Sree Athulya
A triploid released by ICAR-CTCRI in 2013 or 2014 (sources differ), from a local diploid and an induced tetraploid of Sree Visakham. About 10 months, 35-40 t/ha, with stable, high extractable starch of 30.2%.
Quick facts
- Type
- Stem cutting (triploid variety)
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 10 months (CTCRI bulletin)
- Expected yield
- 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI); 39.00 t/ha (ISTI portal)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Drought tolerant; no mosaic resistance is claimed
- Release
- Released 2013 or 2014 · ICAR-CTCRI, Thiruvananthapuram (the institute's listings differ)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Sree Athulya is a triploid cassava from ICAR-CTCRI, bred from a local diploid clone (OP-4) and an induced tetraploid of Sree Visakham. It was released in 2013 or 2014, since CTCRI's own listings differ. The CTCRI bulletin gives 10 months, 35-40 t/ha and a stable, high extractable starch content of 30.2%, with long cylindrical tubers that have brown skin, cream rind and white flesh. The ISTI portal gives 39.00 t/ha and 34.80% starch and names Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, while the bulletin names the irrigated plains of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is a drought-tolerant, tall, erect, branching plant.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Sree Athulya if you farm irrigated land in Tamil Nadu or Kerala, can hold the field for 10 months, and want starch above 30%. It is a triploid with stable extractable starch of 30.2% and a yield of 35-40 t/ha in the CTCRI bulletin. H-226 is the long-standing choice at 28-30% starch, and Sree Harsha reaches 38-41% in CTCRI's list. Ask your supplier which of CTCRI's yield and starch figures applies, because the institute's own listings differ.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeTamil Nadu: all year with irrigation, and April for a rainfed crop (TNAU). Kerala: May-June or September-October (CTCRI)
- Spacing90 x 90 cm for branching types such as Sree Athulya (CTCRI); TNAU gives 12,345 setts a hectare at 90 x 90 cm
- Sowing methodTNAU: cut setts of 15 cm with 8-10 nodes from the middle of a mosaic-free stem, dip them in carbendazim (1 g in a litre of water) for 15 minutes, and plant them vertically on the sides of ridges and furrows, buds up.
- FertilizerTNAU, irrigated: 25 t/ha FYM, then 45:90:120 kg N:P2O5:K2O as basal and 45 kg N with 120 kg K2O at 90 days. TNAU, rainfed: 12.5 t/ha FYM with 50 kg N, 65 kg P and 125 kg K as basal.
- HarvestingAbout 10 months (CTCRI). TNAU: tubers are ready when the leaves turn yellow, about half of them have dried and fallen, and the soil cracks near the stem base.
Soil & climate
Soil
- Suitable soil
- Well-drained loam; saline, alkaline and ill-drained soils are not suitable, and cassava cannot thrive on waterlogged soil (CTCRI)
- pH
- 5-7 (CTCRI)
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Stable, high extractable starch of 30.2% in the CTCRI bulletin, higher than H-165 and the 6-7 month table types.
- Drought tolerant, and a yield of 35-40 t/ha.
Things to consider
- Takes 10 months, so it holds the land much longer than Sree Vijaya or Sree Jaya.
- CTCRI's own listings differ on the year (2013 or 2014), the yield (35-40 or 40-50 t/ha) and the starch (30.2% or about 35%), so ask CTCRI or your state department which figure applies to the stock you buy.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Tamil Nadu
- Kerala
- Andhra Pradesh
A triploid cassava, and why the numbers differ
Sree Athulya is one of ICAR-CTCRI's triploid cassavas, along with Sree Harsha (1996) and Sree Apoorva. Triploids come from crossing an ordinary diploid with a tetraploid that the breeders have made, and they are chosen for stable, high starch. In CTCRI's bulletin Sree Harsha has 38-41% starch, Sree Apoorva 30.1% and Sree Athulya 30.2%.
Three CTCRI-linked sources describe Sree Athulya differently. The 2023 bulletin says 10 months, 35-40 t/ha and an extractable starch of 30.2%, for irrigated plains of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The ISTI portal says 39.00 t/ha and 34.80% starch, recommended for Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. A review table citing CTCRI 2017 says 2013, 40-50 t/ha, 300 days and 35% starch. The release year is 2013 in the table and 2014 in the cassava volume.
One possible reason is what was measured: the bulletin says extractable starch, while the other sources just say starch. None of them explains the gap. The bulletin gives the cautious figures, so the sensible plan is to budget for 35 t/ha and 30% starch, then see what your own field gives in the first crop.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This crop is raised from cuttings, not from seed, so you can take your own planting material. Take cuttings only from healthy, well-grown plants that are true to the variety, and never from one that showed disease — a cutting carries its mother plant with it. Where a nursery or a government farm sells clean planting material, that is the safer start.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Tapioca (Cassava) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-165 | Tamil Nadu, 8-month industrial | 8 months (CTCRI); 8-9 months (ISTI portal) | 33-38 t/ha | Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka |
| H-226 | Starch and sago, Tamil Nadu | 10 months (CTCRI and ISTI portal) | 30-35 t/ha | Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka |
| H-97 | Dry-land farms in four southern states that want a drought-tolerant, high-starch, long-tested variety for factory sale | 10 months (CTCRI bulletin and Indian Horticulture 2025) | 25-35 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin, web page and Indian Horticulture 2025) | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh |
| Sree Apoorva | Starch-factory farms in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh that want a stable, high extractable starch triploid | 10 months (CTCRI bulletin) | 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin); 37.60 t/ha (CTCRI web page) | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala |
| Sree Athulyathis page | High-starch triploid, irrigated plains | 10 months (CTCRI bulletin) | 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI); 39.00 t/ha (ISTI portal) | Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh |
| Sree Harsha | Starch-factory farms in Kerala and Tamil Nadu that are paid by the percentage of starch | 10 months (CTCRI bulletin and Indian Horticulture 2025) | 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin and Indian Horticulture 2025) | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Sree Jaya | Best-cooking six-month crop | 6-7 months | 26-30 t/ha | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Sree Kaveri | Industrial cassava farmers in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala who want mosaic resistance and a high yield | 9-10 months (CTCRI bulletin); 10 months (Indian Horticulture 2025) | 40-50 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin); 50 t/ha (Indian Horticulture 2025) | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala |
| Sree Padmanabha | Rainfed Kerala and irrigated Tamil Nadu farms in mosaic-prone areas that want a proven, older resistant variety | 9-10 months (CTCRI bulletin); 270-300 days (CTCRI web page) | 29-30 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin); 38 t/ha (CTCRI web page) | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Sree Pavithra | Low-potash soils, cooking | 9-10 months | 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI); 35-45 t/ha in a review table | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Sree Prabha | Mixed-use farms in four states that want a medium-height variety for both lowland and upland | 9-10 months (CTCRI bulletin) | 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin) | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh |
| Sree Prakash | Kerala lowland and paddy-rotation farms that want a quick, 7-month cassava | 7 months (CTCRI bulletin and web page) | 30-35 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin and web page) | Kerala |
| Sree Rekha | Mixed upland and lowland | 8-10 months (CTCRI variety page); 9-10 in the bulletin | 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin); 45-48 t/ha (CTCRI variety page, review table and ISTI portal) | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka |
| Sree Reksha | Kerala and Tamil Nadu farms that sell cassava to eat and want mosaic resistance and a longer shelf life after harvest | 8-9 months (CTCRI bulletin and Indian Horticulture 2025) | 40-45 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin); 45-50 t/ha (Indian Horticulture 2025) | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Sree Sahya | Farms in dry or mixed conditions across many states that want high starch and a dependable, old variety | 10-11 months (CTCRI bulletin, web page and Indian Horticulture 2025) | 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin, web page and Indian Horticulture 2025) | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Andhra Pradesh |
| Sree Sakthi | Industrial cassava farms in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala where mosaic disease is severe | 9-10 months (CTCRI bulletin) | 40-45 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin) | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala |
| Sree Suvarna | Farms that want a short, mosaic-proof cassava with low cyanogen for fresh use | 7-8 months (CTCRI bulletin) | 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin) | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh |
| Sree Swarna | Kerala farms that sell cassava to eat and want a yellow-fleshed, early-bulking type | 7-8 months (CTCRI bulletin); early bulking at 7 months (CTCRI web page) | 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin); 40 t/ha (CTCRI web page) | Kerala |
| Sree Vijaya | Six-month crop after rice | 6 months (CTCRI variety page); 6-7 or 7 months in other CTCRI documents | 25-28 t/ha | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Sree Visakham | Farms in many states, including Assam and the north-east, that want an old, widely grown, yellow-fleshed cassava | 10 months (CTCRI bulletin and web page) | 35-38 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin); 35-38 t/ha (CTCRI web page) | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Andhra Pradesh |
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 Tapioca (Cassava) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Tapioca (Cassava) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Tapioca (Cassava) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Tapioca (Cassava) 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 Tapioca (Cassava) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Tapioca (Cassava) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What does triploid mean for a cassava variety?
A triploid has three sets of chromosomes. CTCRI makes triploid cassava by crossing a normal diploid clone with a tetraploid it has produced. Sree Athulya came from the local diploid OP-4 and an induced tetraploid of Sree Visakham. CTCRI's other triploids include Sree Harsha and Sree Apoorva.
Why do the yield and starch figures for Sree Athulya differ?
They come from different CTCRI listings. The 2023 bulletin gives 35-40 t/ha, 10 months and a stable extractable starch of 30.2%. The ISTI portal gives 39.00 t/ha and 34.80% starch. A review table, citing CTCRI 2017, gives 40-50 t/ha, 300 days and about 35% starch, and dates the release to 2013. Use the bulletin's figures for planning.
Where is Sree Athulya recommended?
The CTCRI bulletin recommends it for the irrigated plains of Tamil Nadu and for Kerala. The ISTI portal says it was recommended for release in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The tubers are long and cylindrical with brown skin, cream rind and white flesh, and it is a tall, erect, branching plant.
How should I plant and feed Sree Athulya in Tamil Nadu?
CTCRI puts branching types at 90 x 90 cm, which TNAU counts as 12,345 setts a hectare. For an irrigated crop TNAU gives 25 t/ha FYM and 45:90:120 kg N:P2O5:K2O as basal, then 45 kg N with 120 kg K2O at 90 days. Plant all year if you can irrigate. Apply this to Sree Athulya as a starting point, since no dose is published for it by name.
Can Sree Athulya be fertigated?
TNAU gives a fertigation plan for cassava in general: 90:90:240 kg N:P2O5:K2O a hectare, applied every three days through the crop, on a paired-row system at 60 x 90 cm. It is not specific to Sree Athulya. TNAU's Yethapur station also found 75% of the recommended fertiliser through fertigation gave 35.40 t/ha with 28.50% starch in its Co(Tp)4 variety.
Sourced from: Agrotechniques of Tropical Tuber Crops, Technical Bulletin No. 97 — ICAR-CTCRI, 2023, Cassava (variety descriptions) — ICAR-CTCRI, Cassava-Sree Athulya — India Science, Technology and Innovation portal, Cassava breeding and agronomy in Asia: 50 years of history and future directions (Table 5) — Malik and others, Breeding Science, 2020, Tapioca — TNAU Agritech Portal (planting, manuring, fertigation), Crop management for cassava — TNAU Tapioca and Castor Research Station, Yethapur, Cassava varieties developed by CTCRI — ICAR-CTCRI variety page, archived. editorial policy.