Pusa Riddhi
The rabi variety bred specifically to hold in a ventilated chawl into the thin off-season market, where the real margin sits.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Onion
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 110–120 days after transplanting
- Expected yield
- 300–350 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 2013 by SVRC, Delhi · ICAR-IARI · recommended for Delhi & NCR
About this variety
Pusa Riddhi is a rabi onion released in 2013 by SVRC, Delhi (bred at ICAR-IARI) and recommended for cultivation in Delhi & NCR. Bulbs are compact, flat-globe shaped and dark red, 4.8–6.3 cm in diameter and 70–100 g in weight, with an average yield around 32 t/ha. It is valued for long-term storage and export suitability, and has a notably high antioxidant (quercetin) content.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
110–120 days after transplanting
Expected yield
300–350 q/ha
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Strong storage life — 6+ months
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Long-term storage and export suitability make it a strong pick for the rabi season, when the market otherwise floods and prices soften right after harvest
- Notably high quercetin (antioxidant) content — 107.42 mg/100 g in one recorded field trial — compared with typical onion varieties
Things to consider
- Bred and officially recommended specifically for the Delhi & NCR region — performance elsewhere hasn’t been established through the same official recommendation
- Bulb weight (70–100 g) runs smaller than heavier rabi varieties, a trade-off some markets pay less for even with better storage life
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Delhi
- Haryana
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
Frequently asked questions
What makes Pusa Riddhi worth choosing for rabi onion storage?
It combines long-term storage and export suitability with a documented, official 2013 release recommended for the Delhi & NCR belt — useful for growers who plan to hold their crop through the post-harvest price dip rather than sell immediately.
Sourced from: Onion (Pusa Riddhi) — IARI ZTM & BPD Technologies, Pusa Riddhi Variety: A High-Yielding, Long Shelf-Life Onion for Profitable Farming — Krishi Jagran. editorial policy.