Sahbhagi Dhan
A short-duration, drought-tolerant variety bred for rainfed uplands and areas with an unreliable monsoon.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Paddy (Rice)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 100–110 days
- Seed rate
- 24–30 kg per acre if you broadcast, 12–16 kg per acre with a seed drill, the figure depending on the test weight of your seed lot (ICAR-NRRI advisory for dry direct-seeded upland rice, which names this variety)
- Expected yield
- Up to 40 q/ha (rainfed)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Resistant to blast; bred primarily for drought tolerance
- Release
- IRRI (International Rice Research Institute), under the Upland Rice Research Consortium — identified 2009, released in India 2010; also released in Bangladesh (BRRI Dhan 56) and Nepal (Sookha Dhan 3)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Sahbhagi Dhan (breeding line IR74371-70-1-1) is a drought-tolerant rice variety bred at IRRI starting in 1997 by breeder Brigitte Courtois under the Upland Rice Research Consortium (URRC), from the cross IR55419-04 × 'Way Rarem'. It was identified in 2009 and released for cultivation in India in 2010. Under severe drought conditions, it can still produce 1–2 t/ha of grain where conventional high-yielding varieties would produce nothing at all — the same underlying breeding line was also released in Bangladesh as 'BRRI Dhan 56' and in Nepal as 'Sookha Dhan 3'.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Sahbhagi Dhan if your field is rainfed upland and the monsoon is unreliable. It matures in 100–110 days and gives up to 40 q/ha in normal rainfed conditions. In severe drought it can still give 1–2 t/ha where ordinary high-yielding varieties give nothing. It resists blast. It is built for drought, not for the highest yield, so if you have assured irrigation a variety like MTU 1010 (55–65 q/ha) will give more. The states and duration shown are approximate, so confirm locally.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeFinish upland sowing by the second fortnight of June, with the early monsoon rain (ICAR-NRRI advisory for Odisha)
- Seed rate24–30 kg per acre if you broadcast, 12–16 kg per acre with a seed drill, the figure depending on the test weight of your seed lot (ICAR-NRRI advisory for dry direct-seeded upland rice, which names this variety)
- SpacingSow in lines at 15 x 15 cm or 20 x 10 cm, with the seed placed 4–6 cm deep
- Sowing methodSow with a seed drill, a three-tyne cultivator-cum-seed drill, or behind a country plough. Treat the seed with Trichoderma powder at 10 g/kg first. Weeds are the real enemy in direct seeding: bispyribac sodium 10% SC at 120 ml per acre, 8–10 days after sowing when the weeds are at the 2–3 leaf stage, stands in for hand weeding
- FertilizerWork in 8 quintals per acre of well-rotted farmyard manure at final land preparation. Then band-place the full phosphorus and potash — 12 kg each per acre, as 75 kg single superphosphate or 27 kg DAP plus 20 kg muriate of potash — behind the plough or with a fertiliser-cum-seed drill as the basal dose (ICAR-NRRI)
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- The "1–2 t/ha under severe drought" figure is for stress conditions only, not the variety's full potential. In normal rainfed conditions it can reach up to 40 q/ha.
- No India-specific recommended states or exact duration figures from a primary source were found. Treat the 100–110 days and the three states (Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh) as approximate.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Odisha
- Jharkhand
- Chhattisgarh
When the monsoon breaks: what it can and cannot do
Sahbhagi Dhan is bred for rainfed uplands where the rain can fail. Two things do the work: it finishes in 100–110 days, so it often escapes a late-season dry spell altogether, and it holds some yield through stress instead of collapsing. Under severe drought the figure quoted is 1–2 t/ha; in a normal rainfed season it goes up to about 40 q/ha.
What it cannot do is grow without water. If the break comes at flowering, even a tolerant variety loses grain, so if you have any source of water at all, save it for the flowering and grain-filling weeks rather than spending it early. Keep the field weeded, because weeds take the little moisture there is, and direct-sow early enough that flowering lands inside the rains. Treat it as insurance against a bad year, not as a high-yield variety for a good one.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Paddy (Rice) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IR 64 | Medium-duration kharif rice with good eating quality | 115–120 days | 55–60 q/ha | Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh |
| MTU 1010 (Cottondora Sannalu) | Short-duration irrigated rice; rabi crop after | 120–125 days | 55–65 q/ha under irrigated conditions | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka |
| Pusa Basmati 1121 | Export-grade extra-long basmati; price over yield | 140–145 days | 35–40 q/ha — basmati trades yield for grain quality | Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi |
| Pusa Basmati 1509 | Early basmati when water or time is short | 120–125 days | 40–48 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
| Sahbhagi Dhanthis page | Rainfed uplands with an unreliable monsoon | 100–110 days | Up to 40 q/ha (rainfed) | Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh |
| Swarna (MTU 7029) | Rainfed lowland in eastern India; steady yield in a poor-water year | 145–150 days | 45–55 q/ha under rainfed lowland | West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam, Uttar Pradesh |
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 Paddy (Rice) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Paddy (Rice) 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 Paddy (Rice) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Paddy (Rice) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Paddy (Rice) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Paddy (Rice) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Paddy (Rice) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Who developed Sahbhagi Dhan and when was it released in India?
IRRI breeder Brigitte Courtois developed it starting in 1997 under the Upland Rice Research Consortium; it was identified in 2009 and released for cultivation in India in 2010.
How well does Sahbhagi Dhan perform under severe drought?
It can still produce 1–2 t/ha of grain under severe drought conditions where conventional high-yielding varieties would produce nothing at all — this is a stress-condition figure, not its full rainfed yield potential.
Is Sahbhagi Dhan grown outside India?
Yes — the same underlying breeding line was also released in Bangladesh as 'BRRI Dhan 56' and in Nepal as 'Sookha Dhan 3', reaching drought-prone rice areas across South Asia.
What is Sahbhagi Dhan's parentage?
It comes from the cross IR55419-04 × 'Way Rarem', made in 1997 at IRRI under the breeding line designation IR74371-70-1-1.
Why is Sahbhagi Dhan suited to rainfed uplands specifically?
It was bred specifically for drought tolerance under the Upland Rice Research Consortium, for areas with an unreliable monsoon rather than assured-irrigation lowlands.
How much will Sahbhagi Dhan give in a drought year?
In severe drought it can still give 1–2 t/ha, which is 10–20 q/ha. Ordinary high-yielding varieties may give nothing then. In normal rainfed conditions it can reach up to 40 q/ha. The drought figure is for stress only and is not the variety's full potential.
Should I plant Sahbhagi Dhan in an irrigated field?
Usually not. It is bred for drought tolerance, not for top yield with irrigation. It gives up to 40 q/ha rainfed, while MTU 1010 gives 55–65 q/ha under irrigation. With assured water, an irrigated-type variety will pay more.
Does Sahbhagi Dhan resist blast?
Yes, it is listed as resistant to blast. But it was bred mainly for drought tolerance, so still watch the crop through the season.
How does a 100–110 day duration help in a short monsoon?
It lets the crop finish before the rain does. Sahbhagi Dhan is the shortest-duration paddy compared here, a month ahead of Swarna at 145–150 days, so grain filling is usually over before a late-season dry spell arrives. Escaping drought is as useful as tolerating it.
Can I grow Sahbhagi Dhan in Bihar or eastern Uttar Pradesh?
The states listed for it are Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. It was bred for rainfed uplands, so similar land elsewhere in eastern India often suits it, but that is not the same as being notified for your state. Check your state seed list or ask your KVK, and try one plot first.
Sourced from: Agro-Advisory Service, ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack (June 2024): dry direct-seeded upland rice — variety list including Sahbhagi Dhan, seed rate, line spacing, sowing depth, seed treatment, basal fertiliser and weed control. editorial policy.