VL Rajma 63
An earlier bush-type release from ICAR-VPKAS than VL Rajma 125, suited to shorter-season hill pockets and mid-altitude fields.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 100–110 days
- Expected yield
- 10–13 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Standard exposure to rust and anthracnose
- Release
- ICAR-VPKAS, Almora, an earlier bush-type release than VL Rajma 125 in the same hill-breeding programme. The exact release year is not confirmed
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
VL Rajma 63 is a bush-type kidney bean released by ICAR-VPKAS (Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan), Almora. The same hill-agriculture institute later released VL Rajma 125 and VL Bean 2. VL Rajma 63 is the earlier release in that programme, suited to shorter-season hill pockets and mid-altitude fields.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose VL Rajma 63 if you farm a short-season hill pocket or a mid-altitude field and want a bush-type plant. It takes 100–110 days and gives 10–13 q/ha, with only standard exposure to rust and anthracnose, so its disease cover is thinner than the newer releases. Choose VL Rajma 125 instead for the same hills if you can: 82–85 days, 14–15 q/ha and four-disease resistance. Stay with VL Rajma 63 only if its seed is what you can get, or what your buyer knows.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- No release year, parentage or separate yield and duration figures are published for VL Rajma 63. Most sources list it only as a name among recommended rajma varieties.
- The "standard exposure to rust and anthracnose" rating means it has no bred-in resistance. Its sibling VL Rajma 125, released later, carries four-disease resistance, so VL Rajma 63 is the thinner cover of the two.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Uttarakhand
- Himachal Pradesh
Ask where the seed comes from before you ask the price
No release year or parentage is published for VL Rajma 63, so the seed packet is your only guide to what you are buying. Ask the seller which lot it is, which institute or seed agency supplied it, and to show you the label with the variety name on it.
If the seller only says "bush rajma" or just "rajma", walk away. A bush-type kidney bean from a hill programme is not the same thing as a particular variety, and without the name you cannot check anything about days, yield or disease cover.
If only VL Rajma 125 is on sale, take it. It matures 15 to 28 days sooner, gives more and has the wider disease cover. VL Rajma 63 is worth the search only when your buyer or your valley already knows it.
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 Rajma (Kidney Bean) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber | A familiar bold, light-seeded rajma for the hills, chosen for the market that already knows it, not for a bred-in disease shield | 100–115 days | 10–13 q/ha | Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir |
| HUR-137 | The higher-yielding red of the HUR pair, with bold, dark-red seed for well-managed tarai fields | 100–110 days | 12–15 q/ha | Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh |
| HUR-15 | A red-seeded rajma for the Uttarakhand tarai, sown in the spring or pre-monsoon window, and the quickest red-seeded rajma of the lot | 95–105 days | 10–14 q/ha | Uttarakhand |
| PDR-14 (Uday) | The long-duration rajma with the highest published yield and a mosaic-virus tolerance, for Uttar Pradesh and Punjab | 125–130 days | ~30 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab |
| VL Bean 2 | A quick 82-day hill rajma with root rot and anthracnose resistance, the simpler sibling of VL Rajma 125 | ~82 days | 14–15 q/ha | Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh |
| VL Rajma 125 | The hill rajma with the widest disease cover: four diseases and bold seed, in 82–85 days | 82–85 days | 14–15 q/ha | Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir |
| VL Rajma 63this page | An earlier bush-type ICAR-VPKAS release for shorter-season hill pockets and mid-altitude fields | 100–110 days | 10–13 q/ha | Uttarakhand, Himachal 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 Rajma (Kidney Bean) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Rajma (Kidney Bean) 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 Rajma (Kidney Bean) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Rajma (Kidney Bean) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Rajma (Kidney Bean) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Rajma (Kidney Bean) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Rajma (Kidney Bean) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Who released VL Rajma 63?
ICAR-VPKAS, Almora — the same hill-agriculture institute that later released VL Rajma 125 and VL Bean 2, with VL Rajma 63 being the earlier bush-type release in that programme.
How does VL Rajma 63 compare to VL Rajma 125?
VL Rajma 125 is the later, more disease-resistant release with a broader four-disease resistance package, while VL Rajma 63 is the earlier release in the same VPKAS breeding programme, suited to shorter-season hill pockets and mid-altitude fields.
Which states grow VL Rajma 63?
Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, matching VPKAS Almora's hill-belt breeding focus.
Is VL Rajma 63 disease-resistant?
It has only standard exposure to rust and anthracnose, not bred-in resistance, consistent with it being an earlier, less-improved release than its more disease-resistant sibling VL Rajma 125.
What growing conditions suit VL Rajma 63?
Shorter-season hill pockets and mid-altitude fields, a niche suited to areas where the growing window is tighter than longer-season varieties need.
How many days is VL Rajma 63 behind VL Rajma 125?
VL Rajma 63 takes 100–110 days and VL Rajma 125 takes 82–85, so the older variety stays in the field 15 to 28 days longer. It also gives less: 10–13 q/ha against 14–15.
Is VL Rajma 63 still worth growing if VL Rajma 125 seed is available?
Usually the newer one is the better field choice: shorter, higher yielding and with more disease cover. Keep VL Rajma 63 only if your valley already grows it and your buyer asks for it, or if you want to split your seed between two varieties.
Can I save VL Rajma 63 seed?
Yes, it is open-pollinated. VL Rajma 63 has only standard exposure to rust and anthracnose, so keep seed only from healthy plants and fully dry pods, and store it dry.
What does bush type mean for VL Rajma 63?
A bush-type plant grows compact and upright, so it needs no climbing support, unlike a pole bean. That keeps labour and material cost down in a short-season hill pocket. It does not mean the crop is free of disease, since VL Rajma 63 has only standard exposure to rust and anthracnose.
How do I check that seed sold as VL Rajma 63 is the right variety?
Ask for the variety name and lot label on the bag, and buy from a state seed corporation, a KVK or a dealer you trust. Most sources list VL Rajma 63 only as a name among recommended varieties, with no published release year or parentage, so a clear label matters. If the seller is vague, take VL Rajma 125 seed instead.