KBSH-53
A UAS Bengaluru hybrid released in 2008 for Karnataka. It gives 40–42% oil, and the irrigated average (22 q/ha) is more than double the rainfed one (10 q/ha).
Quick facts
- Crop
- Sunflower
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 95–100 days (kharif and rabi)
- Seed rate
- Hybrid seed: 5 kg/ha rainfed, 4 kg/ha irrigated (Tamil Nadu guide; no separate rate is published for this hybrid)
- Expected yield
- Average 10 q/ha rainfed and 22 q/ha irrigated; potential 20 q/ha rainfed and 27 q/ha irrigated
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- No disease rating published in the IIOR datasheet
- Release
- Released 2008 by the AICRP (Sunflower) centre, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. Notified as 2187(E) on 27 August 2009 for Karnataka.
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
KBSH-53 is a sunflower hybrid (CMS-335A × RHA-95C-1) from the AICRP (Sunflower) centre at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru. It was released in 2008 and notified as 2187(E) on 27 August 2009 for Karnataka. ICAR-IIOR gives an average seed yield of 10 q/ha rainfed and 22 q/ha irrigated, with potential of 20 and 27 q/ha, and 40–42% oil. It matures in 95–100 days in both kharif and rabi. The plant is tall at 180–190 cm, with a smaller 14–16 cm head. In an AICRP trial at Bankura in West Bengal, where it was used as a check hybrid, it gave about 22.8 q/ha with 34.6% oil. That is one trial centre, not a ceiling.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose KBSH-53 if you farm in Karnataka, can irrigate, and sell to a mill that pays well for oil. Under irrigation its average is the highest of the five sunflowers here, and only DRSH-1's oil range reaches higher. The lead disappears on rainfed land, where its average is only 10 q/ha, so KBSH-44 (15–18 q/ha) or LSFH-171 (18–19 q/ha rainfed) makes more sense. Outside Karnataka there is no official recommendation for it, unlike those two. Buy fresh seed each season.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeIn Tamil Nadu, irrigated hybrids are sown June–July, October–November, December–January and April–May. Other states follow their own kharif and rabi dates
- Seed rateHybrid seed: 5 kg/ha rainfed, 4 kg/ha irrigated (Tamil Nadu guide; no separate rate is published for this hybrid)
- Spacing60 cm between rows, 30 cm between plants
- Sowing methodPut 2 seeds per hole at 3 cm depth along the furrow, then thin to one healthy seedling on day 10
- IrrigationIrrigate before sowing, then a life irrigation, then on day 20, at early bud, twice at flowering and twice during seed filling. Flowering is the critical stage
- FertilizerIrrigated hybrid: 60:90:60 kg N:P2O5:K2O per hectare. Rainfed hybrid: 40:50:40. Add 12.5 t/ha FYM before the last ploughing
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- IIOR recommends it for Karnataka only. Outside Karnataka there is no official zone recommendation, so grow it on a small area first.
- The rainfed average (10 q/ha) is less than half the irrigated one (22 q/ha). This hybrid is worth its seed price mainly where you can irrigate.
- At 180–190 cm it is the tallest of the five sunflowers compared here. Keep to the recommended spacing and do not over-feed nitrogen.
- IIOR gives no disease rating for it.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
Do the irrigation sum before you buy the seed
KBSH-53 shows the biggest gap between rainfed and irrigated yield of any hybrid compared here: 10 q/ha rainfed against 22 q/ha irrigated, per ICAR-IIOR.
So the choice depends on water. On an irrigated acre, 22 q/ha beats the 15–18 q/ha average of KBSH-44, and the 40–42% oil may earn you a better mill rate. On a rainfed acre, 10 q/ha is the number you will probably see.
Before you buy, list how many irrigations you can reliably give. The TNAU guide asks for pre-sowing, life, day 20, early bud, two at flowering and two during seed filling. If you can give only two or three of these, pick a hybrid with a better rainfed average.
Where the planting material comes from
This is a hybrid, so seed kept from your own harvest will not breed true. The next crop comes up uneven in height, maturity and yield. Buy fresh certified seed every season and keep the bag tag until harvest.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Sunflower variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRSH 1 | The highest-oil hybrid here, for rabi–summer sowing where a mill pays for oil | Kharif 95–98 days, rabi 100–105 days | 12–15 q/ha average, 20–25 q/ha potential | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra |
| KBSH 44 | A mid-duration hybrid with an all-India recommendation and a long track record | Kharif 90–95 days, rabi 95–100 days | 15–18 q/ha average, 22–28 q/ha potential | Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu |
| KBSH-53this page | A high-oil hybrid for irrigated Karnataka fields | 95–100 days (kharif and rabi) | Average 10 q/ha rainfed and 22 q/ha irrigated; potential 20 q/ha rainfed and 27 q/ha irrigated | Karnataka |
| LSFH-171 | The best rainfed average of the five, recommended for eight states | Kharif 90–95 days, rabi 95–100 days | 18–19 q/ha average rainfed, 20–24 q/ha potential irrigated | Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha |
| Modern (Morden) | A short, early, seed-saving sunflower for tight windows and low-cost farming | Kharif 80–82 days, rabi 85–88 days | 6–8 q/ha average, 12–15 q/ha potential | Karnataka |
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 Sunflower is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Sunflower 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 Sunflower variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Sunflower into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Sunflower in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Sunflower rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Sunflower seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Where was KBSH-53 bred?
At the AICRP Sunflower centre of the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK campus, Bengaluru. IIOR lists the same centre as the developer of KBSH-44.
What does the "KBSH" name mean?
Karnataka Bangalore Sunflower Hybrid — the standard naming series for hybrids released from the UAS Bangalore/GKVK sunflower programme.
Is KBSH-53 related to KBSH 44?
It comes from the same UAS Bengaluru programme and shares the restorer parent RHA-95C-1 with KBSH-44. The female lines differ: CMS-335A for KBSH-53 and CMS-17A for KBSH-44. Seed-trade claims of better necrosis tolerance are not backed by an IIOR rating.
What yield has KBSH-53 shown in trials?
As a national check hybrid at the AICRP Bankura (West Bengal) centre it recorded about 2,277.5 kg/ha (~22.8 q/ha) with roughly 34.6% oil content — one trial data point, not a stated potential ceiling.
What is KBSH-53's parentage?
IIOR lists it as CMS-335A × RHA-95C-1. Some seed catalogues print CMS-53A, but the institute datasheet is the one to trust.
Is KBSH-53 worth growing without irrigation?
ICAR-IIOR gives a rainfed average of 10 q/ha against 22 q/ha irrigated. For a rainfed field, LSFH-171 (18–19 q/ha rainfed average) is the stronger choice. KBSH-53 earns its seed cost mainly where you can irrigate.
How long does KBSH-53 take to mature?
IIOR gives 95–100 days in both kharif and rabi. That is 5 days longer than KBSH-44 in kharif and about the same in rabi.
Can I grow KBSH-53 outside Karnataka?
IIOR's recommended area is Karnataka. It has been used as a check hybrid in AICRP trials elsewhere, for example Bankura in West Bengal, but that is not a recommendation. Try a small plot next to a locally recommended hybrid first.
What oil percentage can I expect from KBSH-53?
IIOR lists 40–42% oil. At the Bankura check-hybrid trial it recorded 34.6%, so the figure moves with location and season. Ask your mill for a sample test before you contract the whole crop.
Sourced from: KBSH-53 — ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research variety datasheet, Sunflower — Crop Production Guide, TNAU Agritech Portal (Tamil Nadu). editorial policy.