Pusa Jyoti
An IARI palak selected from colchicine-treated progeny of All Green, with thick, dark green, fleshy, puckered, giant leaves with wavy margins. A late bolter, suited to September sowing.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Spinach (Palak)
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- First cut about 30 days; 6–8 cuttings reported; late bolter
- Seed rate
- Winter crop 10–15 kg per hectare; summer crop 25–30 kg per hectare; soak seed overnight (course note)
- Expected yield
- 425 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed; late bolter
- Release
- Released by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Pusa Jyoti is a palak from ICAR-IARI, New Delhi. A university course note says it is a polyploid evolved by selection among colchicine-treated progeny of All Green. The national checklist describes thick, dark green, fleshy, puckered, giant-size leaves with wavy margins, a late bolter rich in vitamins and minerals, suited to September sowing, with a yield of 425 q/ha. The course note reports 6–8 cuttings but gives conflicting yields of 290 and 490 q/ha.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Pusa Jyoti if you want big leaves and late bolting from a September sowing. The national checklist describes thick, dark green, fleshy, puckered, giant-size leaves with wavy margins, rich in vitamins and minerals, with a yield of 425 q/ha. It was selected from colchicine-treated progeny of All Green, and a course note reports 6–8 cuttings. That note gives yields of both 290 and 490 q/ha, so budget low. Choose Pusa Bharati for the highest checklist yield and smooth leaves, Punjab Green for a PAU package, All Green for the cheapest, simplest palak.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeSeptember (national checklist); main palak crop September–November in the plains
- Seed rateWinter crop 10–15 kg per hectare; summer crop 25–30 kg per hectare; soak seed overnight (course note)
- SpacingRows 25–30 cm apart; thin to 5–10 cm between plants
- FertilizerPer hectare: 250–300 q farmyard manure, 80–100 kg N, 60 kg P and 60 kg K. All P and K and a quarter of N at sowing; the rest of N in three splits of 20–25 kg/ha after each cutting (course note)
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Thick, dark green, giant leaves with wavy margins
- Late bolter, suited to September sowing
- 6–8 cuttings are reported, and a checklist yield of 425 q/ha
Things to consider
- Sources give 425 (checklist), 290 and 490 q/ha for the same variety, so budget on the lowest and let your own strip decide
- Puckered leaves hold soil and water, so wash and dry them before bunching
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- All over India
Giant puckered leaves: sell them as that
The national checklist describes Pusa Jyoti's leaves as thick, dark green, fleshy, puckered and giant-size, with wavy margins. A buyer who is used to thin, flat palak will see the difference at once, so show him a bunch before you name a price.
Puckered leaves hold soil and water in their folds. Wash and drain the leaves before you bunch them, and bunch in the cool of the morning, so they reach the buyer clean and not limp.
Because Pusa Jyoti is a late bolter suited to September sowing, you can keep cutting for longer. Sow in September, give nitrogen after each cut, and budget on the lowest of the published yields, 290 q/ha, until your own weighed cuts say otherwise.
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 Spinach (Palak) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Green | Early September-sown palak with tender, uniform leaves | First cut about 30 days; seed stalks form about 75 days after sowing | 125 q/ha of green leaves | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka |
| Hisar Selection-23 (HS-23) | Quick-growing palak for frequent cuts | First cut about 30 days; 6–8 cuttings at 15-day intervals reported | No separate figure published | Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh |
| Jobner Green | Palak for alkaline soil, pH 7.0–10.5 | First cut about 30 days (general palak guidance) | About 300 q/ha (university course note) | Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab |
| Punjab Green | Sweet, slow-bolting palak with a full PAU package | First cut about 30 days after sowing | 125 q/acre (about 310 q/ha) | Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
| Pusa Bharati | Highest checklist yield, smooth tender leaves, all-India palak | First picking 30–40 days after sowing | 500 q/ha | All over India |
| Pusa Harit | Very late bolting palak that regrows fast, good in the hills | Quick regrowth after each cut; very late bolting | 260 q/ha | All over India |
| Pusa Jyotithis page | Giant-leaved, late-bolting palak for September sowing | First cut about 30 days; 6–8 cuttings reported; late bolter | 425 q/ha | All over India |
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 Spinach (Palak) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Spinach (Palak) 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 Spinach (Palak) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Spinach (Palak) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Spinach (Palak) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Spinach (Palak) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Spinach (Palak) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I see 425, 290 and 490 q/ha?
The national checklist gives 425 q/ha, and the university course note gives both 290 and 490 q/ha in different lines. They are different sources and methods, so budget on the lowest and let your own weighed cuts decide.
When should I sow Pusa Jyoti?
The national checklist says it suits September sowing. Palak is sown September–November as the main crop in the plains, at 10–15 kg of seed per hectare in winter.
What does late bolter mean?
It sends up seed stalks later than a variety like All Green, whose stalks form about 75 days after sowing. That gives you more cuts before the leaves turn coarse, though the checklist gives no exact day count for Pusa Jyoti.
How many cuttings should I expect?
A university course note reports 6–8 cuttings. PAU advises 20–25 days between cuts for Punjab Green, so in a cold winter expect fewer cuts than that. Give nitrogen after every cut, 20–25 kg per hectare.
Can I save Pusa Jyoti seed?
Yes, it is open-pollinated. Keep seed plants away from other palak and beet because they cross, and choose plants with the thick, dark green, puckered leaf of the type.
Sourced from: National Checklist of Commercial Varieties of Vegetables (TNAU Agritech hosting) — palak, Palak (spinach beet) — university course notes, Rama University. editorial policy.