your individual lot. You still have to be inside the GI area and deliver the quality.
Colour is lost after picking more often than in the field. Pick fully ripe fruit, dry it on a clean raised surface or a tarpaulin rather than on bare soil, turn it so drying is even, and do not let it catch rain or dew midway, because that is when fruit darkens and moulds. Dry it down properly before bagging, store in a dry, shaded place, and keep insect-bored and black fruit out of the lot. Sell a graded, single-quality lot; mixing dull fruit into a bright lot is paid at the dull rate.
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 Chilli variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arka Lohit | Pungent long chilli for pickles and chutney, irrigated or rainfed | 150–170 days | Medium–High | Karnataka |
| Byadgithis page | Deep red colour for the oleoresin and masala trade, not heat | 170–180 days | 8–15 q/ha (dry chilli) | Karnataka |
| G4 (Guntur) | Guntur-belt chilli for both the green export trade and dry red sale | 160–170 days | 40–45 q/ha (dry chilli) | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| Guntur Sannam (LCA-334) | The GI-registered dry-chilli grade for domestic trade and export | 160–180 days | High (20–25 q/ha dry) | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| Kashi Anmol | Early green chilli from a short, compact plant | 150–170 days | Medium–High | Uttar Pradesh |
| Pusa Jwala | High-pungency chilli with easy bunch picking, seed you can save | 150–160 days | 16–18 q/ha (dry chilli) | Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh |
| Teja (S-17) | Extreme-heat dry chilli for oleoresin extraction and export | 160–180 days | High (20–25 q/ha dry) | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh |
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 Chilli is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Chilli 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 Chilli variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Chilli into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Chilli in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Chilli rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Chilli seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Byadgi Kaddi and Dabbi?
Kaddi is long, thin and wrinkled with fewer seeds and is the more widely grown type; Dabbi is smaller, plumper, has more seeds, is less pungent, and is preferred for oleoresin extraction and masala blends because of its superior colour.
Is Byadgi actually a bred variety like Pusa Jwala?
No — sources describe it as a long-cultivated Karnataka landrace/regional type rather than a single ICAR- or university-bred release, protected instead by a February 2011 Geographical Indication tag (number 129) that defines genuine Byadgi-origin chilli.
Should I grow Byadgi Kaddi or Dabbi?
Kaddi is the long, thin, wrinkled type with fewer seeds and is the more widely grown one, so it usually has the readier market. Dabbi is smaller and plumper with more seeds and less heat, and oleoresin and masala buyers prefer it for its colour. Ask what your buyer actually grades for before you raise the nursery.
Does the GI tag help me get a better price?
It helps the grade, not your individual lot by itself. The February 2011 GI (number 129) defines genuine Byadgi-origin chilli, which is why the trade pays more for it. You still need to be inside the GI area and deliver clean, well-dried, deep-red pods to get that price.
Is Byadgi a mild chilli or a hot one?
Mild by Guntur standards — about 5,000–15,000 SHU against Teja's 50,000–100,000. Reported capsaicin figures for Byadgi disagree widely across sources, from negligible to over 1%, probably because Dabbi and Kaddi differ, so treat heat as a range and colour as the reliable selling point.
How long does Byadgi hold the field?
170–180 days, the longest-duration chilli compared here. With weekly irrigation needed through most of that, the land and the water are tied up for close to six months, so the colour premium has to cover that, not just the seed cost.
Why is Byadgi's dry yield so much lower than G4's?
Because they are sold for different things. Byadgi gives 8–15 q/ha of dry chilli against 40–45 q/ha for G4, but it is bought for deep red colour by the oleoresin and masala trade, not for weight or heat. Work out your income per hectare on the colour grade price, not on the quintals.
Sourced from: Byadagi chilli — Wikipedia, Chilli Varieties in India — Agri Farming, Crop Production Guide (Horticulture), TNAU and Department of Horticulture, Tamil Nadu: chilli seed rate, spacing, season, nursery and irrigation. editorial policy.