Dharasree
A 1996 hybrid (T30 x Brazil-18) from the KAU station at Anakkayam, with a compact canopy, a 7.8 g nut, 30.5% shelling and the W240 grade. TNAU lists 10.66 kg a mature tree. No trial result was found.
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); flowers December to January, fruits January to March
- Expected yield
- TNAU: 10.66 kg of nuts a mature tree; 7.8 g nut, 30.5% shelling, W240
- Suitable soil
- Tolerant of poor, lateritic and sandy coastal soil
- Release
- Cashew Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University, Anakkayam (Malappuram); released 1996, a hybrid of T30 and Brazil-18 (TNAU, Kerala)
About this variety
Dharasree is a cashew hybrid of T30 and Brazil-18, released in 1996 by the Cashew Research Station of Kerala Agricultural University at Anakkayam, Malappuram. TNAU lists a compact canopy with intensive branching, flowering in December to January and fruiting from January to March, a yellowish-pink apple with 67% juice. The nut weighs 7.8 g (128 to a kilo), with a 2.4 g kernel, 30.5% shelling and the W240 export grade. A mature tree gives 10.66 kg of nuts. We found no trial result or ICAR-DCR note for it. The practice below is the TNAU crop-level practice for cashew.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Dharasree if you want a mid-size nut that shells out well on a compact tree, from the Anakkayam station. TNAU lists a 1996 hybrid of T30 and Brazil-18 with a 7.8 g nut (128 to a kilo), a 2.4 g kernel, 30.5% shelling, the W240 grade and 10.66 kg of nuts a mature tree. Among the three Anakkayam hybrids on TNAU's sheets it has the smallest nut and the best shell-out. Akshaya (11 g, 28.36%) and Anagha (10 g, 29%) give bigger nuts but shell out less. The yield is the lowest of the three too, 10.66 kg against 11.78 and 13.73, so choose it for shell-out, not for yield.
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.
- HarvestingTNAU lists flowering in December to January and fruiting from January to March for Dharasree. 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); flowers December to January, fruits January to March
Expected yield
TNAU: 10.66 kg of nuts a mature tree; 7.8 g nut, 30.5% shelling, W240
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Shelling of 30.5%, the best of the three Anakkayam hybrids on TNAU's sheets.
- W240 grade, a 7.8 g nut and a 2.4 g kernel on a compact canopy.
- Flowers in December to January, earlier than Sulabha or Anagha.
Things to consider
- The lowest mature-tree yield of the three Anakkayam hybrids: 10.66 kg against 11.78 and 13.73.
- The nut is smaller than Akshaya's or Anagha's.
- One source, TNAU's sheet; no trial result or DCR note.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Kerala
Three Anakkayam hybrids side by side: where Dharasree fits
The Anakkayam station released three hybrids in 1996 and 1998. On TNAU's sheets: Dharasree (1996), 7.8 g nut, 30.5% shelling, W240, 10.66 kg a tree; Akshaya (1998), 11 g nut, 28.36% shelling, W180, 11.78 kg; Anagha (1998), 10 g nut, 29% shelling, W180, 13.73 kg. Dharasree is the small-nut, high-shelling end. Akshaya is the big-nut, low-shelling end, and Anagha sits in the middle with the highest yield.
Pick by what your buyer pays for. If he pays by kernel out-turn, the extra shell-out of Dharasree (30.5% against 28.36%) is about 2 kg of kernel more per 100 kg of nuts, by our arithmetic, which can offset a smaller nut. If he pays a premium for big kernels, Akshaya and Anagha are the names to test. TNAU does not give the Anakkayam hybrids a disease rating, so plan the same sprays for all three.
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-8 | 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 |
| Dharasreethis page | 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 are Dharasree's parents and release year?
TNAU lists Dharasree as a hybrid of T30 and Brazil-18, released in 1996 by the Cashew Research Station of Kerala Agricultural University at Anakkayam, Malappuram.
What does the W240 grade mean?
W grades count whole kernels to the pound, so a higher number means a smaller kernel. W240 sits between W210 (Sulabha, Amrutha) and W280 (Kanaka). The grade is the processor's measure, so ask your buyer how he prices it.
Dharasree or Anagha?
On TNAU's sheets Anagha gives more (13.73 against 10.66 kg a tree) and a bigger nut (10 g against 7.8 g), but shells out less (29% against 30.5%) and flowers later (January to February against December to January). Dharasree is the better shell-out, Anagha the higher yield.
Has Dharasree been tested outside Kerala?
We found no trial outside Kerala. The Odisha trial of 25 released varieties did not include it. Ask your KVK or the Anakkayam station before you plant a large block elsewhere.
Sourced from: Dharasree — TNAU Agritech Portal, cashew varieties, Model Profile for 1.0 ha Cashew Cultivation — NABARD/TNAU. editorial policy.