PKM-1
Periyakulam's tamarind, listed first among TNAU's varieties and named a preferred variety for Dindigul, Theni, Madurai and Trichy. A lecture note gives 270 to 300 kg of pods a tree and 40% pulp.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Imli (Tamarind)
- Type
- Grafted improved variety
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Bears from year 4; economic crop from year 9 (TNAU, tamarind in general)
- Expected yield
- TNAU: 150 to 200 kg of pods a tree a year for tamarind; a lecture note gives 270 to 300 kg for PKM-1
- Suitable soil
- All soils
- Disease resistance
- No variety score. TNAU lists leaf caterpillar, storage beetle and powdery mildew for tamarind
- Release
- Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam, TNAU; release year not found in official sources
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
PKM-1 is a tamarind from the Horticultural College and Research Institute, Periyakulam, of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. TNAU lists PKM 1 first among its tamarind varieties and names it, with Urigam, a preferred variety for the tamarind pockets of Dindigul, Theni, Madurai and Trichy. A lecture note from the College of Agriculture, Bikaner, calls it an early variety giving 270 to 300 kg of pods a tree, with 40% pulp, and 25 t of pods a hectare at 10 x 10 m. A review lists PKM-1, PKM-2, PKM-3 and Urigam as the Tamil Nadu selections made for yield and pulp. We found no release year in official sources.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose PKM-1 if you plant tamarind in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul, Theni, Madurai or Trichy belt, where TNAU names it a preferred variety along with Urigam. Its documented strength is yield: one lecture note gives 270 to 300 kg of pods a tree and 40% pulp, against TNAU's 150 to 200 kg a tree for tamarind in general. Choose Urigam if you want long, sweet pods for eating, and Goma Prateek for dry land in Rajasthan or Gujarat. Be patient: TNAU says tamarind bears from the 4th year and gives its economic crop from the 9th.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune to December is the best planting time (TNAU).
- Spacing8 to 10 m x 8 to 10 m (TNAU), which is 156 to 100 trees a hectare.
- Sowing methodPlant softwood grafts in pits of 1 x 1 x 1 m filled with FYM and topsoil, and stake each graft at once (TNAU).
- IrrigationWater once in 7 days after planting (TNAU).
- FertilizerTNAU: 200 g N, 150 g P and 250 g K a tree a year, with 25 kg FYM and 2 kg neem cake.
- HarvestingPods are picked in March and April (TNAU). Bearing starts in the 4th year and the economic crop from the 9th.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Named a preferred tamarind variety by TNAU for Dindigul, Theni, Madurai and Trichy.
- A lecture note gives 270 to 300 kg of pods a tree and 40% pulp.
- The same note gives 25 t of pods a hectare at 10 x 10 m.
Things to consider
- The 270 to 300 kg and 40% pulp figures come from a lecture note, not a trial paper. TNAU gives 150 to 200 kg a tree for tamarind in general.
- Bearing starts in the 4th year, but TNAU puts the economic crop at the 9th.
- No release year and no disease score were found.
Suitable regions
TNAU names PKM 1 a preferred variety for the tamarind pockets of Dindigul, Theni, Madurai and Trichy. We found no recommendation for other states.
- Tamil Nadu
What a hectare of PKM-1 means in trees, pods and pulp
Start with trees. TNAU spaces tamarind 8 to 10 m each way. At 8 x 8 m that is 156 trees a hectare, and at 10 x 10 m it is 100. TNAU's general figure for a full-bearing tree is 150 to 200 kg of pods a year. So 100 trees give 15 to 20 t of pods, and 156 trees give about 23 to 31 t. The lecture note's 25 t a hectare at 10 x 10 m works out at 250 kg a tree.
Now the pulp. The note gives PKM-1 40% pulp. From 20 t of pods that is 8 t of pulp. An ICAR-IIHR study of local trees in Tumkur, Karnataka, found 28% pulp recovery, which would give only 5.6 t from the same 20 t of pods. The gap of 2.4 t is the reason to ask any nursery what pulp share its tree gives, and to weigh a sample yourself.
These are full-crop figures. TNAU says bearing begins in the 4th year and the economic yield comes from the 9th, so the years between are a build-up. TNAU allows legumes, short vegetables, annual drumstick, sesame and sorghum in the alleys for up to 4 years, which helps carry the cost of the young orchard.
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 PKM-1 as a graft, and ask the nursery which tree its scions came from.
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-1 | 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-1this page | 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
How long before PKM-1 gives a crop?
TNAU says tamarind starts bearing from the 4th year and gives its economic yield from the 9th. That is for tamarind in general, not PKM-1 alone. Until then you can grow legumes, short vegetables, annual drumstick, sesame or sorghum in the alleys for up to 4 years.
What spacing and pit size does PKM-1 need?
TNAU uses 8 to 10 m x 8 to 10 m, which is 156 to 100 trees a hectare, in pits of 1 x 1 x 1 m filled with FYM and topsoil. Stake the graft straight after planting and remove any sprouts that come from the rootstock.
How much fertiliser should I give each tree?
TNAU gives 200 g N, 150 g P and 250 g K a tree a year, with 25 kg of FYM and 2 kg of neem cake. Water young trees once in 7 days. The dose is for tamarind in general, so adjust with a soil test and your tree age.
Can I grow PKM-1 from the seed of its pods?
You can, but the trees will not be PKM-1. Tamarind is highly cross-pollinated and seedlings vary a lot (ICAR-IIHR). TNAU propagates it by softwood grafting in March and April, or by air layering with IBA at 4000 ppm. Buy grafts and ask which tree the scion came from.
Is PKM-1 or Urigam the better tamarind?
TNAU names both as preferred varieties. A lecture note ties PKM-1 to yield (270 to 300 kg of pods a tree, 40% pulp) and Urigam to very long pods with sweet pulp. For pulp sold to a trader, PKM-1 has the numbers. For pods sold to eat, taste Urigam. Neither has a published trial against the other.
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.