IISR Varada
An ICAR-IISR release with plump rhizomes and good adaptability.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Ginger
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 195–205 days
- Expected yield
- ~225 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate
- Release
- Released 1996 by ICAR-IISR, Calicut
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
IISR Varada is a ginger variety developed by ICAR-IISR (Indian Institute of Spices Research), Calicut, by germplasm selection (not a cross) and released in 1996. It gives plump rhizomes with flattened fingers and medium-sized reddish-brown scales, an average yield of 22.6 t/ha (about 225 q/ha), dry recovery of 20.7%, essential oil of 1.75% and low fibre (3.29–4.5%) compared with other varieties. It matures in about 200 days. IISR describes it as disease-tolerant and adopted across India, but a separate field-screening study found it susceptible to soft rot, so the two sources disagree.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Varada when you sell both fresh and dry ginger and want the land back early. At 195–205 days it is at the short end of the nine gingers here — three to six weeks ahead of IISR Vajra and IISR Surasa, and about a month ahead of Suprabha — which both frees the field for the next crop and puts you into the market before the main harvest. Its low fibre keeps it saleable fresh, and at 20.7% dry recovery it dries as well as any ginger here except Rejatha and Surasa, so you can decide at harvest which market to sell into. The catch is soft rot: IISR calls it disease-tolerant, but a separate field-screening study found it susceptible, so keep it off fields with a soft-rot history. Choose Mahima instead if nematodes are your problem, because it is the only ginger here with a named resistance rating. Choose Suprabha if dry ginger (saunth) is your only product.
Sowing & cultivation
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Low fibre content (3.29-4.5%) relative to alternatives, valued for eating and processing quality
- High dry recovery (20.7%) and essential oil content (1.75%), useful for both fresh and processed ginger markets
Things to consider
- IISR calls Varada disease-tolerant, but a separate field-screening study found it susceptible to soft rot. The disease rating stays at Moderate, and you should not count on it in fields with a soft-rot history.
- Only Karnataka is shown, although IISR describes the variety as adopted across India. No source gives a state list, so none is added.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
When two sources disagree about soft rot
IISR calls Varada disease-tolerant. A separate field-screening study found it susceptible to soft rot. Neither is wrong on the evidence we have, and the safe reading is that soft rot is a risk to plan for.
Three steps lower that risk. Take seed rhizomes only from a field that had no soft rot. Reject any that are soft, wrinkled or discoloured. And plant on land that drains, because standing water is what soft rot needs.
If your field has a soft-rot history, do not make Varada your main crop there. Plant a small trial strip, or choose a field with a clean record, and ask your KVK which varieties it has seen hold up in your district.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This crop is planted from rhizomes, so your own field can supply next season. Lift plump rhizomes with healthy buds from plants that showed no rot or yellowing, store them where it is cool, dry and dark, and leave out every soft or mouldy piece — rot carries over in the planting material. Take fresh, clean rhizomes from a research station, a KVK or a government farm when yields drop.
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 | Maturity | 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 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 Varadathis page | 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 10.0% oleoresin and 25.21 t/ha in the TNAU table | About 200 days; harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU) | Medium–high | Tamil Nadu, Karnataka |
| Nadia | The Meghalaya farmer's ginger (Ing Bah) with 28.55 t/ha, 22.6% dry recovery and low fibre in the TNAU table | About 200 days; harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU) | High | Meghalaya |
| Rio-de-Janeiro | Bold ginger with high oil (2.3%) and the highest oleoresin (10.5%) in the TNAU table, grown for the fresh market | About 190 days; harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU) | 17.65 t/ha fresh rhizome (TNAU table) | 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.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Ginger plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Ginger variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Ginger into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Ginger rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
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
When was IISR Varada released?
1996, by ICAR-IISR, Calicut.
Is IISR Varada resistant to soft rot?
Sources disagree. IISR describes it as generally disease-tolerant, but a separate field-screening study found it susceptible to soft rot. Do not rely on it alone in fields prone to soft rot. Use clean seed rhizomes and good drainage.
What yield does IISR Varada give?
22.6 t/ha (about 225 q/ha) on average, per IISR.
How long does IISR Varada take to mature?
195–205 days, around 200, per IISR. That is about a month sooner than Suprabha, which takes about 229 days. Plan the next crop from the 205-day end of the range.
What makes IISR Varada rhizome distinctive?
Plump rhizomes with flattened fingers and medium-sized reddish-brown scales, with low fibre (3.29–4.5%) compared with other varieties.
How much dry ginger will Varada give me from fresh?
IISR gives a dry recovery of 20.7%, about 20.7 kg of dry ginger from every 100 kg fresh. That is close to Suprabha (20.5%) and Rio-de-Janeiro (20.0% in the TNAU table).
Can I grow Varada outside Karnataka?
IISR describes it as adopted across India, but gives no state list, so only Karnataka is shown here. Ask your KVK about your district.
Should I treat my Varada seed rhizomes before planting?
Yes, given the soft-rot report. Choose firm, healthy seed rhizomes from a field with no rot, discard soft or discoloured ones, and ask your KVK for the treatment it recommends.
Varada or Suprabha if I make dry ginger (saunth)?
Varada, in most cases. Both recover about the same dry weight, 20.7% for Varada and 20.5% for Suprabha, but Varada gives the higher fresh yield, 22.6 t/ha against 16.6 t/ha, and finishes sooner, about 200 days against 229. That means more saunth from the same acre.
Varada or Mahima if I have no nematode problem?
Varada. It has 20.7% dry recovery and 1.75% essential oil and gives 22.6 t/ha in about 200 days. Mahima's strength is resistance to root-knot nematode, which matters only if nematodes have hurt your ginger. Without that problem, you can choose on dry recovery and soft rot history, and Varada is the one to keep off fields with soft rot.
Sourced from: IISR-Varada (Ginger) — ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research. editorial policy.