Rio-de-Janeiro
A widely naturalised commercial type grown across several ginger tracts — big, plump rhizomes, less fibre than most desi types, favoured for fresh ginger.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Ginger
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- About 190 days; harvest after 8 to 9 months (TNAU)
- Expected yield
- 17.65 t/ha fresh rhizome (TNAU table)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Moderate rhizome rot tolerance
- Release
- Not a bred/notified variety — an exotic type introduced from Brazil and naturalised in India through farmer adoption; no institute or release year applies
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Rio-de-Janeiro is an exotic ginger type introduced from Brazil, now naturalised as one of India’s most widely grown non-indigenous cultivars, and it is widely described as the most popular exotic type among Indian farmers. It has bold rhizomes with buff-coloured skin and moderate fibre (5.6% in the TNAU variety table). The same table gives it the highest oleoresin (10.5%) and one of the highest essential-oil figures (2.3%) among the varieties it lists, which gives it a reputation for strong flavour and pungency. That table puts green-ginger yield at 17.65 t/ha, modest next to Nadia or Maran, with 20.0% dry recovery. Trade sources quote 25–35 t/ha, well above the TNAU figure, so expect a wide spread between farms. Unlike many Indian desi types, it is grown mainly for the fresh-ginger trade rather than dry ginger (saunth) production.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Rio-de-Janeiro when you sell fresh ginger, or to a buyer who pays on oleoresin. Its 10.5% oleoresin is the highest in the TNAU variety table, a little above Maran's 10.0% and Suprabha's 8.9% and more than double IISR Surasa's 4.45%, and the strong flavour and bold buff rhizome are what the fresh market pays for. The weak point is yield: TNAU lists 17.65 t/ha green ginger, against 22.6 for Varada, 25.21 for Maran and 28.55 for Nadia. Drying is not the problem, since its 20.0% dry recovery is level with Varada (20.7%) and Suprabha (20.5%), but you get it from a smaller crop. Choose Varada or Nadia instead if field weight matters more to you than oleoresin. One more thing to plan for: it has no release record, because farmers adopted it rather than an institute releasing it, so nobody certifies the seed rhizome you are handed — inspect it yourself and take it only from a plot you have seen.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Among the highest essential oil (2.3%) and the highest oleoresin (10.5%) figures in the TNAU variety table, giving strong flavour and pungency
- Bold rhizome with moderate fibre (5.6%), well suited to the fresh-ginger trade
- Shortest crop in the TNAU table at about 190 days, with 20.0% dry recovery, level with Varada and Suprabha
Things to consider
- The TNAU variety table lists 17.65 t/ha green ginger for Rio-de-Janeiro, while trade sources quote 25–35 t/ha. The table does not say where or when it was measured, so there is no single number to plan on: ask neighbouring growers what they dig and plan on that.
- Rio-de-Janeiro is an introduced trade type, not a bred release. TNAU gives about 190 days, but shows 200 days for most local types and says ginger is harvested 8 to 9 months after planting, so read it as a harvest age and not a Rio-de-Janeiro rating. The rhizome-rot rating follows general ginger practice, not a Rio-de-Janeiro trial.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Himachal Pradesh
Fresh or dry: what the TNAU figures say about Rio-de-Janeiro
Rio-de-Janeiro suits the fresh market, and it dries about as well as the IISR lines. TNAU lists 20.0% dry recovery, against Varada's 20.7% and Suprabha's 20.5%. From 100 quintals of fresh ginger that is about 20 quintals of dry, the same as them.
The real gap is yield, not recovery. TNAU lists 17.65 t/ha for Rio-de-Janeiro against 22.6 for Varada, so the same field gives fewer quintals of fresh ginger and fewer of saunth. If you sell all your ginger fresh at a good price for bold rhizomes, the lower weight can be worth it, and the high oil and oleoresin work for you.
If you sell part of the crop dry, count how much. A farm that sells half fresh and half dry might still find Rio-de-Janeiro the better crop at a high fresh price. A farm that dries most of its ginger and sells by weight should look at Varada or Suprabha first.
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 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 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-Janeirothis page | 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
Where does Rio-de-Janeiro ginger come from?
It is an exotic type introduced from Brazil rather than a variety bred by an Indian institute — it has naturalised in India through wide farmer adoption rather than a formal release.
How much yield does Rio-de-Janeiro give?
The TNAU variety table lists 17.65 t/ha fresh rhizome, while trade sources quote 25–35 t/ha. TNAU does not say where its figure was measured, so ask neighbouring growers what they dig and plan on that.
Can I dry Rio-de-Janeiro ginger into saunth?
Yes. TNAU lists 20.0% dry recovery, about the same as Varada (20.7%) and Suprabha (20.5%). What you give up is yield: 17.65 t/ha against 22.6 for Varada, so you get less saunth from the same field.
Why does Rio-de-Janeiro have a different name from other ginger?
It was brought to India from Brazil. It spread through farmers growing it, not through an official release, so it carries its original name.
Is the higher fibre of Rio-de-Janeiro a problem?
Its fibre is 5.6% in the TNAU table, above Varada (4.5%) and Mahima (3.26%) but below Maran (6.1%) and Himagiri (6.4%). For the fresh market the high oil and oleoresin matter more.
Rio-de-Janeiro or Varada if I sell both fresh and dry ginger?
Varada, if weight in the field matters most. Both recover about 20% as dry ginger (Varada 20.7%, Rio-de-Janeiro 20.0% in the TNAU table), but Varada gives 22.6 t/ha against 17.65, and takes about 200 days. Keep Rio-de-Janeiro for fresh sale or an oleoresin buyer, where its bold rhizome and 10.5% oleoresin are what is paid for.
Does the high oil and oleoresin of Rio-de-Janeiro earn me a better price?
Only if your buyer measures it. TNAU lists 2.3% essential oil and 10.5% oleoresin for Rio-de-Janeiro, the highest oleoresin in its variety table. A fresh-ginger mandi usually pays for size, look and low fibre, not for oil. Extract and processing buyers may pay more, so ask what they test before you plan on a premium.
Sourced from: Ginger Farming Income (Adrak) — Agri Farming, Ginger production technology, TNAU Agritech Portal (variety table: Rio-D-Jenario 17.65 t/ha green ginger, about 190 days, 20.0% dry recovery, 5.6% fibre, 10.5% oleoresin, 2.3% oil), Ginger harvest, TNAU Agritech Portal (ginger is harvested 8 to 9 months after planting, when the leaves turn yellow and dry). editorial policy.