Sulabha
A 1996 Kerala selection with a compact canopy, a 9.8 g nut and the highest listed mature-tree yield among the KAU varieties, 21.9 kg. It flowers late, in January to February. 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 January to February, fruits February to April
- Expected yield
- TNAU: 21.9 kg of nuts a mature tree, the highest of the KAU sheets; 9.8 g nut, 29.4% shelling, W210
- Suitable soil
- Tolerant of poor, lateritic and sandy coastal soil
- Release
- Cashew Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University, Madakkathara; released 1996, a selection with no parentage listed (TNAU, Kerala)
About this variety
Sulabha is a cashew selection released in 1996 by the Cashew Research Station of Kerala Agricultural University at Madakkathara. TNAU lists a compact canopy with intensive branching, flowering in January to February and fruiting from February to April, a light orange apple with 70% juice. The nut weighs 9.8 g (102 to a kilo), with a 2.88 g kernel, 29.4% shelling and the W210 export grade. A mature tree gives 21.9 kg of nuts. TNAU gives no parentage, because it is a selection, and 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 Sulabha if you want a large nut on a compact tree and your area is warm enough for a late season. TNAU lists a 1996 selection from the Madakkathara station with a 9.8 g nut (102 to a kilo), a 2.88 g kernel, 29.4% shelling, the W210 grade and a mature-tree yield of 21.9 kg, the highest of the KAU sheets, ahead of Amrutha at 18.35 and Priyanka at 17.03. It flowers in January to February and fruits to April, later than Kanaka, Dhana or Amrutha. The apple is light orange. We found no trial figure for it, so treat 21.9 kg as a station number and ask Madakkathara for the age of the trees behind it.
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 January to February and fruiting from February to April for Sulabha. 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 January to February, fruits February to April
Expected yield
TNAU: 21.9 kg of nuts a mature tree, the highest of the KAU sheets; 9.8 g nut, 29.4% shelling, W210
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 highest mature-tree yield on the KAU sheets, 21.9 kg (TNAU).
- A large nut, 9.8 g, with a 2.88 g kernel, on a compact canopy.
- W210 grade with 29.4% shelling, over the 28% international standard.
Things to consider
- Only one source, TNAU's sheet; no trial result, DCR note or apple weight was found.
- It flowers and fruits late, February to April, which is later than most KAU hybrids.
- No disease rating published.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Kerala
The highest listed yield: ask the age behind 21.9 kg
TNAU's sheet gives Sulabha a mean nut yield of 21.9 kg a tree, the highest of the six KAU sheets we read. Multiply it by TNAU's 204 trees a hectare and you get about 4,468 kg/ha, a figure far above what any tree in the Odisha trial reached over its first four harvests (the best, BPP-8, gave 2,420 kg/ha). The sheet does not say how old the trees were or how many seasons were averaged.
So the number is a reason to ask, not to plant. Ask the Madakkathara station for the tree age and the number of years behind 21.9 kg, and for the yield of a neighbouring farmer's Sulabha. Then plant a block of Sulabha next to one of Priyanka or Amrutha, which TNAU lists at 17.03 and 18.35 kg, and count the nuts per tree over several seasons before you plant the whole farm.
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) | 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 |
| Sulabhathis page | 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
Is Sulabha a hybrid?
No. TNAU lists it as a selection, so it has no stated parents. Dharasree, Akshaya and Anagha, the other TNAU sheets from the KAU stations, are listed as hybrids with named parents.
Why does Sulabha flower later than other KAU varieties?
TNAU only records the timing: January to February flowering and February to April fruiting. It does not say why. Anagha has the same January to February timing, while Kanaka flowers in November to December. Late flowering can dodge an early rain or an early tea mosquito bug attack, but it also meets the hot season earlier at fruiting.
How big is Sulabha's nut compared with the other KAU varieties?
At 9.8 g (102 to a kilo) it is bigger than Kanaka (6.8 g), Amrutha (7.18) and Dharasree (7.8), and a little smaller than Anagha (10) and Akshaya (11), all from TNAU's sheets. Priyanka is 10.8 g.
Can I trust the 21.9 kg yield?
Treat it as a station figure. TNAU's sheet gives no tree age or number of seasons, and we found no independent trial. The Odisha trial of 25 released varieties did not include Sulabha. Ask Madakkathara for the details and try a small block first.
Sourced from: Sulabha — TNAU Agritech Portal, cashew varieties, Model Profile for 1.0 ha Cashew Cultivation — NABARD/TNAU. editorial policy.