Azad Matar
CSAUAT Kanpur's table pea Azad P-1 (also written Azad Pea-1, and called Azad Matar-1 in Hindi farm articles). Sweet, tender, long dark-green pods. Treat it as mildew-prone.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Peas
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- About 53 days to first picking in one Prayagraj plains trial; about 120 days in hill trials
- Expected yield
- High
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Highly susceptible to powdery mildew; early maturity helps it escape
- Release
- CSAUAT, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Released in 1983 and notified on 9 April 1985 (S.O. 295(E)), according to the national list of notified varieties (2015). The university lists Azad P-1 to P-5 as its table peas.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Azad Matar is the garden pea Azad P-1 (also written Azad Pea-1, and called Azad Matar-1 in Hindi farm articles) from CSAUAT (Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology), Kanpur. The university lists Azad P-1 to P-5 as its table peas, and a national study of 43 released Indian pea cultivars includes Azad P 1. GBPUAT Pantnagar's seed catalogue describes Azad Pea-1 as an 80–90 cm plant with dark-green leaves that flowers at 40–45 days. The pods are narrow, 8–10 cm long, with 8–10 seeds that wrinkle when mature, and it is sown from October to November. The catalogue says early maturity helps it escape powdery mildew and rust. Other sources call it a high pod-count pea valued for sweet taste and tender texture, and the most consumer-preferred pea in one comparative study. A Himachal Pradesh study lists its powdery mildew reaction as highly susceptible. In a Western Uttar Pradesh trial with phosphorus fertiliser, it gave 9.24 kg pod weight per plant, against Arkel's 8.55 kg.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Azad Matar if you sell fresh peas in Uttar Pradesh and want sweet, tender, long dark-green pods. It is CSAUAT Kanpur's Azad P-1. In one comparison it was the most consumer-preferred pea, and in a Western Uttar Pradesh trial it gave 9.24 kg pod weight per plant against Arkel's 8.55. The catches: it is highly susceptible to powdery mildew, which only early sowing and early maturity help it escape, so plan sprays, and the sources differ on its days to first picking. Choose Rachna if mildew resistance matters more. Choose Arkel for the earliest crop. Choose Kashi Nandini for a notified ICAR release.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- Azad P-1 is highly susceptible to powdery mildew. Only early sowing and early maturity help it escape the disease, so sow in October to November on time and watch the leaves.
- The 9.24 kg against 8.55 kg per plant is a research-trial figure under one phosphorus treatment. You cannot turn it into a per-hectare yield.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
Which pea are you buying? Ask for the P-number
"Azad Matar" is a trade name for CSAUAT Kanpur's table peas. The university has Azad P-1, P-2, P-3, P-4 and P-5, and they differ in mildew resistance and maturity. Here we mean Azad P-1.
When you buy seed, ask to see the packet label. It should show the variety name, the seed company, the lot number and the germination test date. Keep the packet and the bill until harvest.
If the seller cannot say whether it is Azad P-1, start with a small block and compare the pods, sweetness and mildew with your usual variety before you sow a whole field.
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 Peas variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkel | The earliest common garden pea, for the early-season price, sown in time to dodge late-crop powdery mildew | 60–65 days | 80–100 q/ha (green pods) | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar |
| Azad Matarthis page | A sweet, tender, long dark-green-pod garden pea from CSAUAT Kanpur (Azad P-1), for Uttar Pradesh fresh sale with a mildew plan | About 53 days to first picking in one Prayagraj plains trial; about 120 days in hill trials | High | Uttar Pradesh |
| Bonneville | A main-season, taller garden pea for the mid-season market, also suited to dehydration | 75–80 days | 65–110 q/ha (green pods; sources differ) | Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
| Kashi Nandini | An early-maturing, ICAR-IIVR garden pea with good pod set, notified for nine states from Jammu & Kashmir to Kerala | 70–80 days | 75–120 q/ha (sources differ) | Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala |
| Pant Matar | An early GBPUAT Pantnagar garden pea (Pant Matar 2) that matches Arkel's days and gives about 10% more pods, for the northern hills and plains | About 60 days to first picking | About 100 q/ha (green pods; some reports lower) | Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand |
| Pusa Prabhal | A wilt-and-mildew-resistant, double-podded garden pea for land with Fusarium wilt or powdery mildew trouble | 80–100 days | ~138 q/ha | Himachal Pradesh |
| Pusa Pragati (Early Badger) | An early, powdery-mildew-resistant IARI garden pea with long 10 cm pods and 9 seeds per pod, recommended for all of India | 60–65 days to first picking | About 70 q/ha (green pods) | Punjab |
| Rachna | A powdery-mildew-resistant mid-season pea bred at CSAUAT Kanpur, for green pods or dry seed | 85–90 days | 100–120 q/ha (green pods) | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh |
| VL Ageti | An early, dwarf ICAR-VPKAS garden pea (VL-7) for the hills of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand | About 120–125 days to first picking (hill sowing) | High | Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand |
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 Peas is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Peas 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 Peas variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Peas into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Peas in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Peas rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Peas seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is "Azad Matar" the same as "Azad P-1"?
In practice, yes. CSAUAT, Kanpur lists Azad P-1 among its table peas, a national study counts Azad P 1 among 43 released Indian pea cultivars, and Hindi farm articles call it Azad Matar-1. CSAUAT also has Azad P-2, P-3, P-4 and P-5. The two national lists of commercial vegetable varieties show P-2, P-3, P-4 and P-5 and not P-1, and call P-2, P-4 and P-5 resistant to powdery mildew. So ask your seller to show "Azad P-1" or "Azad Pea-1" on the packet, and if mildew is your problem, ask for P-2, P-4 or P-5 instead.
Is Azad Matar resistant to powdery mildew?
No. A Himachal Pradesh study lists Azad P-1 as highly susceptible to powdery mildew, and the Pantnagar catalogue says only its early maturity helps it escape mildew and rust. Sow on time and plan sprays, or choose Rachna, which was bred for mildew resistance.
Which state is Azad Matar from?
Uttar Pradesh. CSAUAT is headquartered in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
What makes Azad Matar popular with consumers?
Its sweet taste, tender texture, and long, dark-green pods make it a preferred choice in comparative consumer evaluations of garden pea varieties.
How does Azad Matar compare to Arkel in trials?
In a Western Uttar Pradesh trial with phosphorus fertilisation, Azad Matar (as Azad P-1) outyielded Arkel at 9.24 kg pod weight per plant versus Arkel's 8.55 kg/plant.
How many days does Azad Matar take to first picking?
In a 2018–19 trial at Prayagraj in the plains, Azad Pea-1 reached first flowering at about 38 days and first pod picking at about 53 days. In the same trial Pusa Pragati took about 54 days and Arkel about 63 days. That is one site and one season. Other sources differ: a Hindi farm article puts it in the medium-to-late group (pods ready 75–90 days after sowing, a group figure), and Himachal Pradesh trials took about 120 days at 1,291 m (Arkel took 114 days there) and 125–135 days in another study. Count the days from sowing in your own field for one season before you promise a date to a buyer.
Azad Matar or Arkel?
In a Western Uttar Pradesh trial with phosphorus, Azad Matar (as Azad P-1) gave 9.24 kg of pods per plant against Arkel's 8.55 kg. Arkel is the earliest (60–65 days) and sells at the early price. Azad Matar is sweeter and more tender, and also mildew-prone. Choose by which market window and taste matter to your buyer.
Does the 9.24 kg per plant mean I will get that in my field?
No. It comes from one research trial in Western Uttar Pradesh with a particular phosphorus treatment, so it cannot be turned into a per-hectare yield. Use it only to compare the two varieties in that trial. Weigh your own first crop and plan from that.
What mildew care does Azad Matar need?
Sow on time, in October to November. Early sowing is what helps Azad P-1 escape powdery mildew and rust. Watch the leaves from flowering, and follow your state horticulture department's spray advice at the first white powder on the leaves. If mildew has been a big problem on your land, choose Rachna instead.
Can I save seed from Azad Matar?
Yes. It is open-pollinated, so seed from your own healthy plants gives plants like the parent. Save only from plants free of mildew, and check the name on the seed packet when you buy fresh seed.
Sourced from: Kitchen Seeds (garden pea varieties) — GBPUAT Pantnagar Seeds, Garden pea powdery mildew study (Azad P-1 as check) — Frontiers in Plant Science, 2024, Checklist of Commercial Varieties of Vegetables (pea section) — TNAU Agritech Portal, HORT 281 Lecture 17: Peas — eAgri (TNAU), Some University Developed Varieties (table pea Azad P-1 to P-5) — CSAUAT Kanpur, Morphological characterization of Indian pea varieties (43 released cultivars) — Journal of Food Legumes, Garden pea varieties and sowing dates at Palampur — Vegetable Science 43(2), 2016. editorial policy.