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Technical Kisanखेती, तकनीक के साथ
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Finger Millet (Ragi)KharifFinger millet varietyUpdated 28 August 2026

GPU 28

For years the single most widely grown ragi in Karnataka — high tillering, good blast resistance and an easy-to-thresh semi-compact ear.

SeasonKharif
Maturity periodAbout 110–115 days
Expected yieldAround 30–40 q/ha under good rainfed to irrigated management in the southern plateau
Suitable soilRed loam, sandy loam and lateritic soils

Quick facts

Crop
Finger Millet (Ragi)
Type
Finger millet variety
Season
Kharif
Maturity period
About 110–115 days
Seed rate
About 5 kg/ha to raise the nursery for a transplanted crop; 8–10 kg/ha for line sowing
Expected yield
Around 30–40 q/ha under good rainfed to irrigated management in the southern plateau
Suitable soil
Red loam, sandy loam and lateritic soils
Release
Released by UAS Bengaluru for the southern plateau; a leading rainfed kharif ragi variety

About this variety

GPU 28 is a finger-millet variety developed by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru, and released in the late 1990s. It became the dominant rainfed kharif ragi across the southern plateau — Karnataka in particular — because it combines high tillering, medium duration, good resistance to leaf and finger blast, and a semi-compact ear that threshes easily. It responds well to both rainfed and irrigated management.

Key characteristics

    Plant typeFinger millet variety
    MaturityAbout 110–115 days
    Yield potentialAround 30–40 q/ha under good rainfed to irrigated management in the southern plateau
    Disease resistanceGood resistance to leaf and finger blast
    SoilRed loam, sandy loam and lateritic soils
    SeasonKharif

Sowing & cultivation

  • Sowing timeNursery mid-June to mid-July with the monsoon; transplant at 3–4 weeks. Line-sown from mid-June to July on adequate soil moisture
  • Seed rateAbout 5 kg/ha to raise the nursery for a transplanted crop; 8–10 kg/ha for line sowing
  • SpacingTransplanted at 22.5–30 cm between rows and about 10 cm within the row, 2 seedlings per hill
  • Sowing methodTransplanting nursery seedlings for the highest yield (standard in Karnataka), or line sowing with a drill for a faster, cheaper crop
  • IrrigationMainly rainfed. Where water is available, one protective irrigation at panicle initiation (about 45–55 days) and a second at grain filling protect yield
  • FertilizerA common rainfed dose is 50:40:25 kg N:P2O5:K2O per hectare with 5–10 t/ha farmyard manure; an irrigated crop takes up to about 60–90 kg N/ha, nitrogen split basal and at tillering
  • HarvestingAbout 110–115 days from sowing to maturity; harvest the ear-heads when brown and the grain is hard, then dry and thresh. Cut the straw separately as fodder

Soil & climate

Soil

Suitable soil
Red loam, sandy loam and lateritic soils; also does well on better soils under irrigation
pH
5.0–8.0

Climate

Climate
A rainfed kharif crop of the southern plateau; wet, overcast weather at flowering is when blast pressure is highest, and GPU 28's blast resistance is a large part of its value

Yield & maturity

Maturity period

About 110–115 days

Expected yield

Around 30–40 q/ha under good rainfed to irrigated management in the southern plateau

Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.

Pest & disease considerations

Management notes

  • Even with GPU 28's resistance, avoid excess nitrogen and over-dense stands, and scout for blast when the weather turns humid at flowering
  • One or two weedings in the first 30–40 days cover the crop's critical weed-free period

Advantages & considerations

Why farmers may choose it

  • Good, stable blast resistance under southern-plateau conditions
  • High tillering and a semi-compact ear that threshes easily
  • Performs across both rainfed and irrigated management
  • Widely known to dealers, KVKs and millers in the ragi belt

Things to consider

  • A medium-duration type — for a very short or late monsoon, an early variety such as GPU 45 escapes end-of-season drought better
  • Bred and recommended for the southern plateau; in the Himalayan hills the VL Mandua types are the better fit

Suitable regions

States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.

  • Karnataka
  • Tamil Nadu
  • Andhra Pradesh
  • Telangana
  • Maharashtra
  • Odisha

Frequently asked questions

What is GPU 28 ragi?

A medium-duration finger-millet variety from UAS Bengaluru with good blast resistance, high tillering and an easy-to-thresh ear — for years the most widely grown rainfed kharif ragi in Karnataka.

How long does GPU 28 take to mature?

About 110–115 days from sowing.

Is GPU 28 resistant to blast?

It carries good field resistance to leaf and finger blast, which is one of the main reasons it was so widely adopted. It should still be grown with moderate nitrogen and scouted at flowering in humid weather.

How much GPU 28 seed do I need per acre?

About 2 kg per acre (5 kg/ha) to raise the nursery for a transplanted crop, or 3–4 kg per acre (8–10 kg/ha) for line sowing.

Sourced from: ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research — finger millet varieties, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. editorial policy.