Japanese White
A widely grown Asiatic-type (daikon) variety with pure white, smooth, cylindrical roots 25–30 cm long and about 5 cm across, with crisp, solid, mild flesh. It is sown October–December in the plains and July–September in the hills.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Radish (Mooli)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 60–65 days
- Expected yield
- 30–35 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed
- Release
- A widely traded introduced open-pollinated daikon type; not a single-institute Indian release
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Japanese White is a widely grown Asiatic-type (daikon) radish with pure white, smooth, cylindrical roots 25–30 cm long and about 5 cm across, and crisp, solid, mild flesh. NHB lists it as ready in 60–65 days. It is one of the most popular main-season white radishes, sown October–December in the plains and July–September in the hills. It is open-pollinated, so you can save your own seed.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Japanese White if you sell a mild, crisp white radish in the main winter season. NHB lists cylindrical roots of 25–30 cm and about 5 cm across, pure white, ready in 60–65 days. Sow October–December in the plains and July–September in the hills. It is a cool-season type, so sown too warm it bolts. Choose Pusa Chetki for warm months, Pusa Desi for a sharp traditional mooli, and Kashi Hans for a faster 40–45 day crop.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeOctober–December in the plains; July–September in the hills
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Long, pure white, smooth, mild roots for the main winter market
- Popular and well known — reliable buyer demand
- Open-pollinated — seed can be saved
Things to consider
- Best in the cooler months — sown too warm it can bolt
- No special disease resistance — watch Alternaria and white rust
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttar Pradesh
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- West Bengal
Count your harvest date before you sow
NHB lists 60–65 days for Japanese White, longer than the quick Asiatic types. A crop sown on 1 October is ready about 1–5 December. One sown on 1 November is ready about 31 December to 5 January. One sown on 1 December is ready about 30 January to 4 February.
The national checklist gives a shorter 55–60 days. Start pulling a test root about a week before the NHB date, then leave the rest only as long as the root stays crisp.
Pick the date your buyers want it, and count back. The later sowings meet the coldest weeks, and the earliest meets warmer days, when a cool-season daikon bolts.
In the hills the NHB window is July to September, so the same sum gives a harvest from about September to November.
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 Radish (Mooli) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arka Nishant | Forgiving harvest window, resists pithiness and bolting | 50–55 days | 25–40 t/ha | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra |
| Japanese Whitethis page | Mild white daikon for the main winter market | 60–65 days | 30–35 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal |
| Kashi Hans | Quick 40–45 day radish for Uttar Pradesh, tolerant of pithiness | 40–45 days | 430–450 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh |
| Pusa Chetki | Heat-tolerant warm-season white radish | 40–45 days | 25 t/ha | Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka |
| Pusa Desi | Sharp traditional mooli with leafy tops for saag | 50–55 days | 25–30 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana |
| Pusa Himani | Sweet, mild European radish for hills and cold plains | About 55 days | 30–35 t/ha | Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir |
| Pusa Mridula | Small red salad radish, ready in about 25 days | About 25 days | 130 q/ha | Delhi (NCR) |
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 Radish (Mooli) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Radish (Mooli) 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 Radish (Mooli) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Radish (Mooli) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Radish (Mooli) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Radish (Mooli) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Radish (Mooli) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sow Japanese White in summer?
No. It is a cool-season daikon, and sown in warm weather it runs to seed instead of making a root. Use Pusa Chetki between mid-March and mid-August in northern and central India.
How long does it take?
NHB lists 60–65 days and the national checklist 55–60, so plan on 55–65 days. A crop sown on 1 October is ready about 25 November to 5 December, and one sown on 1 November about 26 December to 5 January.
What yield should I plan for?
NHB gives no yield for this variety. The national checklist gives 375 q/ha, which is 37.5 t/ha, but that is a trial figure from a well-prepared bed. The card shows a cautious 30–35 t/ha, so plan costs on the lower side and sell by size grade.
How long should the roots be?
NHB lists 25–30 cm long and about 5 cm across. The national checklist lists 20–25 cm, thick and stumpy. Both can be right for different soils and sowing dates, so judge by the size grades in your own field, not by one number.
Japanese White or Pusa Desi?
Japanese White is mild, crisp and cylindrical. Pusa Desi is sharp and pungent with a tapering root and a green shoulder, and its leafy tops are used as greens. Choose by what your buyers ask for.
Can I save Japanese White seed?
Yes, it is open-pollinated. Choose straight, pure white, smooth roots for seed and keep the plot away from other radish so they do not cross.
Sourced from: NHB — Radish varieties, National Checklist of Commercial Varieties of Vegetables (TNAU Agritech hosting) — radish. editorial policy.