Sree Harsha
The first triploid cassava from ICAR-CTCRI, released in 1996, with the highest starch of the CTCRI list, 38-41%. Tall and branching, 10 months, 35-40 t/ha, low cyanogen (40-55 ppm), for industrial areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Quick facts
- Type
- Stem cutting (clonal planting material)
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 10 months (CTCRI bulletin and Indian Horticulture 2025)
- Expected yield
- 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin and Indian Horticulture 2025)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 1996 · ICAR-CTCRI, Thiruvananthapuram (CTCRI bulletin, Table 3)
About this variety
Sree Harsha is a triploid cassava variety released in 1996 by ICAR-CTCRI, described as the first triploid variety. CTCRI's bulletin describes a tall, erect, branching plant with a stout stem, a shy flowering habit, a greyish mature stem, a light purple emerging leaf and thick, broad mature leaves with an acuminate tip. It takes 10 months, gives 35-40 t/ha with 38-41% starch, and is recommended for industrial areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Indian Horticulture (2025) lists it as drought tolerant with low cyanogen (40-55 ppm), good cooking quality, and resistance to Cercospora leaf spot, spider mite and scale insect.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Sree Harsha if your buyer is a starch factory in Kerala or Tamil Nadu that pays by starch percentage. It has the highest starch in CTCRI's list, 38-41%, against 27-32% for most others, and CTCRI calls it the first triploid variety. It is tall, erect and branching, takes 10 months and gives 35-40 t/ha. Indian Horticulture adds low cyanogen (40-55 ppm), good cooking quality and resistance to Cercospora leaf spot, spider mite and scale insect, with drought tolerance. It is a 1996 release, so it is not listed as mosaic resistant. If mosaic is your main problem, look at Sree Sakthi or Sree Reksha. CTCRI recommends Harsha only for industrial areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeMay-June with the south-west monsoon, or September-October with the north-east monsoon; December-January if irrigated (CTCRI).
- SpacingBranching types: 90 x 90 cm in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, 90 x 75 cm in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh (CTCRI Table 7). About 2,500 stems a hectare at 90 x 90 cm.
- Sowing methodCut setts of 15-20 cm with about five nodes from mature, healthy stems 2-3 cm thick, discard the top third, and plant them vertically 5 cm deep, one sett to a mound (CTCRI). Good planting stakes show latex at the cut end.
- FertilizerCTCRI: 12.5 t/ha FYM and 100:50:100 kg N:P2O5:K2O. Put all the phosphorus and half the nitrogen and potash on at planting, and the rest at 45-60 days with weeding.
- HarvestingHarvest at the listed duration, 10 months.
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)
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
10 months (CTCRI bulletin and Indian Horticulture 2025)
Expected yield
35-40 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin and Indian Horticulture 2025)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Cassava mosaic disease (CMD), spread by whitefly and by infected cuttings
- Cercospora leaf spot
- Tuber rot in waterlogged soil
Major pests
Management notes
- Use clean stakes only: CTCRI allows 0.10% mosaic-affected plants in foundation seed and 0.50% in certified seed, so take stakes from a crop with no mosaic and pull out any diseased plant early.
- Keep two sprouts on each plant: nip off the extra sprouts 10-15 days after sprouting and keep two on opposite sides, which means more tubers per plant (CTCRI).
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- The highest starch of the CTCRI list, 38-41%, from the first triploid.
- Low cyanogen (40-55 ppm) and resistance to leaf spot, spider mite and scale insect.
- Drought tolerant.
Things to consider
- Not listed as resistant to cassava mosaic disease.
- A long 10-month crop and shy flowering, so it is multiplied only from stem cuttings.
- Recommended only for industrial areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
The first triploid: what 38 to 41% starch asks of you
Sree Harsha's starch figure is far above the rest of the CTCRI list: 38-41% against 24% for H-165, 25-27% for Sree Visakham and 27-32% for the newer industrial releases. On a factory that pays by starch percentage, that matters. Its triploid makeup is why CTCRI describes it as having high extractable starch, and why it flowers shyly. A triploid plant rarely sets seed, so you plant it only from stem cuttings.
That makes stake supply the thing to watch. Since you will multiply the crop only from stems, every stake you plant is a copy of the parent, so disease in the parent goes with it. Take stakes from a 9-10 month crop with no mosaic, keep them upright in shade and use the 15-20 cm, five-node, latex-at-the-cut-end stake. Ask the factory for its own starch test on your first lot before you plant more than a few acres, because 38-41% is a station range.
Can you save seed from this crop?
Cassava is planted from stem cuttings, not seed. Take stakes from a healthy crop of 6-7 months for a short-duration variety or 9-10 months for a long one, keep them upright in shade, and avoid damaging the nodes in transport. The same variety gets weaker if you keep re-using stakes from poor plants, so refresh your planting material from a clean source now and then.
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 | Starts bearing | 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 Athulya | 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 Harshathis page | 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 is Sree Harsha?
The first triploid cassava from ICAR-CTCRI, released in 1996. It is tall and branching, takes 10 months, gives 35-40 t/ha with 38-41% starch, and is meant for industrial areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Can Sree Harsha be eaten?
Indian Horticulture (2025) lists good cooking quality and low cyanogen at 40-55 ppm. CTCRI's main purpose for it is industrial. Taste a small lot and cook it well before you sell it fresh.
Which spacing should I use for Sree Harsha?
It is tall, erect and branching, so use the branching spacing: 90 x 90 cm in Kerala and 90 x 75 cm in Tamil Nadu (CTCRI Table 7).
Sree Harsha or Sree Sakthi?
Harsha has far more starch (38-41% against 27-32%) but no mosaic resistance and a 10-month crop. Sakthi is completely resistant to mosaic, yields 40-45 t/ha in 9-10 months and is listed for four states. Choose Harsha for the starch premium on clean land, Sakthi where mosaic is present.
Sourced from: Cassava (variety descriptions, Table 3; spacing, Table 7; planting stakes and seed standards) — ICAR-CTCRI, Cassava varieties developed by CTCRI — ICAR-CTCRI variety page, archived, Climate-resilient and biofortified tuber crop varieties — Chandra and others, Indian Horticulture, November-December 2025. editorial policy.