Kanaka (H-1598)
A 1993 Kerala hybrid (BLA-139-1 x H3-13) with an open canopy and a small 6.8 g nut that shells out 30.58%. In the Odisha trial it was among the tallest trees and one of the ten that combined several good traits.
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 November to December, fruits December to March
- Expected yield
- 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)
- Suitable soil
- Tolerant of poor, lateritic and sandy coastal soil
- Release
- Cashew Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University, Madakkathara; released 1993, a hybrid of BLA-139-1 and H3-13 (TNAU, Kerala)
About this variety
Kanaka (H-1598) is a cashew hybrid of BLA-139-1 and H3-13, released in 1993 by the Cashew Research Station of Kerala Agricultural University at Madakkathara. TNAU lists an open canopy with intensive branching, flowering in November to December and fruiting from December to March, a yellow apple with 70% juice. The nut weighs 6.8 g (147 to a kilo), with a 2.08 g kernel, 30.58% shelling and the W280 export grade. A mature tree gives 12.8 kg of nuts. TNAU's Dhana page also writes the code H-1598, so go by the name. At Bhubaneswar (planted 2008) Kanaka was among the tallest trees, 4.08 m in 2013, with a canopy of 19.38 square metres in 2014, 7.16 kg of nuts a tree over four harvests and shelling of 30.31% and 29.9%.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Kanaka if you want a variety that shells out well and gives a steady early crop, and your market does not pay a premium for big nuts. TNAU lists a 1993 Kerala hybrid with a 6.8 g nut, 30.58% shelling, 147 nuts to a kilo and the W280 grade, and 12.8 kg of nuts a mature tree. In the Odisha trial it gave 7.16 kg a tree over four harvests (1,461 kg/ha), just behind Dhana's 7.28, though ahead of it by the third harvest (3.36 against 2.68 kg). The nut is small, so for large kernels look at Sulabha or Akshaya, and for the highest trial yield look at BPP-8.
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 November to December and fruiting from December to March for Kanaka. 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 November to December, fruits December to March
Expected yield
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)
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 30.58% (TNAU), and 30.31% and 29.9% at Bhubaneswar.
- Among the ten varieties that combined two or three good traits in the Odisha trial, with 7.16 kg a tree over four harvests.
- A mid-season hybrid that flowers early, in November to December.
Things to consider
- A small nut: 6.8 g in TNAU and 6.15 to 6.3 g at Bhubaneswar, with the W280 grade.
- An open, tall tree (4.25 m at Bhubaneswar in 2014); give it room.
- No disease rating, and TNAU gives no apple weight.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Kerala
A small nut that shells out well: how to read W280 and 30.58%
Two figures describe Kanaka's nut in TNAU's sheet and they pull in different directions. The nut is small at 6.8 g (147 to a kilo) and falls in the W280 grade, where the W number counts kernels to the pound, so a higher number means smaller kernels. But it shells out 30.58%, and the kernel is 2.08 g. A farmer sells raw nuts by weight and a processor pays for kernel, so a high shell-out helps at the processor even when the nut looks small.
At Bhubaneswar the nut was 6.3 g in 2013 and 6.15 g in 2014, among the smaller nuts of the trial, yet its shelling held at 30.31% and 29.9%. If you sell raw nuts to a buyer who grades by size, ask him how Kanaka-size nuts are priced before you plant a block. If you sell to a processor by out-turn, ask for the shell-out they actually get.
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 |
| 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)this page | 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 Kanaka's parents and release year?
TNAU lists Kanaka as a hybrid of BLA-139-1 and H3-13, released in 1993 by the Cashew Research Station of Kerala Agricultural University at Madakkathara.
Is Kanaka the same as Dhana, since both are written H-1598?
No. TNAU's Kanaka page and its Dhana page both write H-1598, but they list different parents (BLA-139-1 x H3-13 for Kanaka, ALGD-1 x K-30-1 for Dhana), different nuts and different canopies. They are two varieties; go by the name on the graft label.
How did Kanaka do in the Odisha trial?
Over four harvests it gave 7.16 kg of nuts a tree (1,461 kg/ha), against 11.86 kg for the best, BPP-8, and 7.28 for Dhana. It was one of ten varieties that combined two or three good traits. At 6.15 to 6.3 g its nut was small, and its shelling was 30.31% and 29.9%.
Does Kanaka suit a closer spacing?
Not on the evidence we found. It was one of the tallest trees at Bhubaneswar (4.08 m in 2013, 4.25 m in 2014) with an open canopy, and the trial authors named other varieties, such as Amrutha, VRI-3 and Ullal-4, as the ones to test for high-density planting. Plant it at the TNAU 7 x 7 m.
Sourced from: Kanaka (H-1598) — TNAU Agritech Portal, cashew varieties, 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.