Sree Rekha
A top-cross hybrid released by ICAR-CTCRI in 2000 (TMS.63198 x Sree Visakham). Suits upland and lowland, 9-10 months, 28-30% starch, tolerant to leaf spot and spider mite. The yield is 35-40 t/ha in CTCRI's bulletin and 45-48 t/ha elsewhere.
Quick facts
- Type
- Stem cutting (clonal selection)
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 8-10 months (CTCRI variety page); 9-10 in the bulletin
- Expected yield
- 35-40 t/ha (CTCRI bulletin); 45-48 t/ha (CTCRI variety page, review table and ISTI portal)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Tolerant to leaf spot and spider mite (review table); no mosaic resistance is claimed
- Release
- Released 2000 · ICAR-CTCRI, Thiruvananthapuram (top cross: TMS.63198 selfed x Sree Visakham)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Sree Rekha is a top-cross hybrid from ICAR-CTCRI, released in 2000, from TMS.63198 (selfed) pollinated by Sree Visakham. CTCRI describes an erect, top-branching plant with a brownish-white mature stem and long, conical tubers with light brown skin, cream rind and cream flesh. It suits both lowland and upland, takes 9-10 months and holds 28-30% starch. CTCRI's bulletin gives 35-40 t/ha, while a review table and the ISTI portal give 45-48 t/ha, so treat 35-40 t/ha as the cautious figure. A review table adds tolerance to leaf spot and spider mite. CTCRI recommends it for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Sree Rekha if your land is a mix of upland and lowland and you want one variety for both, with 28-30% starch and a 9-10 month crop. Plan on 35-40 t/ha, the lower of the two published figures. Choose Sree Pavithra if potassium is short or you want to save on fertiliser, and Sree Vijaya if you need a crop in 6-7 months.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeMay-June with the south-west monsoon, or September-October with the north-east monsoon; December-January if irrigated (CTCRI)
- Spacing90 x 90 cm for branching types such as Sree Rekha (CTCRI)
- Sowing methodCut setts of 15-20 cm with 10-12 buds from mature, healthy stems 2-3 cm thick, discard the woody base and soft tip, and plant them vertically 5 cm deep, one sett to a mound or ridge (CTCRI).
- 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.
- Harvesting9-10 months after planting (CTCRI).
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
- Suits both upland and lowland, so one variety can cover mixed land.
- Starch of 28-30% and a yield of 35-40 t/ha or more in 9-10 months.
Things to consider
- The yield figure differs between sources (35-40 or 45-48 t/ha), so plan on the lower one.
- Takes 9-10 months, and no mosaic resistance is claimed.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Kerala
- Tamil Nadu
- Andhra Pradesh
- Karnataka
One variety for upland and lowland
Most CTCRI table varieties are tied to one land type. Sree Vijaya and Sree Jaya are for lowland rotation, and Sree Pavithra is picked for low-potash soil. Sree Rekha is the one CTCRI and the ISTI portal both say suits upland and lowland, which is why it is a safe single choice for a farm with both.
Land type changes the way you plant it. CTCRI says mounds suit poorly drained soil, ridges follow the contour on sloping land, and flat planting is for sandy or sandy-loam soil with good drainage. Mounds are made 25-30 cm high. Cassava cannot thrive on waterlogged soil, so on the lowland part of the farm the mound or ridge, not the variety, is what keeps the roots out of standing water.
Sree Rekha takes 9-10 months, so it fits farms that can wait. CTCRI's cassava volume and bulletin give 35-40 t/ha while the review table and ISTI portal give 45-48 t/ha. The cautious reading is that 35-40 t/ha is what the institute commits to, and the higher number is what its trials may reach. With starch at 28-30%, it competes with H-226 on starch, and has the advantage of working on both land types.
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 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 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 Rekhathis page | 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
Where does Sree Rekha come from?
ICAR-CTCRI released it in 2000 as a top-cross hybrid: TMS.63198 (selfed) was pollinated by Sree Visakham. CTCRI describes an erect, top-branching plant with a brownish-white mature stem and long, conical tubers with light brown skin, cream rind and cream flesh.
Why does Sree Rekha's yield differ between sources?
CTCRI's bulletin and cassava volume give 35-40 t/ha. The ISTI portal gives 45-48 t/ha as the average yield, and a review table gives the same 45-48 t/ha. The sources do not explain the gap, so plan on 35-40 t/ha and treat anything above it as a good year.
Is Sree Rekha for upland or lowland?
Both. CTCRI and the ISTI portal say it suits both upland and lowland. CTCRI recommends it for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. CTCRI advises against ill-drained and waterlogged soil for any cassava, so on lowland keep it on mounds or ridges with a way for water to drain.
How and when do I plant Sree Rekha?
CTCRI says May-June or September-October, and December-January if irrigated. Cut setts of 15-20 cm with 10-12 buds from mature, healthy stems, and plant them upright, 5 cm deep, at 90 x 90 cm for branching types. Remove extra sprouts 10-15 days after sprouting and keep two healthy shoots on opposite sides.
Which pests and diseases should I watch for?
A review table lists tolerance to leaf spot and spider mite for Sree Rekha. No mosaic resistance is claimed. TNAU advises mancozeb at 2 g a litre of water twice, 15 days apart, for Cercospora leaf spot, and good drainage plus Trichoderma viride at 2.5 kg a hectare mixed with FYM against tuber rot. Ask your KVK for a current mite spray.
Sourced from: Cassava (variety descriptions) — ICAR-CTCRI, Agrotechniques of Tropical Tuber Crops, Technical Bulletin No. 97 — ICAR-CTCRI, 2023, Cassava-Sree Rekha — 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 (leaf spot and tuber rot control), Cassava varieties developed by CTCRI — ICAR-CTCRI variety page, archived. editorial policy.