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Cashew (Kaju)All seasonsSoftwood grafted planting material (dual-purpose)Updated 2 September 2026

Priyanka

A Kerala-recommended variety bred alongside Dhana for a notably large, heavy cashew apple, making it attractive where apple processing adds real value.

SeasonAll seasons
Maturity periodFirst bearing in 3 years (grafted)
Expected yieldGood nut yield with a large, processable cashew apple
Suitable soilTolerant of poor, lateritic and sandy coastal soil

Quick facts

Crop
Cashew (Kaju)
Type
Softwood grafted planting material (dual-purpose)
Season
All seasons
Maturity period
First bearing in 3 years (grafted)
Expected yield
Good nut yield with a large, processable cashew apple
Suitable soil
Tolerant of poor, lateritic and sandy coastal soil
Release
Kerala; work linked to the Madakkathara cashew research programme, exact notification year not confirmed in this pass

About this variety

Priyanka is a Kerala-recommended cashew variety, associated with breeding work linked to the Madakkathara cashew research programme, and is recommended for the state alongside Dhana, Kanaka, Amrutha and Madakkathara-1/Madakkathara-2. Like Dhana, it is specifically noted for a notably large, heavy cashew apple, commonly cited in the 68–76.5 g range for this pair of varieties, making the two attractive to growers and small processors who value the apple for juice, feni or jam production rather than treating it as waste once the nut is removed. Detailed per-tree raw-nut yield and kernel-grade figures for Priyanka were not confirmed to the same level of independent detail as for Vengurla-7 or VRI-3 in this research pass.

Key characteristics

    Plant typeSoftwood grafted planting material (dual-purpose)
    MaturityFirst bearing in 3 years (grafted)
    Yield potentialGood nut yield with a large, processable cashew apple
    Disease resistanceNot specifically documented
    SoilTolerant of poor, lateritic and sandy coastal soil
    SeasonAll seasons

Sowing & cultivation

  • Spacing7 x 7 m traditional (~204 trees/ha); can be planted closer in high-density systems
  • FertilizerRoughly 500 g N, 125 g P2O5 and 125 g K2O per bearing tree per year, split around pre-flowering and post-harvest (see the crop guide for the full schedule)

Soil & climate

Soil

Suitable soil
Tolerant of poor, lateritic, gravelly or sandy coastal soil; pH 5.0–6.5

Yield & maturity

Maturity period

First bearing in 3 years (grafted)

Expected yield

Good nut yield with a large, processable cashew apple

Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.

Pest & disease considerations

Advantages & considerations

Why farmers may choose it

  • A genuinely large, heavy cashew apple that adds real processing value where a buyer or unit is available, on top of normal nut yield.
  • A recognised Kerala state recommendation, part of a wider set of releases (Dhana, Kanaka, Amrutha, Madakkathara series) for the state.

Things to consider

  • The apple-processing advantage only pays off with real access to processing — without it, the value is the same as any other variety's nut yield alone.
  • Detailed, independently confirmed raw-nut yield and kernel-grade figures were not available to the same level of detail as some other varieties on this page — confirm current expected performance with Kerala's agricultural research stations.

Suitable regions

Recommended for Kerala, alongside Dhana, Kanaka, Amrutha and the Madakkathara series.

  • Kerala

Frequently asked questions

How is Priyanka different from Dhana, since both are known for a large cashew apple?

Both share the large, processable apple trait and similar apple-weight figures, but Priyanka is specifically Kerala-recommended and linked to the Madakkathara programme, while Dhana is recommended across both Karnataka and Kerala — regional availability and district-specific performance are the practical factors to check before choosing between them.

Sourced from: Top Cashew Varieties for Different Regions in India — Agriculture.Institute. editorial policy.