Guntur Sannam (LCA-334)
The mainstay hot, medium-pungency dry chilli of the Guntur belt and the reference grade for much of India's dry-chilli trade.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Chilli
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 160–180 days
- Seed rate
- 1.0 kg per hectare for an open-pollinated variety
- Expected yield
- High (20–25 q/ha dry)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate; leaf-curl management still essential
- Release
- A release of the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam Farm (ANGRAU), Guntur, as its "LCA" variety code shows. 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
Guntur Sannam (LCA-334) is the flagship open-pollinated chilli of the Guntur belt, its "LCA" code identifying it as a release of the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam Farm (ANGRAU), Guntur, though the exact release year could not be confirmed. It is not a hybrid but a stabilized selection of Capsicum annuum var. longum, giving long, slender pods with thick red skin, known for their drying and powdering qualities, high ASTA colour value (~32.11) and capsaicin content around 0.226%. It is registered under India's Geographical Indications Act, 1999, and accounts for a large share of India's chilli exports.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Guntur Sannam (LCA-334) if dry chilli is your business and you want the grade buyers already price off. It is the flagship open-pollinated chilli of the Guntur belt, from Lam Farm (ANGRAU) as its LCA code shows, registered under India's GI Act, with long slender pods, thick red skin, ASTA colour around 32.11 and capsaicin about 0.226% — a medium-hot chilli that dries and powders well. It gives 20–25 q/ha dry over 160–180 days. Leaf curl still needs managing. Choose Teja if an oleoresin buyer wants extreme heat, Byadgi if the pay is for colour, and Kashi Anmol or Arka Lohit for green chilli.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJanuary–February, June–July or September–October
- Seed rate1.0 kg per hectare for an open-pollinated variety
- Spacing60 x 45 cm on ridges
- Sowing methodTreat the seed with Trichoderma viride at 4 g/kg, sow in 10 cm lines on raised beds, apply carbofuran 3G at 10 g per square metre at sowing, and transplant at 40–45 days
- IrrigationIrrigate weekly
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained loam rich in organic matter
- pH
- 6.5–7.5
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- GI-registered reference grade for India's dry-chilli trade, giving it a market recognition few other varieties have
- High ASTA colour value (~32.11) and good capsaicin content (~0.226%), suited to both the domestic dry-chilli and export markets
Things to consider
- The exact release year, parentage and independent yield and duration figures for LCA-334 could not be confirmed from an ANGRAU primary source. The "LCA / Lam Farm" institute attribution is well supported but not checked against an official notification.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
Drying and storing so the lot keeps its grade
Guntur Sannam is the reference grade for much of India's dry-chilli trade, which means buyers compare your lot against a known standard. Most of the difference between a top-rate lot and a discounted one is made after picking, during drying and storage.
Pick fully ripe fruit and dry it on a clean tarpaulin or a raised floor, never on bare soil, turning it so it dries evenly. Keep it covered at night and in a shower; fruit that catches dew or rain halfway turns dull and grows mould. Dry it down until the stalk snaps and the fruit does not bend, then bag it and store off the floor in a dry, airy, shaded room, with the stock checked every few weeks for damp patches and insects. Grade before sale: remove black, broken, mouldy and insect-bored fruit, because a few spoiled handfuls price down the whole bag.
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 |
| Byadgi | 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)this page | 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 does the "LCA" in LCA-334 stand for?
It identifies the variety as a release of the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam Farm (ANGRAU), Guntur, per corroborated secondary sources.
Is Guntur Sannam a hybrid?
No — it is a stabilized, open-pollinated selection of Capsicum annuum var. longum, not a cross-bred hybrid.
What is Guntur Sannam known for in the market?
It is the reference grade for much of India's dry-chilli trade, GI-registered, with high ASTA colour value and good drying/powdering qualities.
What is Guntur Sannam's capsaicin content?
Around 0.226%, per corroborated secondary sources.
When was LCA-334 released?
It could not be confirmed. No ANGRAU primary source gives an exact release year, although the institute (Lam Farm) is well supported.
Guntur Sannam or Teja: which dry chilli pays better?
It depends on the buyer. Guntur Sannam is the GI-registered reference grade, medium-hot at about 0.226% capsaicin, and sells across the domestic and export dry-chilli trade. Teja is far hotter at 50,000–100,000 SHU with 14–18% oleoresin, which is what extraction plants pay for. Fix your buyer first, then choose.
Can I save seed from Guntur Sannam?
Yes. It is not a hybrid but a stabilised open-pollinated selection, so seed from true-to-type plants comes up right. Keep seed from healthy plants with long, uniform pods and good red colour, since that is what the grade is judged on.
Does its moderate rating mean I can skip leaf-curl management?
No. Leaf-curl management is still essential. Raise clean seedlings, control thrips early, and remove badly curled plants, because once the crop is hit at the flowering stage no spray brings the yield back.
How much Guntur Sannam seed do I need per hectare?
1.0 kg per hectare for an open-pollinated variety, transplanted at 60 x 45 cm on ridges. Since leaf curl is the main threat, raise the nursery under a net if you can, because most of the damage starts with virus picked up in the nursery.
Which sowing window suits Guntur Sannam?
January–February, June–July or September–October. At 160–180 days, a June–July sowing carries the crop into the dry weather that the dry-chilli trade needs for clean, even drying, which is why it is the common choice in the Guntur belt.
Sourced from: Crop Production Guide (Horticulture), TNAU and Department of Horticulture, Tamil Nadu: chilli seed rate, nursery treatment, spacing, season and irrigation. editorial policy.