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Saunf (Fennel)RabiOpen-pollinatedUpdated 1 September 2026

GF-1 (Gujarat Fennel-1)

Released 1984 by Gujarat Agricultural University — tall, bushy plants with bold, dark green seed, the longest-duration named fennel variety and noted for standing up to drought.

SeasonRabi
Maturity period~255 days
Expected yield~16.3 q/ha (6.6 q/acre)
Suitable soilLoam

Quick facts

Crop
Saunf (Fennel)
Type
Open-pollinated
Season
Rabi
Maturity period
~255 days
Seed rate
10–12 kg/ha for direct sowing
Expected yield
~16.3 q/ha (6.6 q/acre)
Suitable soil
Loam
Release
Released 1984 · Gujarat Agricultural University

About this variety

Gujarat Fennel-1 (GF-1) was released in 1984 by Gujarat Agricultural University and is described as tall and bushy with oblong, medium-bold, dark green seed. At roughly 255 days from sowing to harvest, it is the longest-duration fennel variety covered on this site — a genuine trade-off, since a longer season means more total exposure to disease-favouring weather, but it also gives the plant more time to build the bushy frame behind its reported drought tolerance. It carries tolerance to sugary disease (ergot) and leaf-spot, and its reported yield of about 6.6 q/acre (roughly 16.3 q/ha) has been a dependable benchmark in Gujarat for decades.

Key characteristics

    Plant typeOpen-pollinated
    Maturity~255 days
    Yield potential~16.3 q/ha (6.6 q/acre)
    Disease resistanceTolerant to sugary disease (ergot) and leaf-spot
    SoilLoam
    SeasonRabi

Sowing & cultivation

  • Sowing timeMid-September to mid-October
  • Seed rate10–12 kg/ha for direct sowing
  • Spacing45–60 cm between rows

Soil & climate

Soil

Suitable soil
Well-drained loam

Yield & maturity

Maturity period

~255 days

Expected yield

~16.3 q/ha (6.6 q/acre)

Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.

Pest & disease considerations

Major diseases

Advantages & considerations

Why farmers may choose it

  • A long-proven Gujarat benchmark variety with decades of grower experience.
  • Reported drought tolerance, useful where irrigation is not fully assured through the long season.

Things to consider

  • Its roughly 255-day duration is far longer than newer releases like AF-2 or RF-101 — the field is committed to fennel for much longer, and total disease-weather exposure is correspondingly higher.

Suitable regions

States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.

  • Gujarat

Sourced from: Improved fennel varieties/cultivars released in India. editorial policy.