DWD-1
A UAS-Dharwad selection with good aroma and leaf quality, but distinctly cold-sensitive — its companion release Suvasini (DWD-2) is the better choice where winters are cool.
Quick facts
- Type
- Perennial selection (ask the nursery how its plants are raised)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Perennial; continuous leaf harvest once established
- Expected yield
- No variety figure published; good aroma, but growth falls off in winter
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained sandy loam to loam; does not tolerate waterlogging
- Disease resistance
- Not specifically documented; distinctly cold-sensitive with poor winter growth
- Release
- University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad — selection from Western Ghats germplasm
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
DWD-1 is one of two curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) types released by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, from germplasm collected in the Western Ghats. The IIHR review of curry leaf in India calls DWD-1 and DWD-2 'genetically distinct genotypes' released for commercial cultivation. Sources describe DWD-1 as strongly aromatic but weak in winter. Its growth is poor in the cold months, while DWD-2 (Suvasini) is not affected. We found no trial that gives a leaf yield for DWD-1. A trade website quotes 5.22% oil for it with no unit and no trial. That cannot be per cent of fresh leaf, because a Karnataka trial measured 0.42% to 0.44% in Suvasini, so we do not use it. Sources also differ on how the plants are raised. The Dharwad releases are called clonal selections, and one site calls DWD-1 a root-sucker clone. Buy from UAS Dharwad or a nursery that works with it, and ask how the plants were raised. DWD-1 is grown mainly in Karnataka.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose DWD-1 only if your winters are mild and you can buy plants that UAS Dharwad or a nursery working with it labels as DWD-1. Sources agree that DWD-1 grows poorly in winter, and that DWD-2 (Suvasini) does not. If you have even a few cold weeks each year, plant Suvasini instead, because a bush that stalls for the cold months gives you fewer pickings. No trial gives a leaf yield for DWD-1 on its own, so do not buy it on a promised figure. Plant 20 to 30 bushes first, keep a note of what you pick from November to February, and only then plant a full block.
Sowing & cultivation
- SpacingTNAU: 1.2 to 1.5 m between plants, one plant to a pit (India Agronet gives 90 to 120 cm)
- Sowing methodPits of 30 x 30 x 30 cm dug 1 to 2 months before planting; TNAU plants one 1-year-old plant in the centre of each pit
- IrrigationWater straight after planting, again on day 3, then once a week (TNAU)
- FertilizerWell-rotted farmyard manure at 20 t a hectare before the last ploughing, then 20 kg a plant after each harvest, mixed into the soil (TNAU)
- HarvestingFirst picking 10 to 12 months after planting. Nip the tip at 1 m and keep 5 to 6 branches a bush (TNAU)
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Red sandy loam with good drainage (TNAU)
Climate
- Temperature
- Optimum 26-37°C (TNAU)
- Climate
- Warm tracts suit it best. Sources say DWD-1 grows poorly in winter, and India Agronet notes that shoot growth is slightly affected where the minimum falls below 13°C.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Major pests
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A named Dharwad release with good aroma, in place of an unnamed local seedling of unknown quality.
- Still a sound choice in warm tracts where winter never slows the bush.
Things to consider
- Grows poorly in winter. Where winters are cool, Suvasini (DWD-2) is the safer pick.
- No yield trial is published for DWD-1. Ask the nursery how its plants were raised, because sources differ on that.
Suitable regions
Released by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, from germplasm collected in the Western Ghats; grown mainly in Karnataka's warmer curry leaf tracts.
- Karnataka
Test the cold on 20 plants before you plant a block
Every source that compares the two Dharwad releases says the same thing: DWD-1 grows poorly in winter, DWD-2 does not. What no source gives is the temperature at which DWD-1 stops being worth it. India Agronet says only that shoot growth is slightly affected where the minimum falls below 13°C, and that is a statement about curry leaf in general.
So settle it on your own land. Plant 20 to 30 DWD-1 bushes and, beside them, 20 to 30 Suvasini. TNAU says the first picking comes 10 to 12 months after planting, so give both lots one full winter after that. Weigh what each lot gives from November to February, and write it down. If DWD-1 gives you close to Suvasini, plant more of it for the aroma. If it gives clearly less, the extra plants should be Suvasini.
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 Curry Leaf (Kadi Patta) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|
| DWD-1this page | Warm-climate curry leaf tracts of Karnataka where winter stays mild and you can get planting material tagged as DWD-1 by UAS Dharwad | No variety figure published; good aroma, but growth falls off in winter | Karnataka |
| Senkaampu (Senkambu) | Tamil Nadu farmers who want the locally trusted, strongly scented type and can see the mother bush before buying plants | No variety figure published; known in Tamil Nadu for aroma | Tamil Nadu |
| Suvasini (DWD-2) | Commercial leaf blocks anywhere in Karnataka-type climates, including places with a cool winter, where you want the Dharwad release that keeps growing in cold weather | 8.00 kg fresh leaf a plant a year with fertiliser, manure and vermiwash at Kittur (Karnataka); 2.92 kg with none | Karnataka |
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 Curry Leaf (Kadi Patta) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Curry Leaf (Kadi Patta) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Curry Leaf (Kadi Patta) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Curry Leaf (Kadi Patta) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Curry Leaf (Kadi Patta) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Curry Leaf (Kadi Patta) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Should I plant DWD-1 or Suvasini (DWD-2)?
If your area has a cool winter, Suvasini (DWD-2) is the more widely recommended of the two, since it keeps yielding through cooler weather while DWD-1's growth falls off noticeably. In consistently warm areas, both perform well and the choice matters less.
How much leaf will DWD-1 give per hectare?
No trial has published a leaf yield for DWD-1 alone. TNAU gives a figure for curry leaf in general: 250 to 400 kg of leaves a hectare in the first year, about 5,400 kg in the second year, and about 20,000 kg a year from the fifth year (5,000 kg every 3 months). A second guide, India Agronet, is lower: 3,500 to 5,000 kg a hectare from the fifth year. Plan on the lower figure until your own bushes show otherwise.
Will DWD-1 grow through my winter?
Sources say DWD-1 is sensitive to winter and grows poorly then, while DWD-2 is not. India Agronet adds that where the minimum temperature falls below 13°C, shoot growth is slightly affected. Neither says how DWD-1 handles frost. If your coldest nights are below 13°C, plant Suvasini, or try 20 to 30 DWD-1 plants for one winter first.
What oil content does DWD-1 have?
There is no verified figure. A trade site quotes 5.22% for DWD-1 and 4.09% for DWD-2 with no unit and no trial behind it. A Karnataka trial on Suvasini measured 0.42% to 0.44% oil in fresh leaf, and a Kerala survey found 0.10% to 0.48% across accessions. Percentages of 5 or 4 cannot be fresh-leaf oil by weight, so do not use them. Treat DWD-1 as having good aroma, nothing more.
Is DWD-1 the same as Gamthi?
Not on the evidence we found. One farming website calls DWD-1 'Gamthi'. The IIHR review of curry leaf in India describes Gamthi as a separate brown, slow-growing local type with small, thick leaves, and lists DWD-1 apart as a Dharwad release. Ask the nursery for the name on its release record, not a nickname.
When can I start picking, and how should I prune a young DWD-1 bush?
TNAU says the first harvest begins 10 to 12 months after planting. Once the plant is 1 m tall, nip off the growing tip so it branches from the base, and keep 5 to 6 main branches. Do not strip a young bush bare, because it needs leaf to keep growing.
Sourced from: Diversity and Distribution of Curry Leaf in India — Journal of Horticultural Sciences (IIHR), Curry leaf Improvement in India — ResearchGate, TNAU Agritech Portal — Curry leaf, India Agronet — Curry leaf. editorial policy.