Swarna (MTU 7029)
A widely grown long-duration rice variety for lowland conditions in eastern India, known for stable yield and low nitrogen responsiveness.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Paddy (Rice)
- Type
- Inbred rice variety
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 145–150 days
- Seed rate
- About 30–35 kg/ha for a transplanted nursery. If you dry-sow the field directly instead, the Odisha package puts the broadcast rate at about 80 kg/ha
- Expected yield
- 45–55 q/ha under rainfed lowland
- Suitable soil
- Lowland soils, including clayey soils
- Disease resistance
- Tolerant to bacterial leaf blight; susceptible to sheath blight
- Release
- Released in 1982 · Andhra Pradesh Rice Research Station, Maruteru
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Swarna was bred at the Andhra Pradesh Rice Research Station (APRRS), Maruteru, part of Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, and released as MTU 7029 in 1982. It became one of the most widely grown rice varieties in eastern India, known for its stable yield in a poor-water year, low responsiveness to nitrogen, and tolerance to bacterial leaf blight that many contemporaries lacked. Those traits made it the default choice for rainfed lowland rice across West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha and Assam, and it remains a parent line behind several newer eastern-belt releases.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Swarna if you farm rainfed lowland in West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam or Uttar Pradesh and want a yield that holds up even in a poor-water year. It tolerates bacterial leaf blight and has been grown for four decades, so its behaviour is well known. It gives 45–55 q/ha but takes 145–150 days. Choose MTU 1010 (120–125 days) if you need the field free sooner, but it is highly susceptible to bacterial blight. Swarna does not respond much to extra nitrogen, and it is susceptible to sheath blight.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeSow the nursery in May and June and transplant in July, once the wet season has set in (Odisha package for Swarna)
- Seed rateAbout 30–35 kg/ha for a transplanted nursery. If you dry-sow the field directly instead, the Odisha package puts the broadcast rate at about 80 kg/ha
- SpacingTransplant at 20 x 15 cm, or 15 x 15 cm on poorer land, aiming for 35–40 hills per square metre
- Sowing methodNursery-raised and transplanted. The Odisha package asks for 30-day-old seedlings; older seedlings cost you tillers
- Fertilizer60:40:40 kg NPK/ha with 25 kg/ha zinc sulphate as a basal dose in Odisha. Give all the phosphorus and potash with one-third of the nitrogen at transplanting, the next third 20–25 days later, and the last third at panicle initiation
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- Its low nitrogen responsiveness means excessive nitrogen application may not provide a proportional yield benefit — follow the recommended nitrogen dose for the local production system
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Stable yield across a bad-water year — the reason it became the default for rainfed lowland rice across the eastern belt
- Tolerant to bacterial leaf blight, a strength many contemporaries of its era lacked
- Four decades of on-farm experience across West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam and Andhra Pradesh — its behaviour is thoroughly understood
Things to consider
- An older release (1982) — newer eastern-belt varieties post higher yield ceilings under good management
- Susceptible to sheath blight — needs field monitoring, unlike its tolerance to bacterial leaf blight
- Low nitrogen-responsiveness caps how much extra fertilizer can push yield — this is a stable variety, not a high-input one
- Best suited to rainfed lowland conditions; performance in fully irrigated, high-input systems is less its strength
Suitable regions
Swarna is widely grown across eastern and adjoining rice-growing regions. Check current state and agro-climatic recommendations before selecting it. The states below are major growing regions, not an exhaustive official list.
- West Bengal
- Bihar
- Odisha
- Assam
- Uttar Pradesh
Why extra urea does not pay on Swarna
Swarna is known for two things in the eastern belt: steady 45–55 q/ha in rainfed lowland even in a poor-water year, and low response to nitrogen. The second one is a money matter. Above the recommended dose the extra urea mostly grows leaf, not grain.
Heavy nitrogen on a long-duration lowland variety also brings its own trouble: taller, softer plants that lodge in late rain, and more sheath blight, which this variety is already susceptible to. So follow your state recommendation, split the dose rather than putting it all at transplanting, and spend the money you save on timely weeding or on seed of a fresh lot instead. If you want a higher yield ceiling, the answer is a newer eastern-belt variety, not more urea on this 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 Dhan | Rainfed uplands with an unreliable monsoon | 100–110 days | Up to 40 q/ha (rainfed) | Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh |
| Swarna (MTU 7029)this page | 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
What is Swarna (MTU 7029) rice?
A rice variety bred at the Andhra Pradesh Rice Research Station, Maruteru and released in 1982, known for stable yield and bacterial leaf blight tolerance across the eastern belt.
What is the seed rate and spacing for Swarna?
About 30–35 kg/ha for the nursery, transplanted at 20 x 15 cm using 30-day-old seedlings, as the Odisha package for Swarna puts it. On poorer land go closer, to 15 x 15 cm.
Is Swarna resistant to bacterial leaf blight?
It is tolerant to bacterial leaf blight, one of the traits that made it the default choice across the eastern rice belt.
What is the yield potential of Swarna?
Around 45–55 q/ha under rainfed lowland conditions — stable rather than spectacular, which is its main appeal.
Which regions are suitable for Swarna?
West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam and Uttar Pradesh — the rainfed lowland rice tracts of eastern India.
Will more urea increase Swarna yield?
Not much. Swarna responds weakly to nitrogen, so extra fertilizer may not give a matching rise in yield. Follow the recommended nitrogen dose for your area instead of adding more.
Is Swarna still worth growing when newer varieties are available?
Yes, in rainfed lowland where a steady yield matters more than the top yield. It is a 1982 release, and newer eastern-belt varieties can give more under good management. Choose by your water situation, not by the age of the variety.
Does Swarna get sheath blight?
Yes. Swarna is susceptible to sheath blight, even though it tolerates bacterial leaf blight. Do not treat it as resistant. Check your field regularly through the season.
Is Swarna the same as Swarna-Sub1?
No. Swarna-Sub1 is a flood-tolerant version of Swarna, carrying the SUB1 submergence gene, bred so the crop can survive being under water for a spell. If your field goes under in a bad monsoon, ask for Swarna-Sub1 by name, because plain Swarna does not carry that gene.
Will a wheat crop fit after Swarna?
It is tight. Swarna takes 145–150 days, the longest-duration paddy compared here, so the field often comes free only once the timely wheat window has closed. If you need both crops, either accept late-sown wheat or pick a shorter rice such as MTU 1010 at 120–125 days.
Sourced from: Production practices for the Swarna rice variety — Odisha Rice Knowledge Bank with IRRI (nursery and transplanting dates, seedling age, spacing, NPK and zinc dose). editorial policy.