BPP-8
A Bapatla (Andhra Pradesh) variety that topped the Odisha trial of 25 released cashews with 11.86 kg a tree over four harvests (2,420 kg/ha). The trial's trees were still young, and we found no release record or parentage.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Cashew (Kaju)
- Type
- Softwood grafted planting material
- Season
- All seasons
- Maturity period
- First bearing in about 3 years (grafted, TNAU crop-level); no flowering calendar was found for BPP-8
- Expected yield
- Odisha trial: 11.86 kg of nuts a tree over four harvests (2,420 kg/ha), the best of 25 released varieties; 6.0 kg a tree in 2014
- Suitable soil
- Tolerant of poor, lateritic and sandy coastal soil
- Release
- Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh (source named in the Odisha trial paper); no release year or parentage found
About this variety
BPP-8 is a cashew variety from Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh, the source the Odisha paper lists for BPP-4, BPP-6 and BPP-8. In the All India Coordinated Research Project trial at Bhubaneswar, 25 released varieties were planted in 2008 in a randomised block design with two replications of six plants each, and harvested from 2011 to 2014. BPP-8 gave 4.03 kg a tree in 2013 and 6.0 kg in 2014, a cumulative 5.86 and 11.86 kg, and 2,420 kg/ha at the fourth harvest, the highest of the 25. Its trunk was 46.58 and 51.25 cm, its canopy 22.19 and 31.72 square metres, its nut 8.7 g and 7.7 g and its apple 62 and 69.5 g. We found no release year, parentage or flowering calendar for BPP-8.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose BPP-8 if you farm in eastern India and want the cashew with the best published trial yield. In the Odisha trial of 25 released varieties, planted in 2008 at Bhubaneswar, it gave 11.86 kg of nuts a tree over four harvests (2,420 kg/ha), against 10.32 for Vengurla-7 and 8.81 for NRCC Selection-2, and 6.0 kg in 2014 alone. It also had the thickest trunk in 2013 and a wide canopy (31.72 square metres in 2014), 62 to 69.5 g apples and 29.43% and 28.9% shelling. The cautions are real: the trees were still young, the plot was 12 trees, and we found no release record, parentage or other-state trial. It needs 7 m or more of space.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeJune to December is the best planting time (TNAU).
- Spacing7 x 7 m, about 204 trees a hectare (TNAU crop-level figure).
- Sowing methodPlant softwood grafts in pits of 45 x 45 x 45 cm filled with topsoil, 10 kg of FYM and 1 kg of neem cake (TNAU).
- IrrigationCashew is normally rainfed. TNAU says watering from flushing to fruit maturity improves yield.
- FertilizerTNAU crop-level schedule, per tree per year: year 1, 10 kg FYM, 70 g N, 40 g P and 60 g K; from year 5, 50 kg FYM, 500 g N, 200 g P and 300 g K. Apply in November-December on the East Coast, or in two equal doses in June-July and October-November.
- HarvestingNo flowering or fruiting calendar was found for BPP-8; the Odisha trial harvested from the last week of March to May. Pick the apples fresh if you process them, and dry the nuts in the sun for 2 to 3 days to 10-12% moisture.
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Tolerant of poor, lateritic, gravelly or sandy coastal soil; pH 5.0–6.5 (TNAU)
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
First bearing in about 3 years (grafted, TNAU crop-level); no flowering calendar was found for BPP-8
Expected yield
Odisha trial: 11.86 kg of nuts a tree over four harvests (2,420 kg/ha), the best of 25 released varieties; 6.0 kg a tree in 2014
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- The best cumulative yield of 25 released varieties at Bhubaneswar: 11.86 kg a tree, 2,420 kg/ha.
- Level with Vengurla-7 at the top on nut yield per tree in both years: 4.03 and 6.0 kg.
- Large apples, 62 to 69.5 g, and shelling of 29.43% and 28.9%.
Things to consider
- The trial's trees were young (7th year of planting), with 12 trees per variety.
- A wide canopy, 31.72 square metres in 2014, so it needs full spacing.
- No release record, parentage, flowering calendar or other-state trial found.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Andhra Pradesh
How strong is a 2,420 kg/ha trial figure?
The figure is solid in one way: it comes from a coordinated station trial with randomised blocks. BPP-8 led the next best, Vengurla-7, in 2013 on nut yield per tree (4.03 against 3.47 kg). It was level with it in 2014 (6.0 against 6.05) and ahead on the four-harvest total (11.86 against 10.32 kg). The kg/ha number is the tree yield times 204 trees a hectare, which is 7 x 7 m, and it matches 11.86 kg x 204 = 2,419.
It is weak in three ways. It is one location, Bhubaneswar. The plot was two replications of six trees. And the trees were in their 4th harvest year, so the trial authors call the yields low and still rising. Read it as a strong early signal that BPP-8 deserves a trial block on your own land, not as a promise of 2,420 kg every year. Plant 10 to 20 trees at full 7 m spacing beside a variety you know, and compare nut weight per tree for five or six seasons.
Can you save seed from this crop?
This one is raised from planting material — suckers, grafts, cuttings or tubers — not from a seed packet. Take it 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 Cashew (Kaju) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akshaya | Kerala farms that sell on kernel size and can accept a shell-out just above the 28% standard | First bearing in about 3 years (grafted, TNAU crop-level); flowers December to January, fruits January to March | TNAU: 11.78 kg of nuts a mature tree; 11 g nut (the largest on the KAU sheets), 28.36% shelling, W180 | Kerala |
| Amrutha (H-1597) | Small plots or trials where a compact tree and a high shelling percentage matter more than early yield | First bearing in about 3 years (grafted, TNAU crop-level); flowers December to January, fruits January to March | TNAU: 18.35 kg of nuts a mature tree; 7.18 g nut, 31.58% shelling, W210. Odisha trial: 3.07 kg a tree over four harvests (627 kg/ha) | Kerala |
| Anagha | Kerala farms that want a large-kernel nut with the best listed yield among the Anakkayam hybrids | First bearing in about 3 years (grafted, TNAU crop-level); flowers January to February, fruits February to April | TNAU: 13.73 kg of nuts a mature tree, the highest of the three Anakkayam hybrids; 10 g nut, 29% shelling, W180 | Kerala |
| Bhaskara | Steady nut yield on normal spacing | First bearing in 3 years (grafted) | Odisha trial: 9.85 kg a tree over four harvests (2,010 kg a hectare at 7 x 7 m) | Karnataka |
| Bhubaneswar-1 | Odisha farms that want a locally sourced variety with high shelling and a medium canopy | First bearing in about 3 years (grafted, TNAU crop-level); no flowering calendar was found for Bhubaneswar-1 | Odisha trial: 7.12 kg of nuts a tree over four harvests (1,453 kg/ha); shelling 30.77% and 30.68% | Odisha |
| BPP-8this page | Farmers in eastern, Odisha-type conditions who want the variety with the best published trial yield | First bearing in about 3 years (grafted, TNAU crop-level); no flowering calendar was found for BPP-8 | Odisha trial: 11.86 kg of nuts a tree over four harvests (2,420 kg/ha), the best of 25 released varieties; 6.0 kg a tree in 2014 | Andhra Pradesh |
| Dhana | Large cashew apples plus a good nut | First bearing in 3 years (grafted) | TNAU: 10.66 kg of nuts a mature tree; 8.2 g nut, 29.8% shelling, W210. Odisha trial: 7.28 kg a tree over four harvests | Kerala |
| Dharasree | Kerala farms that want a compact tree with a mid-size nut that shells out well, from the Anakkayam station | First bearing in about 3 years (grafted, TNAU crop-level); flowers December to January, fruits January to March | TNAU: 10.66 kg of nuts a mature tree; 7.8 g nut, 30.5% shelling, W240 | Kerala |
| Kanaka (H-1598) | Farmers who want a high shelling percentage and a steady early yield, and have room for an open, tall tree | First bearing in about 3 years (grafted, TNAU crop-level); flowers November to December, fruits December to March | TNAU: 12.8 kg of nuts a mature tree; 6.8 g nut, 30.58% shelling, W280. Odisha trial: 7.16 kg a tree over four harvests (1,461 kg/ha) | Kerala |
| NRCC Selection-1 | Farmers who already have these trees, or are offered the name by a nursery and want to know what it means | Short duration; flowers December to February, fruits March to April (ICAR-DCR) | ICAR-DCR: 10 kg of nuts a tree; 7.6 g nut, 28.8% shelling, W210. Withdrawn from recommendation | Karnataka |
| NRCC Selection-2 | Farmers who want a short-duration, DCR-recommended selection with a good trial record, and plant for the nut | Short duration; flowers November to January, fruits February to March (ICAR-DCR) | ICAR-DCR: 9 kg of nuts a tree; 9.3 g nut, 28.6% shelling, W210. Odisha trial: 8.81 kg a tree over four harvests (1,798 kg/ha), fourth of 25 | Karnataka |
| Priyanka | The heaviest cashew apple, for processing | First bearing in 3 years (grafted) | TNAU: 17.03 kg of nuts a mature tree; 10.8 g nut, 26.57% shelling, W180. Odisha trial: 4.15 kg a tree over four harvests | Kerala |
| Sulabha | Kerala farmers who want a big nut and a compact tree, and can accept a late flowering season | First bearing in about 3 years (grafted, TNAU crop-level); flowers January to February, fruits February to April | TNAU: 21.9 kg of nuts a mature tree, the highest of the KAU sheets; 9.8 g nut, 29.4% shelling, W210 | Kerala |
| Ullal-3 | Early, short flowering season in Karnataka | First bearing in 3 years (grafted) | TNAU: 14.7 kg of nuts a mature tree. Odisha trial: 8.04 kg a tree over four harvests (1,641 kg a hectare) | Karnataka |
| Vengurla-4 | Older, proven west-coast cashew | First bearing in 3 years (grafted) | TNAU: 17.2 kg of nuts a mature tree. Odisha trial: 7.68 kg a tree over four harvests | Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka |
| Vengurla-7 | Bold nuts for export-grade kernels | First bearing in 3 years (grafted) | ~18.5 kg/tree average; bold 10 g nuts, W180 kernel grade, ~30.5% shelling | Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka |
| VRI-3 | A smaller tree with W210 kernels | First bearing in 3 years (grafted) | TNAU: 11.68 kg of nuts a mature tree (another TNAU page says 14.19 kg); 7.18 g nut, 29.1% shelling, W210 | Tamil Nadu |
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 Cashew (Kaju) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Cashew (Kaju) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Cashew (Kaju) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Cashew (Kaju) 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 Cashew (Kaju) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Cashew (Kaju) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What is BPP-8?
A cashew variety from Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh, grown in the Odisha trial of 25 released varieties. It gave the best cumulative nut yield there, 11.86 kg a tree over four harvests (2,420 kg/ha).
What is BPP-8's release year and parentage?
We found neither. TNAU and ICAR-DCR have no BPP-8 sheet and the Odisha paper gives only its source, Bapatla. Ask the Bapatla cashew station or ANGRAU for the release record before you buy grafts.
Does BPP-8 need more space?
Yes, on the trial evidence. Its canopy spread was 22.19 square metres in 2013 and 31.72 in 2014, among the widest, and the trial authors say wide-canopy genotypes may need larger spacing because flowering is at the canopy edge. Plant at the full 7 x 7 m and prune to keep light in.
How big was BPP-8's nut and shell-out in Odisha?
The nut weighed 8.7 g in 2013 and 7.7 g in 2014, and shelling was 29.43% and 28.9%, over the 28% international standard but lower than Bhubaneswar-1 (30.77 and 30.68) or Amrutha. Its yield comes from the number of nuts per tree, not from an unusual shell-out.
Sourced from: Tripathy, Sethi and Mukherjee, Evaluation of released cashew varieties under Odisha condition — Int. J. Bio-resource and Stress Management 6(5), 2015, Model Profile for 1.0 ha Cashew Cultivation — NABARD/TNAU. editorial policy.