Phule Kusuma
A spiny variety from MPKV Rahuri widely grown in Maharashtra, valued for combining Fusarium-wilt tolerance with some aphid tolerance and a stable rainfed yield.
Quick facts
- Type
- Spiny safflower variety
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- About 125–135 days
- Seed rate
- Sole crop 10–12 kg/ha in 45 cm rows; border / intercrop about 5–6 kg/ha
- Expected yield
- Around 12–16 q/ha rainfed under good management; a stable performer
- Suitable soil
- Deep black soils of Maharashtra
- Release
- Released by MPKV Rahuri for the Maharashtra rainfed tracts; noted for wilt and aphid tolerance
About this variety
Phule Kusuma (SSF-748) is a spiny safflower variety from Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, widely grown across the Maharashtra black-soil belt. Its main value is a combination of tolerance to Fusarium wilt with some tolerance to the safflower aphid, together with a stable rainfed seed yield — a useful package on fields where both wilt and aphid recur.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeLate September to end of October, drilled deep into the receding-monsoon moisture
- Seed rateSole crop 10–12 kg/ha in 45 cm rows; border / intercrop about 5–6 kg/ha
- Spacing45 cm rows; thin to about 20 cm within the row
- Sowing methodDrill behind the plough into moist black soil, 4–6 cm deep
- IrrigationRainfed; one irrigation at rosette-to-branching gives the biggest response
- FertilizerRainfed about 25:25:0 kg N:P2O5:K2O/ha below the seed; 40–60 kg N/ha split under irrigation
- HarvestingHarvest at 125–135 days when straw-dry; a spiny crop, so cut in the cool early morning with gloves and long sleeves
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Deep black soils with a full stored-moisture profile
- pH
- 6.5–8.0
Climate
- Climate
- A rainfed rabi crop; its wilt and aphid tolerance make it a steadier choice than A-1 or Bhima in a difficult year, though a wet flowering still needs Alternaria management
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
About 125–135 days
Expected yield
Around 12–16 q/ha rainfed under good management; a stable performer
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Major pests
Management notes
- Choose Phule Kusuma for a field with a wilt or aphid history
- Do not treat the aphid tolerance as full resistance — still scout and spray in a bad year
- Sow on time and deep; keep a 3–4 year rotation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Tolerant to Fusarium wilt and with some aphid tolerance — a steadier crop in a bad year
- Stable rainfed yield across the Maharashtra black soils
Things to consider
- Spiny — a non-spiny variety avoids most of the weeding and harvest difficulty
- Aphid tolerance is partial, not full — a heavy aphid year still needs a spray
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
- Karnataka
Frequently asked questions
Why choose Phule Kusuma over A-1 or Bhima?
Phule Kusuma carries tolerance to Fusarium wilt and some tolerance to the safflower aphid, which A-1 and Bhima do not. On a field where wilt has appeared, or in a district where the aphid is a regular heavy problem, that tolerance makes Phule Kusuma a steadier, lower-risk choice, even though it is still a spiny variety.
Sourced from: Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri, ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (IIOR), Hyderabad. editorial policy.