Pusa Pragati (Early Badger)
An early IARI garden pea: first picking in 60–65 days, long green pods, resistant to powdery mildew.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Peas
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 60–65 days to first picking
- Expected yield
- About 70 q/ha (green pods)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Resistant to powdery mildew
- Release
- ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. Released for commercial cultivation in February 1998, at the institute's 36th convocation, according to a Business Standard report dated 18 February 1998. Pusa Pragati does not appear in the national list of notified pea varieties (2015), so there is no Gazette number to quote. The name "Early Badger" sometimes sold with it is not backed by any release record.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Pusa Pragati is a garden pea from IARI, New Delhi. IARI released it for commercial cultivation in February 1998, at its 36th convocation, according to a Business Standard report dated 18 February 1998. The national checklist of commercial vegetable varieties lists it with long green pods of about 10 cm, 9 seeds per pod, first picking in 60–65 days, resistance to powdery mildew and a yield of about 70 q/ha, recommended for all of India. A 2026 screening of pea genotypes put it among five resistant ones, with a disease index of 2.54 to 7.78. VL Sabji Matar 14 was bred by crossing PC 531 with Pusa Pragati. It is sometimes sold with the second name "Early Badger". Badger is a separate American canning pea (Gallatin Valley Seed Company, Idaho, first sold in 1978), and no source shows that Pusa Pragati was selected from it.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Pusa Pragati if you want an early crop and powdery mildew has hurt your peas before. That combination is what it alone offers here: every other early pea on this list is susceptible — Arkel and Pant Matar in a late crop, Azad Matar highly so — while the varieties bred against mildew, Rachna and Pusa Prabhal, take 85 days or more. Pusa Pragati gives first picking in 60–65 days with the resistance, and a 2026 screening put it among five resistant genotypes. The price is weight: about 70 q/ha, the lowest here, against Rachna's 100–120 and Kashi Nandini's 110–120 release figure, though that figure drops to 75–80 on the national checklist. One thing to settle at the counter: it has no entry in the national list of notified pea varieties, so there is no Gazette number to check it against, and the second name "Early Badger" some dealers use is not backed by any release record — buy it as Pusa Pragati. Choose Arkel if you want the best-known early pea and can sow on time. Choose Rachna for a mid-season crop with mildew resistance. Choose Pusa Prabhal if wilt troubles you as well.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- "Early Badger" is a trade pairing. Badger is a US canning pea from 1978, and no source shows that Pusa Pragati was selected from it. Go by the IARI facts for Pusa Pragati, not the Badger facts.
- The national checklist recommends Pusa Pragati for all of India. The Punjab entry in the state list is a starting point, not a limit.
- Its yield of about 70 q/ha is lower than Kashi Nandini's release figure (110–120 q/ha) and Rachna's (100–120 q/ha). You choose this pea for earliness and mildew resistance, not for the top yield.
- A Prayagraj garden pea trial recorded Pusa Pragati as the earliest of its genotypes to flower, at about 35 days. That fits its early reputation. It is a flowering figure, not a picking date.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Punjab
Ask for the IARI Pusa Pragati, not just the Badger name
"Pusa Pragati (Early Badger)" is a trade pairing. Pusa Pragati is an IARI pea with listed traits. Badger is a separate US canning pea, and no source shows they are the same.
Ask your seller three questions: what is printed on the packet, who produced the seed, and what disease cover the supplier claims. Write down the answers and keep the packet.
Then sow a trial row, count the days to first pick against the 60–65 days listed, and look at the leaves for mildew in the late weeks. Your own row answers what no description can.
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 Matar | 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)this page | 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 Pusa Pragati the same as the American Badger pea?
No source shows that. IARI's Pusa Pragati has its own listed traits: first picking in 60–65 days, 10 cm pods with 9 seeds, and powdery mildew resistance. "Early Badger" is a name sometimes sold with it. Badger is a separate US canning pea from 1978. Go by the packet label and your own trial row.
Who released Pusa Pragati and when?
ICAR-IARI, New Delhi released it for commercial cultivation at its 36th convocation, in February 1998, according to a Business Standard report dated 18 February 1998. No Gazette notification number was found, so quote the year as 1998 and not an S.O. number.
Is Pusa Pragati resistant to powdery mildew?
Yes. The national checklist lists it as resistant to powdery mildew, and a 2026 screening put it among five resistant genotypes with a disease index of 2.54 to 7.78. Resistance cuts the risk but is not a promise. Watch the leaves in the late weeks of the crop.
How long are Pusa Pragati pods?
About 10 cm, green and long, with 9 seeds per pod, according to the national checklist. That is longer than Arkel's 8–9 cm pods.
Is Pusa Pragati used to breed new peas?
Yes. VL Sabji Matar 14, bred at VPKAS Almora, came from a cross of PC 531 with Pusa Pragati. In a 2026 study, Arka Ajit × Pusa Pragati was the earliest of the F1 crosses tested.
Pusa Pragati or Arkel for an early crop in Punjab?
Pusa Pragati takes 60–65 days to first picking, gives about 70 q/ha and is resistant to powdery mildew. Arkel takes about 55–65 days, gives 75–125 q/ha depending on the source, and gets powdery mildew in a late crop. If you can sow early and want the best-known early pea, Arkel. If mildew has hit your peas before, Pusa Pragati. Try both in adjacent rows and keep notes.
Is Pusa Pragati good for a processor?
Not established for Pusa Pragati. Badger was bred as a canning pea, but the national checklist lists Pusa Pragati for the green-pod market and does not mention processing. If you want to sell to a processor, ask what they need and show them a sample from your trial row.
How tall is a Pusa Pragati plant?
The national checklist gives no plant height for Pusa Pragati. The 45–60 cm of the American Badger pea does not apply to it. Measure your own plants on a trial row.
Can I grow Pusa Pragati outside Punjab?
Yes, you can try it. The national checklist recommends Pusa Pragati for all of India, and the state list here shows Punjab as a starting point. Sow a trial row in your area before you plant a block.
Sourced from: Checklist of Commercial Varieties of Vegetables (pea section) — TNAU Agritech Portal, Iari Develops Hybrids Of Basmati-Type Grain (1998 report naming Pusa Pragati) — Business Standard, Morphological evaluation and inheritance of powdery mildew resistance in garden pea — Scientific Reports (2026), VL Sabji Matar 14: new garden pea cultivar with resistance to powdery mildew — Indian Horticulture (ICAR), Evaluation of garden pea genotypes under Prayagraj region — Plant Archives. editorial policy.