Lucknow-49 (Sardar)
Grafted, not grown from seed. Despite the name, bred not at CISH Lucknow but selected in 1924 at Ganeshkhind, Pune (formally named L-49 in 1927) — see below. A heavier, rounder fruit than Allahabad Safeda and a real step up in wilt tolerance — the variety most new orchards on wilt-history land are shifting to. Currently available as planting material from multiple Indian nurseries.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Guava
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- Bearing from year 2–3 (grafted plant)
- Expected yield
- 180–220 q/ha at full bearing
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Selected in 1924 as a chance seedling of Allahabad Safeda at the Imperial Fruit Research Institute, Ganeshkhind, Pune, by Dr. Gurdev Singh Cheema with Dr. C.J. Saldanha and Dr. R.N. Kaul; the standout plant was formally designated 'L-49' in 1927.
About this variety
Every source found this pass traces Lucknow-49's origin to a place its own name doesn't mention: the Imperial Fruit Research Institute at Ganeshkhind, Pune, not Lucknow. A directly-fetched Better India article and a directly-fetched PMC guava-genome paper agree that in 1924, Dr. Gurdev Singh Cheema, working with Dr. C.J. Saldanha and Dr. R.N. Kaul, selected promising seedlings from Allahabad Safeda; by 1927 the single most outstanding plant among them was formally designated 'L-49'. The PMC paper independently confirms L-49 is 'a chance seedling from' Allahabad Safeda, and its genetic-clustering analysis places the two varieties together. A later yield trial by Dr. S.G. Bhalekar, reported in the same Better India article, found Sardar (L-49) delivering the highest yield of the varieties compared — an average of 56.39 kg per plant per year, from roughly 334 fruits averaging about 168 g each — and describes it as more dependable, larger-fruited and longer-shelf-life than Allahabad Safeda, though not addressing wilt tolerance directly. A directly-fetched Apni Kheti guava page gives total soluble solids of 10–12%, similar to Allahabad Safeda, and notes the fruit has rough-surfaced skin and creamy-white, smooth, juicy flesh; a separate source describes it as more prone to skin bronzing than Allahabad Safeda, and notes L-49 seed is separately used for raising wilt-tolerant guava rootstock.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
Bearing from year 2–3 (grafted plant)
Expected yield
180–220 q/ha at full bearing
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Outyields Allahabad Safeda with more dependable annual cropping, larger fruit and longer shelf life, per sourced comparison — the reason it has displaced so much Allahabad Safeda planting
- One cited yield trial (Dr. S.G. Bhalekar) found it the highest-yielding of the varieties compared, at 56.39 kg per plant per year
- Comparatively more wilt-tolerant than Allahabad Safeda, this record's own diseaseResistance field states, and its seed is separately reported usable for raising wilt-tolerant guava rootstock
Things to consider
- Every source found places Lucknow-49's actual 1924 selection at the Imperial Fruit Research Institute, Ganeshkhind, Pune, by Dr. Gurdev Singh Cheema with Dr. C.J. Saldanha and Dr. R.N. Kaul — formally named L-49 in 1927, decades before CISH Lucknow was even established (1972). The 'Lucknow' in the name reflects where it was later multiplied and promoted for North Indian growers, not where it was bred.
- More susceptible to skin bronzing than Allahabad Safeda per one source — a trade-off against its yield and wilt advantages
- Currently available as planting material from multiple Indian nurseries (checked 2026-08-13) — grafted/air-layered stock, not conventional seed, since named guava cultivars are propagated clonally
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
- Punjab
- Haryana
Frequently asked questions
Where does Lucknow-49 (Sardar) actually come from, despite the name?
Not CISH Lucknow. Every source found traces its origin to the Imperial Fruit Research Institute in Ganeshkhind, Pune: selected in 1924 by Dr. Gurdev Singh Cheema with Dr. C.J. Saldanha and Dr. R.N. Kaul from Allahabad Safeda seedlings, and formally named L-49 in 1927 — decades before CISH Lucknow was established (1972). The 'Lucknow' in the name reflects later multiplication and promotion for North Indian growers, not where it was bred.
How much better does Lucknow-49 actually yield than Allahabad Safeda?
One cited trial by Dr. S.G. Bhalekar found Sardar (L-49) delivering the highest yield among varieties compared, averaging 56.39 kg per plant per year from about 334 fruits per plant — reported as more dependable and larger-fruited than Allahabad Safeda, though L-49 is also noted as more prone to skin bronzing.
Sourced from: How a Chance Guava Seedling Found in Pune in 1924 Grew Into India's High-Yield Wonder — The Better India, Guava Farming Information — Apni Kheti, Development of Genome-Wide Functional Markers Using Draft Genome Assembly of Guava cv. Allahabad Safeda — PMC. editorial policy.