Arka Chandan
An ICAR-IIHR bush-type (short-vine) variety bred for smaller plots and higher planting density, with medium-sized, good-keeping-quality fruit.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Pumpkin (Kaddu)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Zaid / summer
- Maturity period
- 115–120 days
- Expected yield
- ~330 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Arka Chandan is a bush-type (short-vine) pumpkin variety from ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, bred as an alternative to the normally sprawling pumpkin vine. Because the vine stays compact rather than running several metres, it can be planted at a higher density than a normal long-vine variety, which suits you if you have a small plot and cannot spare the wide spacing pumpkin usually needs. Fruit is medium-sized with good keeping quality once cured.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Arka Chandan if land is short and you want a compact plant that can go closer than a sprawling vine. Published listings give round fruit of 2–3 kg, thick orange carotene-rich flesh, about 115–120 days and about 33 t/ha. Its yield sits below Pusa Vishwas (400–425 q/ha) and it claims no disease resistance. Choose Arka Suryamukhi if fruit fly is the problem. Choose Kashi Harit if you need the land clear sooner.
Sowing & cultivation
- SpacingCan be planted closer than normal long-vine varieties given its compact bush growth
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Compact, bush-type vine suited to smaller plots and higher planting density
- Good keeping quality once properly cured
- A practical choice where land is limited and normal pumpkin spacing is impractical
Things to consider
- Yield (~330 q/ha) runs below the heaviest long-vine varieties
- No special disease resistance claimed
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- southern plains
What a small plot can really give
About 33 t/ha means roughly 3.3 kg of pumpkin per square metre. On a 1,000 square metre plot that is about 3,300 kg if everything goes well.
At 2–3 kg a fruit, that is about 1,100 to 1,650 fruit. This is a potential figure, not a promise, and your own soil, water and fruit fly pressure will move it.
Because the plant is compact, the real gain is that you can fit more plants in the same land than a sprawling vine allows. Test the closer spacing on a small block first, and keep your rows open enough for leaves to dry after rain.
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 Pumpkin (Kaddu) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambili | Sweet, soft-fleshed curry pumpkin for Kerala | 95–110 days | 200–250 q/ha | Kerala |
| Arka Chandanthis page | Compact bush pumpkin for small plots | 115–120 days | ~330 q/ha | Karnataka, southern plains |
| Arka Suryamukhi | Fruit-fly-tolerant pumpkin for the south | 100–110 days | ~340 q/ha | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh |
| CO 2 | TNAU standard pumpkin for Tamil Nadu | 135 days | 23–25 t/ha | Tamil Nadu |
| Kashi Harit | Early short-vine pumpkin for green-fruit sale | About 65 days of crop duration | 300–350 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand |
| Pumpkin F1 Hybrid (private companies, e.g. "Amol") | Early private F1 hybrid, claims not independently verified | 85–90 days | Claimed by the seller; not independently verified | sold pan-India through seed dealers |
| Pusa Vishwas | Heavy-yield golden-fleshed pumpkin, about 120 days, many states | About 120 days | 400–425 q/ha | Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra |
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 Pumpkin (Kaddu) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Pumpkin (Kaddu) 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 Pumpkin (Kaddu) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Pumpkin (Kaddu) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Pumpkin (Kaddu) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Pumpkin (Kaddu) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Pumpkin (Kaddu) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Arka Chandan take?
Kerala Agricultural University's variety page gives 115–120 days. Count from sowing and plan the harvest and your buyer around that, not around a shorter figure.
Can I plant it closer than normal pumpkin?
The compact bush habit allows it, but no official closer spacing is published. TNAU's general pumpkin spacing is 2 m × 2 m. Try a small block at a closer spacing first, and keep air moving between rows so leaves dry quickly.
How do I tell when the fruit is ripe?
The rind is green with white patches while immature and turns light brown at maturity. A fruit with the green stage rind is not ready for storage.
Does Arka Chandan keep well after harvest?
It keeps well once the fruit is cured. Pick only fully mature fruit, leave a piece of stalk on, and store it in a dry, airy, shaded place.
Arka Chandan or Pusa Vishwas?
Pusa Vishwas lists 400–425 q/ha but needs a wide spacing and 110–120 days. Arka Chandan lists about 330 q/ha at 2–3 kg a fruit on a compact plant. Short of land, Arka Chandan. Plenty of land and a tonnage target, Pusa Vishwas.
Sourced from: Kerala Agricultural University (CELKAU) — Pumpkin varieties, ICAR-IIHR — Arka Chandan pumpkin. editorial policy.