GPU 67
A later UAS Bengaluru release grown alongside GPU 28, often preferred where blast pressure is high for its strong resistance.
Quick facts
- Type
- Finger millet variety
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- About 115–120 days
- Seed rate
- About 5 kg/ha for the nursery of a transplanted crop; 8–10 kg/ha for line sowing
- Expected yield
- Around 32–42 q/ha under good management; strong grain and straw yield
- Suitable soil
- Red loam and lateritic soils
- Release
- Released by UAS Bengaluru for the southern plateau; noted for high blast resistance
About this variety
GPU 67 is a medium-to-late finger-millet variety from UAS Bengaluru, released after GPU 28 and grown widely alongside it in the southern plateau. Its main strength is a high level of resistance to blast, so it is often the pick for blocks or districts where blast has repeatedly damaged other varieties. It gives good grain and straw yield under both rainfed and irrigated management.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeNursery mid-June to mid-July; transplant at 3–4 weeks. Line-sown mid-June to July
- Seed rateAbout 5 kg/ha for the nursery of a transplanted crop; 8–10 kg/ha for line sowing
- Spacing22.5–30 cm between rows, about 10 cm within the row, 2 seedlings per hill when transplanting
- Sowing methodTransplanting for highest yield or line sowing with a drill
- IrrigationMainly rainfed; one protective irrigation at panicle initiation and one at grain filling where water is available
- Fertilizer50:40:25 kg N:P2O5:K2O per hectare with farmyard manure for a rainfed crop; more nitrogen under irrigation, split basal and at tillering
- HarvestingAbout 115–120 days to maturity; harvest ear-heads at brown, hard grain, then dry and thresh
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Red loam and lateritic soils; responds well to farmyard manure on light land
- pH
- 5.0–8.0
Climate
- Climate
- Suited to the rainfed southern plateau; its blast resistance is most valuable in a humid, cloudy flowering season
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
About 115–120 days
Expected yield
Around 32–42 q/ha under good management; strong grain and straw yield
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Even a resistant variety benefits from moderate nitrogen and an open, non-lodged stand
- Time sowing so flowering is past the wettest, cloudiest spell where possible
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- High blast resistance — the best of the common Karnataka varieties on this trait
- Good grain and straw yield for dual grain–fodder use
- Adapted across rainfed and irrigated management
Things to consider
- Medium-to-late duration — not the best fit for a very short monsoon window
- A southern-plateau variety; not bred for the Himalayan hills
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
- Maharashtra
- Odisha
Frequently asked questions
How is GPU 67 different from GPU 28?
Both are UAS Bengaluru finger-millet varieties for the southern plateau. GPU 67 is a little later and is generally rated higher for blast resistance, so it is often preferred where blast pressure is severe; GPU 28 is slightly earlier and was the more widely grown of the two.
How long does GPU 67 take to mature?
About 115–120 days from sowing.
Which regions suit GPU 67?
The rainfed and irrigated ragi tracts of the southern plateau — Karnataka in particular, and parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, especially where blast has been a recurring problem.
Sourced from: ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research — finger millet varieties, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. editorial policy.