Sree Prakash
A 1987 CTCRI selection from indigenous germplasm for lowland rotation in Kerala. A short, mostly non-branching plant with high leaf retention, 7 months, 30-35 t/ha, 30% starch, shallow-bulking tubers with a short neck.
Quick facts
- Type
- Stem cutting (clonal planting material)
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 7 months (CTCRI bulletin and web page)
- Expected yield
- 30-35 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin and web page)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 1987 · ICAR-CTCRI, a selection from indigenous germplasm (CTCRI bulletin and web page)
About this variety
Sree Prakash is a cassava variety released in 1987 by ICAR-CTCRI as a selection from indigenous germplasm. CTCRI's bulletin describes an early-maturing plant for lowland as a rotation crop, erect and generally non-branching, rarely top-branching, with high leaf retention. The tubers are cylindrical, short-necked and shallow-bulking, with brown outer skin, cream rind and white flesh. It takes 7 months, gives 30-35 t/ha and has 30% starch. CTCRI recommends it for Kerala. The older web page describes a short plant of 1-1.5 m and gives 29-31% starch.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Sree Prakash if you grow cassava in Kerala lowlands as a rotation crop in a paddy system and want a 7-month variety with a good starch of 30%. CTCRI released this selection from indigenous germplasm in 1987: 30-35 t/ha, an erect and generally non-branching plant (1-1.5 m on the older web page), high leaf retention, and cylindrical, short-necked, shallow-bulking tubers. It is the oldest of the 7-month CTCRI types, so it carries no mosaic or pest rating in the sources we read. Because it is non-branching, plant it close, at 75 x 75 cm. CTCRI recommends it for Kerala only.
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).
- SpacingNon-branching types: 75 x 75 cm in every state (CTCRI Table 7). About 3,600 stems a hectare.
- 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, 7 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
7 months (CTCRI bulletin and web page)
Expected yield
30-35 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin and web page)
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
- A quick 7-month crop with 30% starch.
- High leaf retention, which keeps the canopy working to the end.
- Suits lowland rotation with paddy.
Things to consider
- The oldest of the short types: no disease or pest rating in the sources read.
- Shallow-bulking, short-necked tubers sit near the surface; dig with care.
- Recommended for Kerala only.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Kerala
Shallow-bulking, short-necked tubers: dig and rotate with care
CTCRI describes the Sree Prakash tuber as cylindrical, short-necked and shallow-bulking. In plain terms the tubers form close to the surface, near the stem, and hang from a short neck. That helps in heavy lowland soil, where deep tubers would sit in wet clay, and it helps a rotation crop that must come out on a fixed date. It also means the tubers are easy to cut with a hoe, and they are exposed when soil washes away.
So earth up lightly if rain exposes them, and dig with a fork or by hand-pulling at the 7-month mark, not with a deep plough. Since it finishes at 7 months, you can follow it with paddy on the same plot; plan the dates so the next crop is not delayed. Plant 75 x 75 cm as a non-branching type. Because the older web page calls the plant 1-1.5 m and the bulletin only says erect and non-branching, measure your own crop before you decide on staking.
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 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 Prakashthis page | 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 Prakash?
A cassava variety released in 1987 by ICAR-CTCRI as a selection from indigenous germplasm. It is early maturing (7 months), gives 30-35 t/ha with 30% starch, and suits lowland rotation in Kerala.
Is Sree Prakash resistant to mosaic?
No rating is published for it. Use clean stakes and rogue any plant with a mosaic pattern. For a mosaic-prone area choose Sree Suvarna (7-8 months, completely resistant) or another resistant release.
Sree Prakash or Sree Vijaya for lowland?
Both are 7-month lowland rotation types for Kerala. Sree Prakash gives 30-35 t/ha with 30% starch; Sree Vijaya gives 25-28 t/ha with 27-30% starch and is also recommended for Tamil Nadu. Prakash yields and extracts more; Vijaya has the wider state list.
Which spacing should I use for Sree Prakash?
It is generally non-branching, so use 75 x 75 cm, about 3,600 stems a hectare (CTCRI Table 7).
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. editorial policy.