DTS-1
A Karnataka sweet-red tamarind selection that TNAU lists among its varieties. The sources we found disagree on the institute and give no yield figure.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Imli (Tamarind)
- Type
- Grafted improved selection
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Bears from year 4 (TNAU, tamarind in general)
- Expected yield
- No variety figure published; TNAU gives 150 to 200 kg of pods a tree for tamarind in general
- Suitable soil
- All soils
- Disease resistance
- Not published
- Release
- Karnataka selection; the releasing institute is not agreed between sources, and no release year was found
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
DTS-1 is a tamarind selection from Karnataka. TNAU lists DTS 1 among its tamarind varieties. A lecture note from the College of Agriculture, Bikaner, describes it as a sweet red type and ties it to a university in Bangalore. A review places DTS-1 and DTS-2 among the Karnataka selections made for yield and pulp. Other trade pages credit a Dharwad college. The sources we found do not agree on the institute, and none gives the release year, the full form of the name or a yield, so there are few figures here.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose DTS-1 only if you farm in Karnataka and can see the parent tree and taste its pulp. It is described as a sweet red type and is listed with DTS-2 among the Karnataka selections, but sources disagree on the releasing institute and we found no yield or pulp figure. For a documented option use PKM-1 in Tamil Nadu, or Goma Prateek for dry land from the CIAH arid-zone institute.
Sowing & cultivation
- FertilizerTNAU: 200 g N, 150 g P and 250 g K a tree a year, with 25 kg FYM and 2 kg neem cake (tamarind in general).
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Described as a sweet red type, which is a different eating character from the brown-pulp types.
- Listed by TNAU among tamarind varieties and grouped with DTS-2 as Karnataka's selections.
Things to consider
- The releasing institute is not agreed, and the full form of DTS is not given in the sources we found.
- No yield, pulp share or disease figure was found.
- An ICAR-IIHR paper says consumers prefer broad, brown pulp, so a red-pulp type needs a buyer who wants red.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
Red pulp or brown pulp: what does your buyer ask for?
DTS-1 is described as a sweet red type. That is a real difference, but the only study we found on what buyers want points the other way. The ICAR-IIHR paper on the Lakshamana selection says consumers prefer broad, brown pulp with good pulp recovery, a combination the few released varieties do not give. Its Lakshamana tree has light brown pulp and 43% recovery, against 28% in local trees.
So do not assume that red earns more. Take 1 kg of pods from the DTS-1 parent tree to the two buyers you would really sell to, and ask what each would pay for red pulp, and whether they want it deseeded, in baskets or as whole pods. Ask the same about the brown local pulp, and write the prices side by side.
Also weigh the pulp share, as you would for any tamarind. Pulp share is pulp weight divided by pod weight, times 100. If DTS-1 does not beat 28% by a clear margin, its colour has to pay for the difference, and only your buyers can tell you whether it does.
Where the planting material comes from
Tamarind is highly cross-pollinated and has long been grown from seed, so seedlings vary widely (ICAR-IIHR). Trees raised from the seed of a named variety will not come true. TNAU propagates tamarind by softwood grafting in March and April, or by air layering with IBA at 4000 ppm. Buy DTS-1 as a graft from a nursery that can show the parent tree.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Imli (Tamarind) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTS-1this page | Sweet red pulp (Karnataka) | Bears from year 4 (TNAU, tamarind in general) | No variety figure published; TNAU gives 150 to 200 kg of pods a tree for tamarind in general | Karnataka |
| Goma Prateek | Dry west, semi-dwarf, regular | Flowers from year 4 (Indian Horticulture); CIAH quotes 58.50 kg of fruit a plant | 58.50 kg of fruit a plant (one source says in year 4, CIAH ties it to year 9) | Rajasthan, Gujarat |
| PKM-1 | Tamil Nadu tamarind belt | Bears from year 4; economic crop from year 9 (TNAU, tamarind in general) | TNAU: 150 to 200 kg of pods a tree a year for tamarind; a lecture note gives 270 to 300 kg for PKM-1 | Tamil Nadu |
| PKM-2 | Little data published | Not published for PKM-2; TNAU gives bearing from year 4 for tamarind in general | No variety figure published; TNAU gives 150 to 200 kg of pods a tree for tamarind in general | Tamil Nadu |
| Pratishthan | High pulp share, Maharashtra | Bears from year 4 (TNAU, tamarind in general) | Pulp share 61% in the release description, 49.8% measured in a 2026 comparison; no tree yield found | Maharashtra |
| Urigam | Long pods, sweet pulp | Bears from year 4 (TNAU, tamarind in general) | No variety figure published; TNAU gives 150 to 200 kg of pods a tree for tamarind in general | Tamil Nadu |
| Yogeshwari | Red pulp, high yield | Bears from year 4 (TNAU, tamarind in general) | Described as a high-yielding type; no figure found | Maharashtra, Karnataka |
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 Imli (Tamarind) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Imli (Tamarind) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Imli (Tamarind) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Imli (Tamarind) 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 Imli (Tamarind) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Imli (Tamarind) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What does DTS-1 stand for?
We could not find the full form in the sources we read. A lecture note ties DTS-1 to a university in Bangalore, and some trade pages name a Dharwad college. Ask the nursery in writing for the institute and the mother tree before you pay for grafts.
Is red pulp better than brown pulp?
Not on the evidence we found. An ICAR-IIHR paper says consumers prefer broad, brown pulp with good recovery. Red can still win with a buyer who wants it, so test 1 kg of pods with your buyer before planting an orchard of it.
What pests and diseases should I watch for?
No DTS-1 score exists. For tamarind in general TNAU lists the leaf caterpillar (Achaea janata), the storage beetle (Pachymeres gonagra) at fruiting, and powdery mildew. Scout the young flush and the drying pods, and ask your KVK which sprays are currently permitted before using any.
When are the pods ready, and how much will a tree give?
TNAU says pods are picked in March and April and a full tree gives 150 to 200 kg of pods a year, for tamarind in general. There is no DTS-1 figure. In Tumkur, Karnataka, an ICAR-IIHR study measured 165.0 kg a tree for local trees over 4 years, which is a useful local yardstick.
Is DTS-1 the same as DTS-2?
No. A review lists DTS-1 and DTS-2 as two Karnataka selections. We found no description of DTS-2, so we cannot say how they differ. When you buy, check the tag says DTS-1 and ask to see the parent tree.
Sourced from: Tamarind — TNAU Agritech Portal (horticulture, spice crops), Tamarind (varieties and cultivation) — College of Agriculture, Bikaner, lecture note, A promising new tamarind selection, Lakshamana — Journal of Horticultural Sciences 15(2), 2020 (ICAR-IIHR). editorial policy.