Swarna Ageti
A cucumber from the ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region (RCER), Patna, released in 2006 (Gazette No. 1422) and bred by mutation breeding. The fruit is cylindrical, long, green and about 200 g. It tolerates powdery mildew, and the first harvest comes in 45–50 days.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Cucumber
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Zaid / summer
- Maturity period
- First harvest 45–50 days after sowing
- Seed rate
- 600–700 g per hectare
- Expected yield
- 30–32.5 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Tolerant to powdery mildew
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Swarna Ageti is a cucumber from the ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region (RCER), Patna. It was released in 2006 (Gazette No. 1422) and bred through mutation breeding. The fruit is cylindrical and long, medium-sized at about 200 g, green, with no hollow centre. It tolerates powdery mildew. RCER recommends it for Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh, sown in February–March at 2 m x 0.5 m, with a seed rate of 600–700 g per hectare. The first harvest comes 45–50 days after sowing, and RCER gives an average yield of 30–32.5 t/ha. Breeders have also used it as a parent in crosses such as PK-1 x Swarna Ageti and PBRK-11 x Swarna Ageti, studied for earliness.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Swarna Ageti if you farm in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi or Himachal Pradesh and want the earlier of RCER Patna's two cucumbers. Ageti against Swarna Poorna is the one comparison here worth trusting, because both figures come out of the same institute's trials: Ageti reaches first harvest about ten days sooner, Poorna carries the heavier fruit and the higher ceiling, 35 t/ha against 32.5. Do not weigh either of them against Pusa Uday's 15.5 t/ha — that is IARI's figure from different trials, not a weaker plant. Choose Swarna Poorna if your market pays by fruit size, Pusa Barkha for a monsoon sowing, or Poinsette for the older open-pollinated type.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeFebruary–March
- Seed rate600–700 g per hectare
- Spacing2 m x 0.5 m (10,000 plants per hectare)
- HarvestingFirst harvest 45–50 days after sowing
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Tolerant to powdery mildew
- Early, with the first harvest in 45–50 days
- Long, cylindrical green fruit of about 200 g with no hollow centre
- A high listed yield of 30–32.5 t/ha
Things to consider
- The 30–32.5 t/ha comes from the breeding institute, RCER. IARI lists Pusa Uday at only 15.5 t/ha, because the two are measured in different trials. Compare them in your own field
- RCER recommends it for six states. Elsewhere, try a small strip first
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Bihar
- Jharkhand
- Uttar Pradesh
- Andhra Pradesh
- Delhi
- Himachal Pradesh
Sow it the way RCER did and count the days
RCER recommends a February–March sowing at 2 m x 0.5 m, which is 10,000 plants per hectare, with 600–700 g of seed per hectare. The 30–32.5 t/ha yield works out to about 3 to 3.3 kg of fruit per plant.
With the first harvest at 45–50 days, a crop sown on 15 February starts picking between 1 and 6 April, and one sown on 15 March between 29 April and 4 May. Shift these example dates to your own sowing day.
Write down your own first-picking date and the kilos from a block of 100 plants, and compare with a documented variety such as Pusa Uday. That tells you whether the institute's figures hold on your land.
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 Barkha | 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 Agetithis page | 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
Which institute bred Swarna Ageti?
The ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region (RCER), Patna. Its variety booklet lists Swarna Ageti as released in 2006 (Gazette No. 1422), bred through mutation breeding.
What does a Swarna Ageti fruit look like?
Cylindrical, long, medium-sized at about 200 g, and green, with no hollow centre in the fruit. It suits salads and the fresh market.
Is Swarna Ageti used in cucumber breeding?
Yes — hybrids such as PK-1 x Swarna Ageti and PBRK-11 x Swarna Ageti have been studied for combining ability and earliness.
What yield does Swarna Ageti give?
RCER gives an average of 30–32.5 t/ha. IARI lists Pusa Uday at 15.5 t/ha, but the two come from different institutes and trials. Sow a strip of each and weigh the fruit before you decide.
When was Swarna Ageti released?
2006 (Gazette No. 1422), per ICAR-RCER's booklet. Swarna Poorna was released earlier, in 2004.
Which states is Swarna Ageti for?
RCER recommends it for Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh, sown in February–March. The related Swarna Sheetal is recommended for more states, but that does not carry over to Swarna Ageti.
Is Swarna Ageti a hybrid or open-pollinated?
It is a variety, not an F1 hybrid. RCER bred it by mutation breeding. So you can save seed from a healthy crop, though it is wise to buy fresh labelled seed every few seasons.
Should I choose Swarna Ageti or Pusa Uday?
Swarna Ageti: 45–50 days, fruit about 200 g, 30–32.5 t/ha, from RCER. Pusa Uday: 50–55 days, 15.5 t/ha, from IARI, for the NCR. The yield gap is mostly different trials, so sow a strip of each and weigh both.
Can I save seed from Swarna Ageti?
Yes. 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 cucumbers. The sowing seed rate is 600–700 g per hectare.
Sourced from: Plant Genetic Resources Management of Horticultural Crops in Eastern India — Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources, Swarna Sheetal: Cucumber variety for kharif season — Indian Horticulture, ICAR ePubs, Improved Varieties of Fruit and Vegetables Developed by ICAR RCER (Technical Bulletin R-42/Ranchi-15), cucumber entries. editorial policy.