GingerKharifPlanting materialUpdated 19 October 2026

IISR Rejatha

An IISR germplasm selection with plump, round, bold rhizomes in compact three-layered clumps. IISR gives 22.4 t/ha fresh, 2.36% essential oil, 23% dry recovery and low fibre (4%).

SeasonKharif

Maturity period200 days (Indian Horticulture 2025); harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)

Expected yield22.4 t/ha fresh rhizome (IISR)

Suitable soilLoam

Quick facts

Crop: Ginger
Type: Planting material
Season: Kharif
Maturity period: 200 days (Indian Horticulture 2025); harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)
Seed rate: TNAU gives 1,500 to 1,800 kg of seed rhizome a hectare. IISR gives no separate seed rate for this variety.
Expected yield: 22.4 t/ha fresh rhizome (IISR)
Suitable soil: Loam
Release: Released 2001 (IISR variety page; IISR's table says 2004) · ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode, Kerala

About this variety

IISR Rejatha is a ginger variety selected from germplasm by ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode. IISR's variety page gives 2001 as the year of release and its table gives 2004. It gives plump, round and bold rhizomes in compact, three-layered clumps, with a plant height of 67.7 cm, 8.26 tillers a clump and brown scales. The average yield is 22.4 t/ha fresh. Essential oil is 2.36%, dry recovery 23.0% and fibre 4%. IISR says it is rich in oil and oleoresin and relatively free from diseases. The 2025 Indian Horticulture appraisal gives a 200-day crop, oleoresin of 6.3% and dry recovery of 20.8%.

Should you pick this variety?

Choose IISR Rejatha if you want ginger with more oil and less fibre than most IISR releases, for fresh sale or for drying. IISR gives it 2.36% essential oil, above Varada (1.70 to 1.75%), Mahima (1.72%) and Vajra (2.15%), with 23% dry recovery on its own pages and fibre of 4%. It gives 22.4 t/ha fresh, a little under Varada (22.6) and Mahima (23.2) and well under Vajra (26.38). The catch is disease cover: IISR says only that it is relatively free from diseases, with no soft rot or nematode rating, where Mahima is rated resistant to root-knot nematode. Plant it on well-drained ground with treated seed.

Key characteristics

Plant typePlanting material

Maturity200 days (Indian Horticulture 2025); harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)

Yield potential22.4 t/ha fresh rhizome (IISR)

Disease resistanceRelatively free from diseases (IISR table); no named disease rating

SoilLoam

SeasonKharif

Sowing & cultivation

Sowing timeMay to June (TNAU)
Seed rateTNAU gives 1,500 to 1,800 kg of seed rhizome a hectare. IISR gives no separate seed rate for this variety.
SpacingTNAU: 40 x 20 cm on ridges and furrows for an irrigated crop; raised beds of 20 x 20 or 25 x 25 cm for a rainfed crop.
FertilizerTNAU: 25 to 30 t of farmyard manure a hectare and 30 t of green leaves as mulch in three splits, with 50 kg P and 25 kg K a hectare, then 37.5 kg N and 12.5 kg K on the 45th and 90th day after planting. IISR gives no separate dose for this variety.
HarvestingTNAU: harvest after 8 to 9 months, when the leaves start yellowing and drying.

Full Ginger growing guideSowing time, nutrients, irrigation, pests, costs and prices for Ginger as a whole crop. This is the advice that holds for every variety.

Soil & climate

Soil

Suitable soil: Friable, well-drained loam rich in humus (TNAU)

Climate

Climate: TNAU: warm and humid conditions with about 150 cm of annual rain, from sea level to 1,500 m, grown as an irrigated crop in humid zones.

Yield & maturity

Maturity period

200 days (Indian Horticulture 2025); harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)

Expected yield

22.4 t/ha fresh rhizome (IISR)

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

Pest & disease considerations

Major diseases

Soft rot (Pythium): TNAU says to give good drainage, choose healthy seed rhizomes, treat them with mancozeb or copper oxychloride 3 g a litre for 30 minutes, and drench the beds with 1% Bordeaux mixture or copper oxychloride.

Major pests

Advantages & considerations

Why farmers may choose it

Essential oil of 2.36%, above Varada, Mahima and Vajra in IISR's figures.
Low fibre (4%) and 23% dry recovery on IISR's own pages.
Plump, bold, round rhizomes in compact clumps.

Things to consider

22.4 t/ha fresh, below Mahima (23.2) and Vajra (26.38).
IISR gives no soft rot or nematode rating, only that it is relatively free from diseases.
IISR's pages disagree on the release year (2001 or 2004), the states (Kerala or Kerala and Karnataka) and dry recovery (23.0% or 20.8%).

Suitable regions

IISR's variety page gives Kerala as the area of adoption, and its table lists Kerala and Karnataka.

Kerala
Karnataka

IISR's five ginger releases side by side

IISR has released five ginger varieties, and the choice between them is mostly a trade between yield, oil and fibre. On IISR's figures, Varada gives 22.6 t/ha with 1.70 to 1.75% oil and low fibre of 3.29 to 4.5%. Mahima gives 23.2 t/ha with 1.72% oil, 23% dry recovery and 3.26% fibre, and is rated resistant to root-knot nematode. Rejatha gives 22.4 t/ha with 2.36% oil and 4% fibre.

Vajra and Surasa are the newer pair. Vajra gives the most, 26.38 t/ha, with 2.15% oil and the most zingiberene, 29.83%, but its fibre is higher at 5.67% and it takes 220 to 240 days. Surasa gives 24.33 t/ha, 1.66% oil and 5.5% fibre, and IISR points it at kitchen gardens and grow-bags.

So Rejatha is the oil-and-fibre pick of the older three, and Mahima the one for nematode soils. If yield is your only goal, Vajra leads, and you pay for it in fibre and days.

Can you save seed from this crop?

Ginger does not set seed, so it is grown from pieces of rhizome. Keep seed rhizomes from a clean plot, treat them before planting, and do not use rhizomes from plants that showed soft rot.

How it compares with other varieties

Every Ginger variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.

Variety	Best for	Starts bearing	Yield	States
IISR Rejathathis page	Oil-rich, low-fibre ginger for fresh or dry use	200 days (Indian Horticulture 2025); harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)	22.4 t/ha fresh rhizome (IISR)	Kerala, Karnataka
IISR Surasa	Kitchen gardens and grow-bags in Kerala	220 to 240 days (IISR); harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)	24.33 t/ha fresh rhizome on average (IISR)	Kerala
IISR Vajra	The highest IISR ginger yield, with strong flavour	220 to 240 days (IISR); harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)	26.38 t/ha fresh rhizome on average (IISR variety page)	Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal
IISR Varada	Low-fibre, plump ginger with 20.7% dry recovery, for both fresh sale and drying	195–205 days	~225 q/ha	Karnataka
Mahima	Ginger rated resistant to root-knot nematode, with bold, plump rhizomes, for Kerala	200 days	220–270 q/ha (fresh rhizome)	Kerala
Maran	Pungent, strong-flavoured ginger from Tamil Nadu and the Karnataka hills, with a 29.37 t/ha trial result	240–270 days	Medium–high	Tamil Nadu, Karnataka
Nadia	The Meghalaya farmer's ginger (Ing Bah) with about 24–25 t/ha, low fibre and 22.4% dry matter	230–250 days	High	Meghalaya
Rio-de-Janeiro	Bold, low-fibre ginger with high oil (2.31%) and oleoresin (9.06%), grown for the fresh market	220–230 days	200–230 q/ha (fresh rhizome)	Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh
Suprabha	Ginger for drying into saunth: 20.5% dry recovery, 8.9% oleoresin and low fibre	About 229 days	About 166 q/ha (fresh rhizome)	Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha

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 Ginger is selling for.

Subsidy and government support

Schemes that help with the cost of Ginger seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.

Frequently asked questions

Which year was IISR Rejatha released, 2001 or 2004?

IISR's Rejatha variety page gives 2001, and IISR's variety table gives 2004. We show 2001 with the other noted. The Kozhikode institute can say which is the notification year.

Is Rejatha better than Mahima?

It depends on what you need. Rejatha has more oil, 2.36% against 1.72%, and Mahima has more yield, 23.2 t/ha against 22.4, and is rated resistant to root-knot nematode and Meloidogyne pathotypes. For nematode soil choose Mahima, and for oil choose Rejatha.

Does Rejatha resist soft rot?

IISR gives no soft rot rating. It says only that Rejatha is relatively free from diseases. Soft rot is the main risk in ginger, so give good drainage and treat seed rhizomes with mancozeb or copper oxychloride before planting, as TNAU advises.

Can I plant Rejatha outside Kerala and Karnataka?

IISR's variety page names Kerala, and its table adds Karnataka. IISR gives no result from other states. TNAU says ginger needs warm, humid conditions with about 150 cm of rain, so test a small plot before you plant a large area.

Sourced from: IISR-Rejatha (Ginger) — ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Spice varieties: significant characteristics of ginger varieties — ICAR-IISR (ITM-ABI), An appraisal of ICAR-IISR released varieties in spices — Indian Horticulture, July-August 2025 (Shivakumar and others), Ginger — TNAU Agritech Portal (season, seed rate, spacing, manuring, soft rot). editorial policy.