Chittidar
Grafted planting material, not true seed. A traditional spotted-skin landrace grown in old UP orchards for hardiness, as Lucknow-49 takes new planting.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Guava
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Bearing from year 2–3 (grafted plant)
- Expected yield
- 130–160 q/ha at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Comparatively hardier against wilt than Allahabad Safeda
- Release
- A traditional spotted-skin type still grown in older Uttar Pradesh orchards. It is not a modern ICAR release. It is reported among a small group of traditional types that CISH Lucknow's screening found wilt-tolerant.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Chittidar means "spotted". It is an Allahabad Safeda type of guava with many pinhead-sized pinkish-red dots on the skin. One crop-guide comparison puts its sugar (TSS) above both Allahabad Safeda and Lucknow-49, though its vitamin C is reported lower than Lucknow-49's. CISH Lucknow's wilt screening is reported to have found Chittidar wilt-tolerant, along with Portugal, Seedless and Spear Acid. Only summaries of the review behind that finding are available, so treat it as a reported result, not a guarantee. It fits the page's rating of Chittidar as hardier against wilt than Allahabad Safeda.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Chittidar if you are replanting an older Uttar Pradesh orchard and want an Allahabad Safeda type of fruit with more wilt hardiness. It carries pinhead-sized red dots on the skin and, in one comparison, more sugar than Allahabad Safeda and Lucknow-49. The costs are lower vitamin C than Lucknow-49 and a wilt finding that is reported, not tested on your land. Choose Lucknow-49 instead if you want the higher yield (180–220 q/ha against 130–160 q/ha here) and a better-documented wilt record. Choose Allahabad Safeda only on land that has never had wilt.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Distinctive red-dotted skin sets it apart visually from Allahabad Safeda and Lucknow-49 at the same table-fruit size class
- Higher sugar (TSS) content than either Allahabad Safeda or Lucknow-49, per a variety comparison
- Reported wilt tolerance, shared with a small group of other traditional types. That is why farmers on old wilt-history land keep it instead of replanting Allahabad Safeda
Things to consider
- The wilt finding is reported in several summaries of a guava improvement review, but only summaries of the review are available. Treat it as a good sign, not a promise, and check your block for wilt every year.
- Its vitamin C is reported lower than Lucknow-49's even though its sugar is reported higher. If your buyer cares about nutrition, compare the two before you plant.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
Try a small block before you replace old trees
Chittidar's wilt record is reported, not proven on your land. So do not pull out working trees on the strength of it.
Plant a short row of grafted Chittidar next to your existing guava. Keep a note of which trees show yellowing or sudden wilting each season. After two or three seasons you will know whether it holds up in your soil.
Only then decide how much of the old orchard to replace. Compare the fruit sale price with Lucknow-49 at the same time, because that is the plant most buyers already know.
Where the planting material comes from
This variety is a grafted plant: the variety on top, joined onto a rootstock below. Seed out of its fruit will not come up as this variety, so it cannot be kept as seed. Buy grafted plants from a registered nursery or a government farm, so the plant is true to the variety and free of disease.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Guava variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allahabad Safeda | A white-fleshed table guava for north Indian markets, on land that has never had guava wilt | Bearing from year 2–3 (grafted plant) | 150–200 q/ha at full bearing | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh |
| Chittidarthis page | An old-orchard replant in Uttar Pradesh where wilt has been a problem and you still want an Allahabad-type fruit | Bearing from year 2–3 (grafted plant) | 130–160 q/ha at full bearing | Uttar Pradesh |
| Lalit | A firm, pink-fleshed guava for fresh sale and for processing, from a CISH release | Winter crop | High | Uttar Pradesh |
| Lucknow-49 (Sardar) | A higher-yielding, more wilt-tolerant replacement for Allahabad Safeda, for north Indian table-fruit orchards | Bearing from year 2–3 (grafted plant) | 180–220 q/ha at full bearing | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana |
| Pant Prabhat | A regular-bearing, soft-seeded table guava bred at Pantnagar for Uttarakhand | Early winter | High | Uttarakhand |
| Taiwan Pink | An early-bearing pink-fleshed guava for premium and export markets, bought from a private nursery | Managed cropping | Very high | Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh |
| VNR Bihi | A jumbo, firm white-fleshed guava for premium and long-distance markets, from a private nursery | Managed cropping | Very high | Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh |
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 Guava is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Guava plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Guava variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Guava 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 Guava rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Guava seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Chittidar' mean, and why does the fruit look different?
'Chittidar' means spotted — the fruit is essentially Allahabad-Safeda-type guava but covered in numerous small pinkish-red, pinhead-sized dots on the skin, which is where the variety gets its name.
Is Chittidar actually more wilt-tolerant than Allahabad Safeda, or just older stock that got lucky?
Reports say CISH Lucknow's own screening found Chittidar wilt-tolerant, together with three other traditional types: Portugal, Seedless and Spear Acid. That matches the tolerance rating given above. It is reported hardier, not wilt-proof, so keep checking your trees.
Should I plant Chittidar where Allahabad Safeda died of wilt?
It is reported hardier against wilt, so it is a reasonable one to try, but not a safe bet. Plant a small block first and watch it for a few seasons before you replant the whole orchard. No trial figure from wilt-history land exists.
How do I recognise Chittidar fruit?
Look for many small pinkish-red dots, about the size of a pinhead, spread over the skin. Otherwise it is an Allahabad Safeda type of fruit in the same table-fruit size class.
Is Chittidar sweeter than Lucknow-49?
In the one comparison on record, yes. Its TSS was reported higher than both Allahabad Safeda and Lucknow-49. The same comparison reports lower vitamin C than Lucknow-49. No separate TSS number is published for Chittidar, so taste a few fruits from a nursery's mother tree if you can.
Which states is Chittidar grown in?
The recommended state is Uttar Pradesh, where it survives in older orchards. No trial is published for other states. If you farm elsewhere, treat it as untested for your area and start with a few plants.
Can Chittidar be grown from seed?
No, not if you want the same fruit. It is grafted planting material, like other named guava types. Buy grafted plants and ask the nursery which tree they were taken from.