Karan Guar 14 (RGr 18-1)
A 2022 release from RARI Durgapura (SKNAU), bred from RGC 1038 x RGC 1017. It averaged 1,222 kg/ha in 26 rainy-season trials, 14% above the best check, with 30.2% gum and 3,412 cp viscosity. Not the same as RGC-1038, which is also called Guar Karan.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- Medium maturing, about 90 to 95 days (IJAS 2023 summary)
- Seed rate
- About 15 kg/ha for guar in general (ICAR-based package); no separate rate is published for Karan Guar 14. Sow in rows and inoculate the seed with rhizobium.
- Expected yield
- 1,222 kg/ha grain on average over 26 coordinated trials in 4 rainy seasons; fodder 2,567 kg/ha (IJAS 2023)
- Suitable soil
- Light, well-drained soils of the arid and semi-arid belt (guar in general)
- Release
- Released 24 October 2022 by the central sub-committee on crop standards, notification and release of varieties · RARI Durgapura (SKN Agriculture University), which is the maintainer and the producer of nucleus and breeder seed
About this variety
Karan Guar 14 (RGr 18-1) is a cluster bean developed at the Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura, Jaipur (SKN Agriculture University). It came from the cross RGC 1038 x RGC 1017 by the pedigree method, was tested at RARI in the 2016 and 2017 rainy seasons, then in the all-India coordinated trials of 2018 to 2021, and was released by the central sub-committee on 24 October 2022. The IJAS paper describes an erect, pubescent plant with pink flowers, a tripinnate serrated leaf, straight hairy pods, and flat round seed from light grey to black brown, medium bold at 2.7 to 3.3 g per 100 seeds. It is medium maturing and was recommended for Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The paper gives no seed rate or spacing for it, so the practice below is the crop-level practice for guar.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Karan Guar 14 if you grow rainfed kharif guar for the gum market and want the newest national release with published trial numbers. In 26 coordinated trials from 2018 to 2021 it averaged 1,222 kg/ha against 1,069 for RGC 1033, 1,047 for RGC 1066 and 1,067 for HG 2-20. Its gum was 30.2% with a viscosity of 3,412 cp, above all three checks, and it was resistant to bacterial leaf blight and root rot. Do not read that as a sure win. It had the top yield against every check in only 13 of the 26 trials, and HG 2-20 was rated better for Alternaria blight. It is a 2022 release, so seed is still limited. Ask the seed producer for the lot and check the name carefully, because this is not RGC-1038 (also called Guar Karan).
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeFirst fortnight of July at the monsoon's onset for a rainfed crop; a delay after 15 July cuts yield (crop-level advice). The trials were rainy-season crops.
- Seed rateAbout 15 kg/ha for guar in general (ICAR-based package); no separate rate is published for Karan Guar 14. Sow in rows and inoculate the seed with rhizobium.
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Medium maturing, about 90 to 95 days (IJAS 2023 summary)
Expected yield
1,222 kg/ha grain on average over 26 coordinated trials in 4 rainy seasons; fodder 2,567 kg/ha (IJAS 2023)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Averaged 1,222 kg/ha in 26 coordinated trials, 14.3% above RGC 1033, 16.7% above RGC 1066 and 14.5% above HG 2-20.
- Gum 30.2% and viscosity 3,412 cp, both above the three checks (29.32 to 29.76% and 3,051 to 3,279 cp).
- Resistant to bacterial leaf blight and root rot, with fewer leafhoppers per leaf than RGC 1033 and RGC 1066.
Things to consider
- Top yield against every check in only 13 of the 26 trials; it lost at some sites in every year.
- Only moderately resistant to Alternaria blight, where HG 2-20 was rated resistant, and HG 2-20 had fewer whiteflies per leaf (2.03 against 2.40).
- A 2022 release with limited seed, and a name that is easy to mix up with RGC-1038 (Guar Karan).
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Rajasthan
- Haryana
- Gujarat
- Maharashtra
Where Karan Guar 14 won, and where it did not
The paper's Table 2 lists 26 trials at ten centres: Mandor, CAZRI Jodhpur, Bikaner, Gwalior, Ajmer, Durgapura, Bawal, Hisar, S K Nagar and Pandharpur. Yearly means were 1,105 kg/ha in 2018, 1,099 in 2019, 1,296 in 2020 and 1,430 in 2021, with RGC 1033 at 993, 1,049, 1,116 and 1,135 in the same years. By our count of that table it beat RGC 1033 in 18 of the 26 trials, HG 2-20 in 20, and RGC 1066 in 15 of the 19 where RGC 1066 was grown, and led all the available checks in 13.
It lost at some centres: Pandharpur in 2020 and 2021 (883 against 1,177 for RGC 1033, and 849 against 954), Gwalior in 2018 and 2020, and Ajmer in 2018 and 2019. It was at par with the checks in 2019. For a farmer, the lesson is to read the centre nearest you before the national mean. The paper recommends it for Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra, and ask your KVK for the result at your own centre.
Three Karan names: do not buy the wrong guar
Guar has more than one variety with Karan in the name, and they are not the same. RGC-1038 is also called Guar Karan, released in 2007 and notified in 2009. Karan Guar 14 is RGr 18-1, released on 24 October 2022 from RGC 1038 x RGC 1017, so RGC-1038 is its parent. ICAR's breeder-seed review also lists a Karan Guar 1, and we could not find a release record that says which variety that is.
So read the tag. Look for the full name Karan Guar 14 or the code RGr 18-1, the producer (RARI Durgapura or a seed agency it supplies) and the lot number. If a seller says Karan guar and cannot say which one, treat it as unproven and ask for the notification or the breeder-seed source before you pay.
Can you save seed from this crop?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Guar (Cluster Bean) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG 2-20 | Seed and gum grain; most-demanded variety in the seed chain | 90 to 95 days (Vikaspedia, ICAR-based); 90 to 100 days (DPD arid legumes table) | 12 to 15 q/ha (Vikaspedia, ICAR-based); 2,000 to 2,200 kg/ha in the DPD arid legumes table | Haryana, Punjab |
| HG 365 | Early and late sowing; higher seed and gum in two Andhra trials | 85 to 90 days (Vikaspedia and the DPD arid legumes table); 102.15 days at West Godavari | 12 to 15 q/ha (Vikaspedia, ICAR-based); the DPD table prints 18 to 20 with no unit; 619.07 kg/ha in rainfed Karnataka trials | Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan |
| HG 563 | Early or late sowing; high-viscosity gum | 85 to 90 days (Vikaspedia and the DPD arid legumes table); 93.03 days at West Godavari | 12 to 13 q/ha (Vikaspedia, ICAR-based); the DPD table prints 18 to 20 with no unit; 623.83 kg/ha in rainfed Karnataka trials | Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan |
| HG 870 | Haryana guar where a short crop and a disease rating matter | 85 to 95 days (DPD); 92.44 days to harvest in a West Godavari trial, the shortest of 14 | 2,000 to 2,200 kg/ha (DPD) | Haryana |
| HG 884 | Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan farmers who want a medium-early guar and sell on gum content | Medium early, 90 to 95 days (DPD); 93.71 days to harvest in a West Godavari trial | 1,400 to 1,500 kg/ha (DPD); gum 30 to 32% with 2,000 to 3,500 cP (DPD) | Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan |
| Karan Guar 14 (RGr 18-1)this page | Rainfed kharif guar in Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra where the gum price and disease tolerance matter | Medium maturing, about 90 to 95 days (IJAS 2023 summary) | 1,222 kg/ha grain on average over 26 coordinated trials in 4 rainy seasons; fodder 2,567 kg/ha (IJAS 2023) | Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra |
| RGC-1002 | Bold grey seed; early branched type | 80 to 90 days (Vikaspedia); 90 to 95 days (DPD arid legumes table) | 10 to 12 q/ha (Vikaspedia, ICAR-based); 800 to 1,300 kg/ha in the DPD arid legumes table; lowest pod yield of 14 cultivars in one Andhra trial | Rajasthan |
| RGC-1003 | Land that needs an earlier guar crop and where large grain is wanted; an older release for four states | 90 to 95 days (DPD); 95.77 days to harvest in a West Godavari trial | 1,100 to 1,200 kg/ha (DPD) | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh |
| RGC-1033 (Guar Kunjal) | Rajasthan rainfed guar where certified seed has to be easy to find and the gum has to meet the mill's test | 95 to 100 days (DPD); 96.10 days to harvest in a West Godavari trial | 1,500 to 2,000 kg/ha (DPD); 1,069 kg/ha average as the check in 26 coordinated trials, 2018 to 2021 (IJAS 2023) | Rajasthan |
| RGC-1038 | Sandy loam, semi-arid land; a leading seed-chain variety | 95 to 100 days (Vikaspedia and the DPD arid legumes table); medium maturity (ICAR review) | 12 to 15 q/ha (Vikaspedia, ICAR-based; DPD table 1,200 to 1,500 kg/ha); high fodder and seed yield (ICAR review) | Rajasthan |
| RGC-1055 (Guar Uday) | Medium-maturity, high-endosperm seed; check the name | 96 to 106 days (DPD arid legumes table); medium maturity (ICAR review) | 1,500 to 2,000 kg/ha in the DPD arid legumes table; high endosperm (ICAR review). Only one source gives this figure | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab |
| RGC-1066 | Single-stem guar for tight rows and intercropping | 85 to 90 days (Vikaspedia); 97 days (DPD arid legumes table); early maturity (ICAR review) | 10 to 15 q/ha (Vikaspedia, ICAR-based); 1,000 to 1,400 kg/ha in the DPD arid legumes table | Rajasthan |
| RGC-936 | An old early rainfed type; little certified seed now | 85 to 90 days (Vikaspedia and the DPD arid legumes table) | 8 to 10 q/ha (Vikaspedia, ICAR-based); 900 to 1,150 kg/ha in the DPD arid legumes table | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana |
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 Guar (Cluster Bean) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Guar (Cluster Bean) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Guar (Cluster Bean) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Guar (Cluster Bean) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Guar (Cluster Bean) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Guar (Cluster Bean) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Frequently asked questions
Is Karan Guar 14 the same as RGC-1038 or Guar Karan?
No. RGC-1038 (Guar Karan) was released in 2007. Karan Guar 14 (RGr 18-1) was released on 24 October 2022 from the cross RGC 1038 x RGC 1017, so RGC 1038 is one of its parents. Ask for the full name or the code on the tag.
How much gum does Karan Guar 14 have?
The paper's Table 3 gives 30.2% gum (11 trials) against 29.32% for RGC 1033, 29.59% for RGC 1066 and 29.76% for HG 2-20, with viscosity 3,412 cp against 3,133, 3,279 and 3,051. One line in the paper's text says 29.00%, so the table and summary figure of 30.2% is the one to use, and the gap to the checks is small. Ask your buyer for his own test.
Is Karan Guar 14 resistant to disease?
In the coordinated trials it was rated resistant to bacterial leaf blight and root rot and moderately resistant to Alternaria blight. HG 2-20 was rated resistant to Alternaria blight, and RGC 1033 and RGC 1066 were moderately resistant to bacterial blight. Leafhoppers were 2.21 a leaf against 2.82 and 3.42 for RGC 1033 and RGC 1066, and whiteflies 2.40 against 2.70 and 2.96.
In which states is Karan Guar 14 recommended?
The paper says it was recommended for different states, including Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Maharashtra, and that it suits guar-growing areas across India. The trials ran at ten centres in Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh (Gwalior).
Should I save seed from Karan Guar 14?
It is an open-pollinated pedigree variety, not a hybrid, so seed from a good field stays close to type. But the paper's DNA profile showed little difference from its parents, so keep the field clean of other guar, and buy fresh certified seed every few seasons so the name on the tag stays true.
Sourced from: Jain, Shekhawat and Gupta, Karan guar 14: a new high-yielding and quality gum content variety, Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 93(4), 2023, Karan guar 14: A new high-yielding and quality gum content variety (record) — AGRIS, FAO, Growth, varietal development and cultivar diversity in seed production chain of cluster bean in India — Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 93(8), 2023 (Chauhan and others, ICAR), Clusterbean — Vikaspedia package of practices (sowing, seed rate, seed treatment). editorial policy.