Palur-1 (PLR-1)
A TNAU clonal selection from the Panikkankuppam local of Panruti taluk, South Arcot, released in 1992. TNAU gives about 80 fruits and 900 kg a tree a year, 12 kg a fruit with 115–120 carpels, and a second crop in November–December.
Quick facts
- Type
- Grafted plant (improved variety)
- Season
- All seasons
- Starts bearing
- Regular crop April–June and an off-season crop November–December (TNAU). TNAU says jack grafts start yielding in the 5th year.
- Expected yield
- About 80 fruits, around 900 kg a tree a year; average fruit 12 kg (TNAU)
- Suitable soil
- All soils
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance widely documented
- Release
- Released 1992 by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), from a Panruti (South Arcot) selection
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Palur-1 (PLR-1) is a clonal selection from the Panikkankuppam local of Panruti taluk, South Arcot district, released by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in 1992. TNAU describes a high-yielding tree of medium height, less spreading, and suited to high-density planting. The annual yield is about 80 fruits weighing around 900 kg. The average fruit weighs 12 kg and holds 115–120 carpels. Besides the regular April–June crop, it gives an off-season crop in November–December, which TNAU calls its unique trait and says fetches a premium price. A fully ripe fruit has a flat stigmatic surface instead of a spiny one. TNAU's entry does not mention bright yellow or low-latex bulbs, or an export grade.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Palur-1 if you want a jackfruit with numbers you can plan on: TNAU gives about 80 fruits and 900 kg a tree a year, a 12 kg average fruit, and a second crop in November–December. That off-season crop is the reason to plant it, because TNAU says it fetches a premium. Choose Singapore Jack instead if you want the earliest first fruit (KAU: about 3 years), and Gumless Jack if latex while cutting is your main trouble.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timePlant grafts in June–December (TNAU). Cleft grafting for nursery plants is done in July–August on 4-month-old seedling rootstock.
- Spacing8 × 8 m (TNAU), in pits 1 m on each side. Assam's 2021 package of practices gives 10–12 m for its local and Singapore types.
- Sowing methodPlant a graft, not a seedling. TNAU fills each pit with topsoil mixed with 10 kg FYM and 1 kg neem cake. It prefers soil pH around 5.5 at planting; if the soil is more alkaline, TNAU treats the pit with 1% aluminium sulphate.
- IrrigationWater once a week until the plant is established. After that water only when needed (TNAU).
- FertilizerTNAU gives per tree, in two splits (May–June and September–October): a 1-year-old tree 10 kg FYM, 150 g N, 80 g P, 100 g K, with the same amount added each year. From the 6th year: 50 kg FYM, 750 g N, 400 g P, 500 g K.
- HarvestingTNAU says grafts start yielding in the 5th year (seedling trees in the 8th), and harvest runs March–July. TNAU puts the crop at 30–40 t/ha.
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Deep, well-drained soil (TNAU). Rich, deep alluvial soil does best (Assam package).
- pH
- 5.5
Climate
- Climate
- The crop does well on the plains and up to 1,200 m elevation (TNAU).
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- TNAU gives about 80 fruits and 900 kg a tree a year, with a 12 kg average fruit.
- An off-season crop in November–December, besides the regular April–June crop, which TNAU says fetches a premium price.
- Medium height and less spreading, so it suits high-density planting (TNAU).
Things to consider
- A selection from Tamil Nadu, with its figures from TNAU. Try a few trees before planting a large block elsewhere.
- The 80 fruits and 900 kg are TNAU's own figures for a mature tree, and TNAU gives no tree age.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Tamil Nadu
Plan the year around two crops
Most jackfruit trees give one crop a year. TNAU says Palur-1 gives two: the regular crop in April–June and an off-season crop in November–December. TNAU calls the second crop the unique trait of the variety and says it fetches a premium price.
That changes how you plan. In April–June the market is full of jackfruit and prices fall. In November–December there is little, and your fruit arrives alone. If you can keep the tree healthy through both seasons, the second crop can be the better-paid one.
Plan labour and cash for both. Put two tags on a tree, one for each season, and record fruit count and weight. TNAU gives about 80 fruits and 900 kg a year in all, but not the split. Your own records will show which season pays you more, and you can feed and prune the tree around that.
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 Jackfruit (Kathal) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gumless Jack | A low-latex jackfruit for farmers who cut and pack the bulbs and want a cleaner job, planted on trust in the trait until a trial says more | Grafted tree. NIF: the first graft (1988) began to yield about three years later. | No published trial yield. NIF reports that the first grafted tree gave 10 fruits in its second bearing year. | Karnataka |
| Konkan Prolific | A jackfruit named for the Konkan coast, best tried on a small block first because we found no verified yield, fruit or release data | Grafted tree. No bearing month or age is given for this variety. | No verified per-tree or per-hectare figure found. | Maharashtra, Goa |
| Palur-1 (PLR-1)this page | A documented, high-yielding jackfruit with a second crop in November–December, chosen for steady income from one tree | Regular crop April–June and an off-season crop November–December (TNAU). TNAU says jack grafts start yielding in the 5th year. | About 80 fruits, around 900 kg a tree a year; average fruit 12 kg (TNAU) | Tamil Nadu |
| Rudrakshi | A small-fruited local jackfruit for home orchards and local sale, planted on reputation rather than on a trial record | Grafted tree. TNAU says jack grafts start yielding in the 5th year; Assam's package says 6 to 8 years for its types. | No trial yield found. Assam's package gives 200–500 fruits a tree a year for its local and Singapore types in general. | Karnataka |
| Siddu Jack | A coppery-red, high-TSS jackfruit for direct sale of colourful bulbs, planted for colour and sweetness, with a yield still to be proven by trial | Grafted tree. Source tree about 35 years old. IIHR gives no bearing age for grafts. | IIHR estimate: about 450 fruits, 1,098 kg a tree (fruit about 2.44 kg). It is an estimate from the source tree, not a multi-location trial. | Karnataka |
| Singapore Jack (NS-1) | The early-bearing choice for farmers who cannot wait five years, planted for a first crop in about three | Bears about 3 years after planting (KAU); extremely precocious. | 250 fruits a plant a year (KAU); no kg-per-tree figure published | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal |
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 Jackfruit (Kathal) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Jackfruit (Kathal) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Jackfruit (Kathal) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Jackfruit (Kathal) 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 Jackfruit (Kathal) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Jackfruit (Kathal) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Does Palur-1 give fruit twice a year?
Yes, according to TNAU. The regular season is April–June, and it also gives an off-season crop in November–December. TNAU calls the off-season bearing a unique trait of the variety and says that crop fetches a premium price. TNAU does not say how much of the 900 kg comes in each season.
How many Palur-1 trees fit in a hectare?
TNAU suits Palur-1 to high-density planting because the tree is medium in height and less spreading. TNAU's general jackfruit spacing is 8 × 8 m, which is 156 trees a hectare. The Assam package gives 10–12 m for its local types. TNAU gives no closer spacing for Palur-1, so ask the nursery before you plant closer than 8 × 8 m.
What does a ripe Palur-1 fruit look like?
TNAU says a fully ripe fruit has a flat stigmatic surface instead of a spiny one. That is a useful sign for deciding when to pick. The average fruit weighs 12 kg and holds 115–120 carpels, so cutting one fruit gives you a lot of bulbs. Pick a few tagged fruit first and open one to check ripeness before the whole tree.
Can Palur-1 be grown outside Tamil Nadu?
TNAU released it for Tamil Nadu and gives no data from other states. Jackfruit in general grows on the plains and up to 1,200 m (TNAU), in deep, well-drained soil. If you farm in Kerala, Karnataka or Odisha, start with 5–10 trees and record the fruiting months for two seasons.
Palur-1 or PLR (J) 2?
TNAU released PLR (J) 2 in 2007 as a selection from the Pathirakkotai local, with bigger fruit and good flake quality. TNAU says it yields 95–110 fruits a tree a year, against Palur-1's 80. TNAU's entry for PLR (J) 2 lists weights that look inflated per tree, so treat them with care. Palur-1's 12 kg average fruit and the off-season crop are the clearer, older facts.
Sourced from: Jack — TNAU Agritech Portal, Horticulture: Fruits, Jack varieties (PLR 1, PPI 1, PLR (J) 2) — TNAU Agritech Portal. editorial policy.