Sree Kaveri
ICAR-CTCRI's newest cassava in this group, released in 2023. A tall, top-branching variety with 27-28% starch for industry, resistant to cassava mosaic and efficient in nitrogen and potassium. CTCRI gives 40-50 t/ha.
Quick facts
- Type
- Stem cutting (clonal planting material)
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 9-10 months (CTCRI bulletin); 10 months (Indian Horticulture 2025)
- Expected yield
- 40-50 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin); 50 t/ha (Indian Horticulture 2025)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 2023 · ICAR-CTCRI, Thiruvananthapuram (CTCRI bulletin, Table 3)
About this variety
Sree Kaveri is a cassava variety released in 2023 by ICAR-CTCRI, Thiruvananthapuram. CTCRI's bulletin describes a tall, top-branching plant with a silver-grey stem and light green petiole. The tubers are cylindrical with cream skin, cream rind and white flesh. It takes 9-10 months, gives 40-50 t/ha with 27-28% starch, and is resistant to cassava mosaic disease, nutrient use efficient and drought tolerant. CTCRI recommends it for Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Indian Horticulture (2025) lists it at 50 t/ha over 10 months, tolerant of drought and mosaic and efficient in N and K, for industrial use.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Sree Kaveri if you grow cassava for a starch or industrial buyer in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh or Kerala and mosaic disease has hurt your crop. CTCRI released it in 2023 with the highest yield range in its list, 40-50 t/ha, 27-28% starch, resistance to cassava mosaic, drought tolerance and good nitrogen and potassium efficiency. Indian Horticulture 2025 gives 50 t/ha and a 10-month crop. The catch is supply: it is new, and cassava multiplies slowly from stakes, so ask whether certified or decentralised-multiplier stakes are available before you plan an area. For eating quality, look at Sree Reksha or Sree Pavithra instead.
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, 9-10 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
9-10 months (CTCRI bulletin); 10 months (Indian Horticulture 2025)
Expected yield
40-50 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin); 50 t/ha (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 yield range in CTCRI's list of 20 varieties, 40-50 t/ha.
- Resistant to cassava mosaic disease and drought tolerant.
- Efficient in nitrogen and potassium (Indian Horticulture 2025).
Things to consider
- A 2023 release: planting material is limited and cassava multiplies slowly from stakes.
- Starch is medium, 27-28%, below Sree Harsha (38-41%).
- The two sources differ on duration (9-10 or 10 months) and yield (40-50 or 50 t/ha).
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Tamil Nadu
- Andhra Pradesh
- Kerala
A 2023 release: ask about stakes before you plan acres
Cassava is planted from stem cuttings, and a stem gives only a limited number of stakes, so a new variety reaches farmers slowly. A Journal of Root Crops paper by CTCRI scientists says exactly this: the multiplication rate is low compared with cereals and pulses, and released varieties take many years to reach farmers. A 2023 release such as Sree Kaveri is therefore short of clean stakes for several seasons.
CTCRI describes a decentralised seed multiplier system started in 2021, with 43 registered producers in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh at the time of the bulletin. Ask CTCRI or your KVK whether a registered multiplier near you has Sree Kaveri stakes, and check the 15-20 cm stake, about five nodes and latex at the cut end. Start with a half-acre of a variety you know beside it for one season before you plant the whole farm.
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 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 Kaverithis page | 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 Kaveri?
A cassava variety released in 2023 by ICAR-CTCRI. It is tall and top-branching, takes 9-10 months, gives 40-50 t/ha with 27-28% starch, and is resistant to cassava mosaic disease.
Is Sree Kaveri for eating or for industry?
Indian Horticulture (2025) lists it for industrial purposes at medium starch, 27-28%. CTCRI gives no cooking-quality rating for it, unlike Sree Reksha or Sree Pavithra. Taste a small batch before you sell it for the table.
Which spacing should I use for Sree Kaveri?
It is a top-branching type, so use the branching spacing: 90 x 90 cm in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, and 90 x 75 cm in Tamil Nadu (CTCRI Table 7).
How does Sree Kaveri compare with Sree Sakthi?
Both are industrial and mosaic resistant. Sree Kaveri (2023) lists 40-50 t/ha, 27-28% starch and a top-branching habit. Sree Sakthi (2018) lists 40-45 t/ha, 27-32% starch and a non-branching habit, so it plants at 75 x 75 cm. Sree Sakthi has had more years in farmers' hands.
Sourced from: Cassava (variety descriptions, Table 3; spacing, Table 7; planting stakes and seed standards) — ICAR-CTCRI, Climate-resilient and biofortified tuber crop varieties — Chandra and others, Indian Horticulture, November-December 2025, Performance of improved varieties of cassava in two agroecological units of Kerala — Muthuraj and others, Journal of Root Crops 47(1&2), 2021. editorial policy.