GingerKharifPlanting materialUpdated 19 October 2026

IISR Vajra

A 2022 IISR clonal selection with the highest yield of IISR's ginger releases, 26.38 t/ha fresh, bold plump rhizomes with a yellow core and the most zingiberene, 29.83%. Fibre is higher, 5.67%, and it takes 220 to 240 days.

SeasonKharif

Maturity period220 to 240 days (IISR); harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)

Expected yield26.38 t/ha fresh rhizome on average (IISR variety page)

Suitable soilLoam

Quick facts

Crop: Ginger
Type: Planting material
Season: Kharif
Maturity period: 220 to 240 days (IISR); 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: 26.38 t/ha fresh rhizome on average (IISR variety page)
Suitable soil: Loam
Release: Released 2022 (IISR variety and landmark pages; IISR's table says 2020) · ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode, Kerala

About this variety

IISR Vajra is a ginger variety developed by clonal selection at ICAR-IISR, Kozhikode, and released in 2022. It is recommended for Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha and West Bengal. IISR gives an average fresh yield of 26.38 t/ha, a crop of 220 to 240 days, and bold, plump rhizomes with a yellow core and a desirable flavour. Fibre is 5.67%, essential oil 2.15%, dry recovery 20.7% and zingiberene 29.83%. Oleoresin is 5.76% on the variety page and 7.26% on IISR's landmark and variety-table pages. IISR's table also lists a 2020 release and a yield of 11.77, which do not match its other pages, and four licences issued for the variety.

Should you pick this variety?

Choose IISR Vajra if yield and flavour matter most to you. IISR gives it 26.38 t/ha fresh, the highest of its five ginger releases, against 22.6 for Varada and 23.2 for Mahima, with 2.15% essential oil and 29.83% zingiberene, the compound IISR links to its flavour. The rhizomes are bold and plump with a yellow core. The costs are fibre and time: 5.67% fibre against 3.26 to 4% for Mahima, Varada and Rejatha, and 220 to 240 days against about 200. IISR gives no disease rating, and its oleoresin figure is 5.76% on the variety page but 7.26% on two other IISR pages. For low fibre choose Mahima or Rejatha, and for nematode soil choose Mahima.

Key characteristics

Plant typePlanting material

Maturity220 to 240 days (IISR); harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)

Yield potential26.38 t/ha fresh rhizome on average (IISR variety page)

Disease resistanceNo disease rating published by IISR

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

220 to 240 days (IISR); harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)

Expected yield

26.38 t/ha fresh rhizome on average (IISR variety page)

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

The highest yield of IISR's ginger releases: 26.38 t/ha fresh.
The most zingiberene, 29.83%, which IISR links to a desirable flavour, and 2.15% essential oil.
Bold, plump rhizomes with a yellow core.

Things to consider

Fibre of 5.67%, higher than Mahima (3.26%), Varada (3.29 to 4.5%) and Rejatha (4%).
A longer crop, 220 to 240 days, against about 200 for the older IISR gingers.
IISR gives no disease rating, and its pages disagree on oleoresin (5.76% or 7.26%) and the release year (2022 or 2020).

Suitable regions

IISR recommends it for Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha and West Bengal.

Kerala
Karnataka
Odisha
West Bengal

What you give up for 26 tonnes a hectare

Vajra's headline is yield: 26.38 t/ha fresh, against 22.4 to 23.2 for IISR's older three. That is about 3 to 4 tonnes more a hectare, on IISR's figures. Two things come with it. The crop takes 220 to 240 days, about 20 to 40 days longer than Varada, Mahima and Rejatha, so the plot stays tied up longer and a late rain can catch the harvest.

The second is fibre. Vajra has 5.67%, where Mahima has 3.26%. Fibre matters if you sell fresh ginger for eating or for paste, because the stringy part is what a buyer notices. IISR describes Vajra's strength as flavour, with 29.83% zingiberene, and says nothing about low fibre.

So Vajra suits a farmer who sells by weight or for flavour-led products and can wait the extra weeks. If your buyer wants low-fibre rhizomes, Mahima or Rejatha is the better match. Whichever you pick, give good drainage, because IISR gives Vajra no soft rot rating.

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 Rejatha	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 Vajrathis page	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 oleoresin figure is right for Vajra, 5.76% or 7.26%?

We could not settle it. IISR's Vajra variety page gives 5.76%, and the 2025 Indian Horticulture appraisal gives 5.8%. IISR's landmark-technologies page and variety table give 7.26%. Test a sample of your own dried ginger before you quote a figure to a buyer.

Was Vajra released in 2022 or 2020?

IISR's variety page, landmark page and the 2025 Indian Horticulture appraisal point to 2022, and IISR's variety table says 2020 and lists a yield of 11.77, which does not match the 26.38 t/ha on its other pages. We show 2022 and 26.38 because more IISR pages agree on them.

Is Vajra the same as Varada?

No. IISR Varada is a 1996 selection with 22.6 t/ha, low fibre and about 200 days. IISR Vajra is a 2022 clonal selection with 26.38 t/ha, higher fibre and 220 to 240 days. The names look alike, so ask the nursery for the full name.

Can I grow Vajra in Odisha or West Bengal?

Yes, IISR recommends Vajra for Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha and West Bengal. IISR gives no state-wise yield or spacing, so use TNAU's general figures for ginger and test a small plot first.

Sourced from: IISR-Vajra (Ginger) — ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Landmark Technologies — ICAR-IISR, 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.