CSV 216R (Phule Yashoda)
A national rabi release for deep, rainfed black soil — the reference variety for an irrigation-free rabi crop, recommended in five states. No page yet.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Jowar (Sorghum)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 115–120 days
- Seed rate
- 8–10 kg per ha, about 3 kg an acre; use 10–12 kg per ha if sowing is late
- Expected yield
- 18–22 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Clay / black soil
- Disease resistance
- Tolerant to shoot fly and charcoal rot under moisture stress
- Release
- Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri — a land-race-derived selection; exact release year not confirmed
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
CSV 216R, popularly named Phule Yashoda (breeding code SPV 1359), is a rabi grain sorghum variety developed from a land race by Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri, Maharashtra. It is mid-late maturing, tall (240–270 cm), with medium-bold (~31 g/1000-grain weight), round, pearly-white grain, and outyielded the checks M35-1, Swati and CSV-14R in grain and fodder yield in official trials.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose CSV 216R on deep or medium-deep black soil with no irrigation when you want to move up from M 35-1. In MPKV's own trials it beat the checks M 35-1, Swati and CSV 14R on both grain and fodder. It is listed at 18–22 q/ha against M 35-1's 12–16. The two reasons to stay with M 35-1 are the Maldandi name your buyer pays for, and shallow land that cannot carry a 240–270 cm plant to maturity. Where there is irrigation on medium-to-deep soil, PKV Kranti is the variety bred for it.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeSecond fortnight of September to the first fortnight of October; up to the second fortnight of October when the field carries two crops a year (ICAR-IIMR rabi sorghum leaflet)
- Seed rate8–10 kg per ha, about 3 kg an acre; use 10–12 kg per ha if sowing is late
- Spacing45 cm between rows and 15 cm between plants, which is about 135,000 plants per ha on rainfed land
- FertilizerOn rainfed land, 40:20:0 kg NPK per ha on shallow to medium soil and 60:30:0 on deep soil, all as a basal dose (ICAR-IIMR rabi sorghum leaflet, which does not name CSV 216R)
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- The DAC-ICAR rabi-sorghum package treats shoot fly and charcoal rot as risks of the rabi crop as a whole, handled by sowing time, seed treatment and the usual sprays, and gives CSV 216R no rating of its own. Read the shoot-fly and charcoal-rot line here as the general rabi position, and follow those standard precautions rather than leaving the job to the variety.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
- Tamil Nadu
- Gujarat
A tall crop on deep soil: what it asks and what it returns
At 240–270 cm, CSV 216R is a bigger plant than the rabi jowar most Deccan farmers are used to, and the height is half the reason it was bred. In MPKV's own trials it beat the checks M 35-1, Swati and CSV 14R on fodder as well as grain. A tall crop is cut-and-carry fodder, not something you let animals into, and it needs planning at harvest — more bundles, more cartage, more stack space.
The height also sets the limit on where to sow it. A 240–270 cm plant builds that frame out of stored soil moisture, so it belongs on the deep or medium-deep black soil the variety is recommended for. Put it on a shallow patch and the plant spends the water on stem before the grain is filled, which is how a taller variety ends up yielding less than the short one it replaced.
Where the soil is right, the trade reads clearly: 18–22 q/ha against M 35-1's 12–16, mid-late maturity at 115–120 days, and medium-bold pearly-white grain of about 31 g per 1000 seeds. What it does not carry is the Maldandi name, so if your buyer is paying for that, the extra grain may not pay for the change.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Jowar (Sorghum) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSH 16 | Kharif jowar grown to sell — bold grain that keeps its colour through a wet harvest | 100–105 days | 25–30 q/ha | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| CSH 30 | The heaviest rainfed kharif crop here — grain and a big fodder stack off one field, on a stalk that stands till you cut it | 105–110 days | 40–43 q/ha | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat |
| CSV 216R (Phule Yashoda)this page | More grain than Maldandi off a rainfed post-rainy field, and a 240–270 cm plant for the fodder stack | 115–120 days | 18–22 q/ha | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat |
| CSV 27 | Kharif jowar where you keep your own seed — mould-resistant grain and the heaviest fodder figure here, 193 q/ha | 112–118 days | 26–28 q/ha | Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan |
| M 35-1 (Maldandi) | A post-rainy crop on deep black soil with no irrigation at all — grown for roti grain and premium kadbi, not for tonnage | 120–130 days | 12–16 q/ha | Maharashtra, Karnataka |
| PKV Kranti | Post-rainy jowar on medium-to-deep land that gets water — white grain and the sweetest stalk of the rabi varieties here | 105–110 days | 16–20 q/ha | Maharashtra |
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 Jowar (Sorghum) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Jowar (Sorghum) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Jowar (Sorghum) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Jowar (Sorghum) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Jowar (Sorghum) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Jowar (Sorghum) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Jowar (Sorghum) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Who developed CSV 216R / Phule Yashoda?
Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri, Maharashtra, developed it from a land race. It carries the breeding/trial code SPV 1359 and the popular name Phule Yashoda.
Which states officially recommend CSV 216R?
The DAC-ICAR rabi sorghum package of practices lists it for Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat — as the state list now reflects.
How does Phule Yashoda compare to the check varieties in trials?
It outyielded the checks M35-1, Swati and CSV-14R in both grain yield (2,079 kg/ha) and fodder yield in MPKV's own trial data.
What does the grain look like?
Medium-bold, round and pearly white, with a roughly 31-gram 1000-grain weight — traits noted as favourable for both grain and processing use in official variety comparisons.
Why does CSV 216R suit a rabi crop that gets no irrigation?
It is officially recommended for rainfed medium-to-deep-soil areas in Maharashtra (as well as irrigated areas elsewhere), consistent with the framing as a reference variety for irrigation-free rabi cropping on deep black soil.
What does a 240–270 cm plant mean in practice for CSV 216R?
More kadbi off the same field, and a crop you cut and carry rather than let animals in on. It also needs the deep soil the variety is recommended for: on a shallow patch a tall plant runs out of stored moisture before the grain has filled.
How many waterings does CSV 216R need?
None are required. It is a rabi variety recommended for rainfed medium-to-deep soil in Maharashtra, and for irrigated conditions in the other states that list it. Water it if you have water, but plan the crop as a rainfed one.
Can I save seed from CSV 216R?
Yes — it is an open-pollinated variety selected out of a land race, not a hybrid, so grain kept from a healthy, well-ripened patch can be resown. Dry it properly and keep it away from insects, and go back to certified seed when the crop starts losing its evenness.
CSV 216R or PKV Kranti for rabi jowar?
It depends on water. CSV 216R is for deep or medium-deep black soil with no irrigation and is listed at 18–22 q/ha in 115–120 days. PKV Kranti is bred for medium-to-deep soil that gets water, gives 16–20 q/ha in 105–110 days and has a sweeter stalk. No irrigation: CSV 216R. Water available: PKV Kranti.
Is CSV 216R safe against shoot fly and charcoal rot?
Not on its own. The national rabi-sorghum package treats shoot fly and charcoal rot as risks of the whole rabi crop and gives CSV 216R no separate rating for them. Handle them the usual way: sow at the right time, treat the seed, spray when needed, and avoid moisture stress at grain filling.
Sourced from: ICAR-IIMR farmer leaflet: post-rainy (rabi) sorghum — sowing time, seed rate, spacing and fertiliser by soil (general rabi package; the leaflet does not list CSV 216R). editorial policy.