Pusa Barkha
A rainy-season variety bred to set and yield well in the humid monsoon.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Cucumber
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 40–45 days to first harvest
- Expected yield
- About 18.8 t/ha in the rainy season
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Tolerant to humid-weather disease
- Release
- Released 2013 by the State Variety Release Committee (SVRC), Delhi, for Delhi and NCR — confirmed by an IARI technology-transfer page
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Pusa Barkha is an IARI, New Delhi cucumber released in 2013 by the State Variety Release Committee (SVRC), Delhi, for Delhi and NCR, as an IARI technology-transfer page confirms. It is described as the first extra-early cucumber for kharif cultivation on the North Indian plains, ready for first harvest in 40–45 days. It tolerates high humidity and high temperatures and resists downy mildew, and its average kharif yield is 18.8 t/ha. It was bred to crop well in the humid monsoon.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Pusa Barkha if you sow cucumber in the monsoon around Delhi-NCR. It is the only cucumber here bred for a kharif sowing on the North Indian plains, and the earliest of the six to first harvest — about five days ahead of Swarna Ageti and ten ahead of Pusa Uday — which is what a monsoon crop needs, along with the downy mildew resistance and the tolerance of heat and humidity that come with it. The catch sits in the same place as the claim: its yield figure is a kharif figure only, so nothing is published for a spring-summer sowing of it. Choose Pusa Uday if you sow in both seasons, because it is listed for both at 50–55 days. Choose Poinsette for an older open-pollinated type that tolerates both mildews.
Sowing & cultivation
- HarvestingReady for first harvest in 40-45 days, per an IARI page
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- The first extra-early Kharif cucumber variety for North Indian plains, per an IARI page — a head start on the monsoon-season market
- Downy mildew resistance combined with humidity/heat tolerance, purpose-built for monsoon conditions
Things to consider
- The resistance covers downy mildew and humidity. Powdery mildew, anthracnose and fruit fly still need your normal care
- The 18.8 t/ha figure is for the kharif season, so do not assume the same yield in other seasons
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Delhi
- Uttar Pradesh
What the downy mildew resistance covers, and what it does not
Downy mildew is the disease most likely to wreck a cucumber crop in the rains. Pusa Barkha resists it, and that is the main reason to choose it for the monsoon.
The IARI page does not claim resistance to powdery mildew, anthracnose or fruit fly. In a wet season you can still get leaf spots and fruit damage, so scout twice a week from flowering.
Train the vines up a trellis or on stakes so air moves through the leaves and fruit stays off the wet soil. Resistance helps most when the crop is also kept dry and open.
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 Cucumber variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poinsette | The classic open-pollinated slicing cucumber, tolerant to both mildews, with seed you can save | 55–60 days | 100–120 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
| Poona Khira | A traditional Pune heirloom cucumber with a colour-changing skin and mild, crisp flesh for the local salad trade | 60–65 days | 100–130 q/ha | Maharashtra |
| Pusa Barkhathis page | The extra-early, downy-mildew-resistant rainy-season cucumber, with first harvest in 40–45 days | 40–45 days to first harvest | About 18.8 t/ha in the rainy season | Delhi, Uttar Pradesh |
| Pusa Uday | An early cucumber for both spring-summer and the rainy season, listed 28% above Poinsette in the NCR | 50–55 days to first pick | About 15.5 t/ha | Delhi, Uttar Pradesh |
| Swarna Ageti | An early, long-fruited cucumber from ICAR-RCER, with 30–32.5 t/ha and tolerance to powdery mildew | First harvest 45–50 days after sowing | 30–32.5 t/ha | Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh |
| Swarna Poorna | A heavier, 300 g cucumber from ICAR-RCER, with 30–35 t/ha and tolerance to powdery mildew | First harvest 55–60 days after sowing | 30–35 t/ha | Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar 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 Cucumber is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Cucumber 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 Cucumber variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Cucumber into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Cucumber in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Cucumber rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Cucumber seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
When was Pusa Barkha released?
2013, by the State Variety Release Committee (SVRC), Delhi, for cultivation in Delhi and NCR, per an IARI technology-transfer page.
Is Pusa Barkha resistant to downy mildew?
Yes, per an IARI page, alongside field tolerance to high humidity and elevated temperatures.
How early does Pusa Barkha give its first harvest?
40-45 days after sowing, per an IARI page — described as the first extra-early Kharif cucumber variety for North Indian plains.
What yield does Pusa Barkha give?
Average 18.8 t/ha during Kharif season, per an IARI page.
Why is Pusa Barkha suited to the monsoon?
It is field-tolerant to high humidity and elevated temperatures and resistant to downy mildew — the disease pressure most likely to hit cucumber in the rainy season.
Can I sow Pusa Barkha in summer?
It was bred for kharif, and its numbers (40–45 days, 18.8 t/ha) are for that season. It tolerates heat, but no summer yield is published. For a spring-summer sowing, Pusa Uday is listed for both seasons.
Pusa Barkha or Pusa Uday: which is better?
Barkha is for the monsoon: 40–45 days, downy mildew resistance, 18.8 t/ha. Uday suits spring-summer and the rainy season: 50–55 days and 15.5 t/ha. For a monsoon-only crop choose Barkha. For two seasons choose Uday.
Does Pusa Barkha resist powdery mildew too?
The IARI page names downy mildew resistance and tolerance to humidity and high temperature. It does not claim resistance to powdery mildew, anthracnose or fruit fly, so keep your usual spray and trap plan.
Can I save seed from Pusa Barkha?
Yes, it is open-pollinated. Let a few healthy fruits turn yellow and over-ripe on the vine, then take out the seed and dry it in shade. Keep the plot away from other cucumber varieties.
Where is Pusa Barkha meant to be grown?
It was released in 2013 by the SVRC, Delhi, for Delhi and NCR. The summary above also lists Uttar Pradesh. Elsewhere on the North Indian plains, try a small strip first.
Sourced from: Cucumber - Pusa Barkha — ICAR-IARI technology-transfer page. editorial policy.