CHES-K-II-7
An ICAR-Central Horticultural Experiment Station, Chettalli (Karnataka) selection with high TSS (roughly 15–16°B) and good ascorbic acid content.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Starts bearing
- Bears from year 2–3 (grafted/cutting)
- Expected yield
- Good; high sugar and vitamin C
- Suitable soil
- Saline / marginal
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed
- Release
- ICAR-Central Horticultural Experiment Station, Chettalli, Karnataka
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
CHES-K-II-7 is a karonda selection from ICAR's Central Horticultural Experiment Station at Chettalli in Karnataka's Kodagu district, developed alongside the related CHES-K-V-6 line from the same station's karonda germplasm evaluation work. It is notable for a distinctly high total soluble solids reading — commonly cited around 15–16°B, well above both the acidic Pant pickle-types and Maharashtra's Konkan Bold — combined with good ascorbic acid (vitamin C) content, so the fruit is sweet and vitamin-rich — it suits fresh eating, juice and vitamin-C processing, not pickling.
Should you pick this variety?
CHES-K-II-7 has the highest sugar reading of the karonda varieties compared here, about 15–16°B, and good vitamin C. Choose it if you want fruit to sell fresh or to make juice, and if your land is in Karnataka, where it was tested at Chettalli. It is not for pickle, since pickle makers want sour fruit. For a sweet variety tested on the Maharashtra coast, look at Konkan Bold. For sour pickle fruit, look at the Pant varieties. Outside Karnataka there is less information on how it performs, so try a few plants first.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Among the highest TSS readings recorded for a named karonda selection, so the fruit is sweet enough to sell fresh.
- Good ascorbic acid content adds nutritional selling value for juice and health-focused processing.
Things to consider
- Best documented and evaluated for Karnataka's specific growing conditions at Chettalli.
- Not suited to the pickle market, which specifically wants a lower-sugar, higher-acid green fruit.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
Where sweet karonda actually sells
At 15–16°B this is the sweetest karonda compared here, so the fruit has to be picked ripe, not green. That is the opposite of the Pantnagar pickle varieties, and it changes who buys from you: fruit stalls, juice shops and small processors who want flavour and vitamin C, not pickle units who want sourness.
Ripe karonda is soft and will not wait. Harvest in the cool morning, keep the fruit in shallow crates rather than deep sacks, and move it the same day. Before you plant an acre of it, find the buyer first — a sweet karonda with no fresh-fruit or juice market nearby loses more to spoilage than a pickle variety would.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Karonda (Carissa) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHES-K-II-7this page | Sweet fresh fruit, juice (vitamin C) | Good; high sugar and vitamin C | Karnataka |
| Konkan Bold | Fresh eating, jam, jelly, juice | High; prolific bearer | Maharashtra |
| Maru Gaurav | Highest yield on hot, dry land | Very high — up to ~40 kg/plant | Rajasthan, Gujarat |
| Pant Manohar | Pickle and chutney (green fruit) | Good, pickle-grade fruit | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
| Pant Sudarshan | Pickle and chutney (green fruit) | Good, pickle-grade fruit | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
| Pant Suvarna | Pickle and chutney (green fruit) | Good, pickle-grade fruit | Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
| Thar Kamal | Red pulp for juice and squash | Good; roughly 13 kg/plant in CIAH evaluation | Rajasthan |
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 Karonda (Carissa) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Karonda (Carissa) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Karonda (Carissa) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Karonda (Carissa) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Karonda (Carissa) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Karonda (Carissa) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Karonda (Carissa) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is CHES-K-II-7 sweeter than Konkan Bold?
Yes, on the readings reported: about 15–16°B for CHES-K-II-7 against about 10–12°B for Konkan Bold. These are station readings, and fruit can vary with soil, weather and ripeness.
Can I use CHES-K-II-7 for pickle?
It is not the right choice. It is a sweet type, while pickle makers want sour, low-sugar green fruit. Use Pant Manohar, Pant Sudarshan or Pant Suvarna for pickle.
Where was CHES-K-II-7 developed?
At the ICAR Central Horticultural Experiment Station at Chettalli in Kodagu district, Karnataka. It is best documented for Karnataka conditions.
Can I grow CHES-K-II-7 outside Karnataka?
It was tested and described for Karnataka, at Chettalli. We have little information on how it performs elsewhere. Plant a few plants first and watch them for a season or two before you plant a large area.
When does CHES-K-II-7 start giving fruit?
A grafted or cutting-raised plant bears from year 2–3.