Anand Safed Musli 1
Released in 2007 by Anand Agricultural University for irrigated kharif cultivation in Gujarat. Its record carries a yield, a sapogenin figure and root measurements, which the JS 405 record does not.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Safed Musli
- Type
- Fasciculated root pieces, not true seed
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- No variety-specific duration published; leaves wither ~4–4.5 months after planting and roots are dug Nov–Jan (species-level ICAR-DMAPR figure)
- Seed rate
- 600–1,000 kg/ha of fasciculated root pieces (fingers with a bud-bearing disc, at least 5 g each); the rate changes with spacing and is the species-standard rate, not set for this variety
- Expected yield
- 5,000 kg/ha fasciculated root (Anand Agricultural University release record; the record does not say whether this is fresh or dry weight)
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained sandy loam or loam, pH 6.0–8.0
- Release
- Released 2007 by Anand Agricultural University (Medicinal and Aromatic Plants centre, Anand) for Gujarat, kharif season, irrigated condition
About this variety
Anand Safed Musli 1 is a Safed Musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum) line released in 2007 by Anand Agricultural University, through its Medicinal and Aromatic Plants centre at Anand, for irrigated kharif conditions in Gujarat. The university's variety record lists an average yield of 5,000 kg/ha of fasciculated root and a sapogenin content of 0.62%, and names higher saponin and starch content as its special feature. The roots are whitish with a blunt end. An average plant carries 27 leaves and 22 fasciculated roots, and the roots grow up to 8.99 cm long and 2.55 cm thick. The record gives no parentage, no selection source, no days to maturity and no disease rating, so the farm practice below is the species-level practice from ICAR-DMAPR's 2023 production note, written at its Anand station, not numbers measured on this line. Like all Safed Musli it is not grown from true seed. The planting material is a piece of fasciculated root with a bud-bearing disc.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Anand Safed Musli 1 if your land is in Gujarat and you can irrigate it in the kharif season, because that is the exact condition the university released it for. Of the two named Safed Musli lines we found, it is the one whose record gives a yield (5,000 kg/ha of fasciculated root), a sapogenin content (0.62%) and the size of the roots. JS 405 gives none of these. Know the limits too. The record names no parent, no days to maturity and no disease rating, and it does not say whether the 5,000 kg is fresh or dry. Outside Gujarat there is no published trial, so a farmer in Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan has no figure to lean on and should try a small plot first. If you only have rain-fed land, compare it with JS 405 and with good farm-saved roots before you pay for planting material.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeThe first or second good rain of the monsoon, typically June–July
- Seed rate600–1,000 kg/ha of fasciculated root pieces (fingers with a bud-bearing disc, at least 5 g each); the rate changes with spacing and is the species-standard rate, not set for this variety
- Spacing30 cm row-to-row × 10–15 cm plant-to-plant on ridges or raised beds, about 3.33 lakh plants/ha
- Sowing methodPlant sprouted root pieces on ridges or raised beds (10–15 cm high in high-rainfall areas) so excess water drains away
- IrrigationDrip irrigation on raised beds is called economic and workable by ICAR-DMAPR. If the monsoon fails or breaks for long, give at least 6–8 irrigations at 10–15 day intervals, and keep irrigating even after the leaves start to fall
- Fertilizer10–15 t/ha well-rotted FYM at land preparation, plus 50:40:40 kg N:P:K per hectare, the species-standard dose ICAR-DMAPR cites for a good root yield
- HarvestingLeaves start withering about 4–4.5 months after planting. Dig November to January after a light irrigation; roots kept as planting stock can stay in the ground until March–April
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained sandy loam or loam, rich in organic matter and loose enough for the fasciculated roots to expand
- Irrigation
- Must drain well. Waterlogging damages the roots, which is why raised beds or ridges are used
Climate
- Climate
- 30–35°C day temperature, 500–1,500 mm rainfall, up to about 1,500 m altitude
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
No variety-specific duration published; leaves wither ~4–4.5 months after planting and roots are dug Nov–Jan (species-level ICAR-DMAPR figure)
Expected yield
5,000 kg/ha fasciculated root (Anand Agricultural University release record; the record does not say whether this is fresh or dry weight)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Management notes
- ICAR-DMAPR says no serious disease or pest has been reported on Safed Musli beyond a leaf-eating caterpillar and leaf blight in wet weather. Good drainage and healthy planting roots prevent most of the trouble.
- Nip off every flower spike as it appears. ICAR-DMAPR says this can raise fasciculated root yield by 35%.
- Weed by hand two to three times, and earth up in the rainy season so the roots on raised beds do not get exposed.
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- The university record gives a yield, a sapogenin figure and root size, so you can hold a seller to numbers.
- Released for irrigated kharif land in Gujarat, which is the setting most Gujarat farmers will actually plant in.
Things to consider
- The record does not say if 5,000 kg/ha is fresh or dry, and gives no parent, days to maturity or disease rating.
- No trial figures outside Gujarat. Try a small plot before you plant a hectare elsewhere.
- Like all Safed Musli, the crop is sold on grade straight to drug-market buyers. There is no MSP and no open mandi.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Gujarat
Do the 5,000 kg arithmetic before you plan the money
The university record says 5,000 kg/ha of fasciculated root and stops there. ICAR-DMAPR's 2023 note, written at its Anand station, says 2 to 3 tonnes of fresh root a hectare dries to 0.4 to 0.6 tonne of marketable dry root, which is about a fifth. If 5,000 kg is fresh weight, the same one-fifth rule gives about 1,000 kg of dry root. That is roughly double the 400 to 600 kg the note uses for its profit figures. If 5,000 kg is already dry weight, the number is far higher still. A figure that high is more likely fresh, but the record does not confirm it.
So do the sum both ways and plan on the cautious one. The note prices dry root at about Rs 1,400 a kg, and quotes Rs 1,600 to 1,800 a kg for dry peeled roots. Ask for the dry-root yield in writing from the seller or the university centre before you buy 600 to 1,000 kg of planting roots, which is the biggest cost. No buyer pays on the university figure; the buyer pays on the dry, peeled, white root you deliver.
Why raised beds with drip fit irrigated Gujarat land
This variety was released for irrigated kharif land, and ICAR-DMAPR calls drip irrigation on raised beds the economic and workable system for commercial Safed Musli. The crop is planted on the first or second monsoon rain, but it still needs water when the monsoon breaks. The note asks for at least 6 to 8 irrigations at 10 to 15 day intervals in a dry spell, and says to keep watering even after the leaves start to fall, because the roots are still filling. Drip on a raised bed gives that water without waterlogging the root, which is the thing that rots it.
Build the beds 10 to 15 cm high, plant at 30 cm by 10 to 15 cm, and put in the 10 to 15 tonnes of rotted FYM at land preparation. Two to three hand weedings and one earthing up keep the roots covered. Treat the sprouted roots with Trichoderma at planting. None of this is measured on Anand Safed Musli 1 itself; it is the species-level routine from the same note.
Can you save seed from this crop?
This one is raised from planting material — suckers, grafts, cuttings or tubers — not from a seed packet. Take it from a registered nursery or a government farm, so the plant is true to the variety and free of disease.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Safed Musli variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Starts bearing | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anand Safed Musli 1this page | Irrigated kharif plots in Gujarat where you want a named line with a published yield and saponin figure | No variety-specific duration published; leaves wither ~4–4.5 months after planting and roots are dug Nov–Jan (species-level ICAR-DMAPR figure) | 5,000 kg/ha fasciculated root (Anand Agricultural University release record; the record does not say whether this is fresh or dry weight) | Gujarat |
| JS 405 (Jawahar Safed Musli 405) | A named line with an official table entry; monsoon-planted crop in central and western India | Leaves wither ~4–4.5 months after planting; roots dug Nov–Jan | 2–3 t/ha fresh root → 400–600 kg/ha dry — the species-level figure ICAR cites; JS 405's own release record does not state a variety-specific yield | Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra |
| MDB-13 | A farm-developed Chhattisgarh line; buy only with written terms, as its claims are the developer's own | Leaves wither ~4–4.5 months after planting; roots dug Nov–Jan — the species-level figure; no independently verified duration is documented for this line | 2–3 t/ha fresh root → 400–600 kg/ha dry is the species-level ICAR figure; the developing centre describes MDB-13 itself as high-yielding, but that is the private developer's own claim, not an independently verified measurement | Chhattisgarh |
| MDB-14 | A Chhattisgarh farm's line, sold on its developer's word; test a small plot before a full planting | Leaves wither ~4–4.5 months after planting; roots dug Nov–Jan — the species-level figure; no independently verified duration is documented for this line | 2–3 t/ha fresh root → 400–600 kg/ha dry is the species-level ICAR figure; the developing centre describes MDB-14 itself as high-yielding, but that is the private developer's own claim, not an independently verified measurement | Chhattisgarh |
| RC-16 | A university-kept selection; suits a small rainy-season plot between other low crops | Leaves wither ~4–4.5 months after planting; roots dug Nov–Jan — the species-level figure; no separate duration is documented for this selection | 2–3 t/ha fresh root → 400–600 kg/ha dry — the species-level ICAR figure; a Safed Musli variety review reports RC-16 among the Rajasthan Agricultural University (RAU), Udaipur selections found good for yield and saponin content, but gives no separate measured number | Rajasthan |
| RC-2 | Farmers near Udaipur who can get roots straight from the university's field; not a notified variety | Leaves wither ~4–4.5 months after planting; roots dug Nov–Jan — the species-level figure; no separate duration is documented for this selection | 2–3 t/ha fresh root → 400–600 kg/ha dry — the species-level ICAR figure; a Safed Musli variety review reports RC-2 among the Rajasthan Agricultural University (RAU), Udaipur selections found good for yield and saponin content, but gives no separate measured number | Rajasthan |
| RC-20 | A university-kept selection for a careful grower who will weed, earth up and nip flowers by hand | Leaves wither ~4–4.5 months after planting; roots dug Nov–Jan — the species-level figure; no separate duration is documented for this selection | 2–3 t/ha fresh root → 400–600 kg/ha dry — the species-level ICAR figure; a Safed Musli variety review reports RC-20 among the Rajasthan Agricultural University (RAU), Udaipur selections found good for yield and saponin content, but gives no separate measured number | Rajasthan |
| RC-36 | A university-kept selection for farmers who have a drug-market buyer lined up before they plant | Leaves wither ~4–4.5 months after planting; roots dug Nov–Jan — the species-level figure; no separate duration is documented for this selection | 2–3 t/ha fresh root → 400–600 kg/ha dry — the species-level ICAR figure; a Safed Musli variety review reports RC-36 among the Rajasthan Agricultural University (RAU), Udaipur selections found good for yield and saponin content, but gives no separate measured number | Rajasthan |
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 Safed Musli is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Safed Musli plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Safed Musli variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Safed Musli into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Safed Musli rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Safed Musli seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What is Anand Safed Musli 1?
A Safed Musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum) line released in 2007 by Anand Agricultural University for irrigated kharif cultivation in Gujarat. Its record lists 5,000 kg/ha of fasciculated root, sapogenin 0.62% and higher saponin and starch content.
Can I grow Anand Safed Musli 1 outside Gujarat?
It was released for Gujarat only, and we found no trial from another state. Safed Musli itself grows in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, so it may do well, but no figure backs it. Plant a small plot first and ask your KVK.
Is the 5,000 kg/ha yield fresh or dry?
The university record does not say. ICAR-DMAPR's note gives 2 to 3 tonnes of fresh root a hectare, which dries to 0.4 to 0.6 tonne, so 5,000 kg is most likely fresh weight. That is our reading, not a stated fact. Ask for the dry-root figure before you buy planting roots.
How is Anand Safed Musli 1 different from JS 405?
Anand Safed Musli 1 is for irrigated kharif land in Gujarat, and its record gives a yield, sapogenin and root size. JS 405 (JS405, 2004, Mandsaur) is listed with a name, year and place only. Neither record gives a disease rating, and ICAR-DMAPR still says no improved variety is widely available.
Does it need irrigation, or can I plant it rain-fed?
The release is for irrigated land, so there is no rain-fed figure for this line. For Safed Musli in general, ICAR-DMAPR says little irrigation is needed if the monsoon is on time, but at least 6 to 8 irrigations at 10 to 15 day intervals if it fails, continuing after the leaves fall.
Sourced from: Anand Agricultural University, Anand Safed Musli 1 variety page (released 2007), Khadke et al., "Production technology of safed musli", Indian Horticulture (ICAR), Sept–Oct 2023, ICAR-DMAPR — Crop Improvement (Released Varieties table). editorial policy.