DWD-1
A UAS-Dharwad clonal 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
- Vegetatively propagated (rooted cutting/sucker)
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Perennial; continuous leaf harvest once established
- Expected yield
- Good leaf yield and aroma under warm conditions; falls off noticeably in cool weather
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained sandy loam to loam; genuinely intolerant of waterlogging
- Release
- University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad — clonal selection from Western Ghats germplasm
About this variety
DWD-1 is one of two curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) clonal selections released by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, developed from germplasm collected across the Western Ghats and multiplied as genetically distinct, true-to-type clones rather than raised from seed. Independent horticultural-research summaries describe DWD-1 as having good aroma and leaf oil content (reported around 0.5% oil content in comparative trials) suited to fresh-leaf use, but consistently flag it as cold-sensitive, with noticeably poorer growth and lower leaf yield through the winter months compared with its companion release, Suvasini (DWD-2). Because it is a clonal selection rather than a seed-grown type, DWD-1 must be multiplied through root suckers or stem cuttings taken from a genuine mother plant to keep its aroma and growth habit true-to-type — a seedling raised from its berries would not reliably reproduce the same plant. It is mainly grown in Karnataka, where it forms part of the small set of formally released, named curry leaf planting material available to Indian growers, most of whom otherwise still plant unnamed local seedlings.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- SpacingRoughly 2 m between rows with 1–1.5 m within the row for a commercial bush system
- FertilizerA modest, split N:P:K dose after each major pruning cycle, on top of farmyard manure at planting (see the crop guide for the full schedule)
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained sandy loam to loam; pH roughly 6.0–7.5; intolerant of waterlogging
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Perennial; continuous leaf harvest once established
Expected yield
Good leaf yield and aroma under warm conditions; falls off noticeably in cool weather
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Major pests
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A genuine, named clonal selection with good aroma and leaf-oil content, rather than an unnamed local seedling of unknown quality.
- Reproduces its own aroma, leaf quality and growth habit true-to-type when multiplied by root suckers or cuttings, unlike a seed-grown plant.
Things to consider
- Distinctly cold-sensitive with poor winter growth — where winters are genuinely cool, its companion release Suvasini (DWD-2) is the more widely recommended choice.
- Must be multiplied vegetatively (root suckers or stem cuttings) from confirmed mother plants; seed from its own berries will not reproduce it true-to-type.
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
Frequently asked questions
Should I plant DWD-1 or Suvasini (DWD-2)?
If your area has a genuinely 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.
Sourced from: Diversity and Distribution of Curry Leaf in India — Journal of Horticultural Sciences (IIHR), Curry leaf Improvement in India — ResearchGate. editorial policy.