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TobaccoRabiFCV tobacco varietyUpdated 28 August 2026

Godavari Special

A classic FCV variety for the Andhra black soils, heavy-bodied, grown where the black-soil crop is rainfed on stored moisture.

SeasonRabi
Maturity periodAbout 115–125 days after transplanting
Expected yieldCured leaf around 1,800–2,300 kg/ha; a heavier-bodied filler-to-bright leaf
Suitable soilSouthern and Northern Black Soils of Andhra Pradesh

Quick facts

Crop
Tobacco
Type
FCV tobacco variety
Season
Rabi
Maturity period
About 115–125 days after transplanting
Seed rate
About 2.5–3 g per m² of nursery bed; ~100 m² of nursery per hectare
Expected yield
Cured leaf around 1,800–2,300 kg/ha; a heavier-bodied filler-to-bright leaf
Suitable soil
Southern and Northern Black Soils of Andhra Pradesh
Release
A classic FCV variety for the Andhra Pradesh Black Soils

About this variety

Godavari Special is a long-established flue-cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco variety for the black soils of Andhra Pradesh — the Southern Black Soils and Northern Black Soils. It produces a heavier-bodied leaf than the light-soil varieties, cured to a filler-to-bright grade, and is grown on the black-soil regime where the crop lives largely on stored monsoon moisture with little or no irrigation.

Key characteristics

    Plant typeFCV tobacco variety
    MaturityAbout 115–125 days after transplanting
    Yield potentialCured leaf around 1,800–2,300 kg/ha; a heavier-bodied filler-to-bright leaf
    Disease resistanceModerate; no special black-shank resistance
    SoilSouthern and Northern Black Soils of Andhra Pradesh
    SeasonRabi

Sowing & cultivation

  • Sowing timeNursery August–September; transplant hardened seedlings October to November onto the black soils as the profile holds moisture
  • Seed rateAbout 2.5–3 g per m² of nursery bed; ~100 m² of nursery per hectare
  • Spacing100 × 55 cm on ridges
  • Sowing methodTransplant hardened nursery seedlings one per hill; the black-soil crop is watered in at transplanting and then largely rainfed
  • IrrigationLargely rainfed on stored black-soil moisture; conserve it with timely inter-cultivation. A controlled natural dry-down ripens the leaf
  • FertilizerA black-soil FCV dose per the CTRI package, sulphate of potash, all nitrogen early; the black-soil crop takes less nitrogen than an irrigated light-soil crop
  • HarvestingPrime ripe leaves bottom-up in 5–7 rounds; the heavier leaf needs careful curing to avoid a dark, coarse grade

Soil & climate

Soil

Suitable soil
Deep, well-drained black (Vertisol) soils of the Andhra belt
pH
6.5–8.0 (black soils)

Climate

Climate
A rainfed black-soil crop — its yield depends on a full moisture profile at transplanting and a rain-free ripening period; unseasonal rain at priming is the main risk

Yield & maturity

Maturity period

About 115–125 days after transplanting

Expected yield

Cured leaf around 1,800–2,300 kg/ha; a heavier-bodied filler-to-bright leaf

Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.

Pest & disease considerations

Management notes

  • Transplant only when the black-soil profile is fully charged with moisture
  • Open drains on any low patch — black shank kills fastest where water sits
  • Rotate with a non-host cereal or sorghum; keep nitrogen early and moderate

Advantages & considerations

Why farmers may choose it

  • A dependable heavier-bodied FCV leaf for the Andhra black soils
  • Grows on the rainfed black-soil regime with little or no irrigation

Things to consider

  • Longer-duration and heavier-bodied — needs careful curing to avoid a dark grade
  • No black-shank resistance; black-soil fields with a wilt or shank history need a long rotation

Suitable regions

States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.

  • Andhra Pradesh
  • Telangana

Frequently asked questions

Why is Godavari Special grown on black soil rather than light soil?

It is bred for the Andhra black-soil FCV regime, where the crop is largely rainfed on the moisture the Vertisol holds. It produces a heavier-bodied leaf suited to that system. On light soils, the light-soil varieties (Siri, Kanchan, Hema) give the thin, bright leaf that regime is grown for.

Does the rainfed black-soil crop need any irrigation?

Usually only the watering-in at transplanting. After that the crop lives on the stored profile, and the skill is conserving that moisture with timely inter-cultivation rather than adding water. A supplementary irrigation is given only in a severe dry spell, and even then carefully, because the black soil drains slowly and waterlogging triggers black shank.

Sourced from: ICAR-Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI), Rajahmundry, Tobacco Board, India. editorial policy.