Rajapuri
A big-rhizome commercial type long traded through the Sangli market — grown for rhizome size, not the curcumin content buyers pay a premium for elsewhere.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Turmeric
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 240–270 days
- Expected yield
- 200–250 q/ha (fresh rhizome)
- Suitable soil
- Clay / black soil
- Disease resistance
- Moderate rhizome rot tolerance
- Release
- Not a bred/released variety — a long-traded Sangli (Maharashtra) commercial type; the broader "Sangli turmeric" trade region received a GI tag in November 2018
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Rajapuri is not a formally bred ICAR or state-university release — it is a long-established commercial turmeric type from the Sangli district belt of Maharashtra (Miraj, Tasgaon, Palus, Kadegaon, Walwa, Vita, Khanapur and Chinchali), traded since 1910 through Sangli’s "Turmeric Wayade Bazar" auction system. The name traces to the Rajapur harbour through which the region’s turmeric was historically exported. Its thick, fleshy, low-wrinkle rhizomes keep a distinctive saffron colour and are valued for size over other qualities. Sangli accounts for roughly 70% of Maharashtra’s turmeric production and functions as one of Asia’s major turmeric trading hubs; "Sangli turmeric" — the trade name under which Rajapuri is sold — received a Geographical Indication tag in November 2018. The market treats Rajapuri as a bulk, rhizome-size type, not a curcumin specialty. Even so, at least one published varietal trial measured its curcumin at around 2.8–4.4%, averaging roughly 3.4%, which is close to IISR high-curcumin releases like Suvarna (4.0%). So "grown for size, not curcumin" describes how it is sold, not proof that its curcumin is low.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Rajapuri if you farm in Maharashtra's Sangli belt and sell through the Sangli market, where it has traded since 1910. You get thick, fleshy, low-wrinkle rhizomes with a saffron colour, and the yield rating is 200–250 q/ha over a long 240–270 days. It is a trade type, not a bred release, so there is no institute rating to quote. Choose Salem Local instead for a higher fresh yield, 300–320 q/ha, with a published 4.75% curcumin. Choose Suguna if you want a 190-day crop with 4.9% curcumin.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Thick, fleshy, low-wrinkle rhizomes with a distinctive, consistent saffron colour prized by buyers
- Long-standing trade reputation and infrastructure — Sangli is one of Asia’s major turmeric trading hubs, giving Rajapuri farmers a ready, established market
- At least one published varietal trial found its curcumin content competitive with dedicated high-curcumin releases, despite its market reputation as a bulk type
Things to consider
- Rajapuri is a traditional trade type, not a bred release, so there is no institute, notification year or formal disease rating to cite. Duration, yield and disease tolerance here follow common Sangli-belt practice, not a variety trial.
- Every source ties Rajapuri to Maharashtra's Sangli belt. No source names another state, so only Maharashtra is listed.
- A published varietal trial found Rajapuri's curcumin (roughly 2.8–4.4%, averaging about 3.4%) close to IISR's high-curcumin releases. It is grown more for rhizome size than for a curcumin premium, but that describes its market, not its measured curcumin.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Maharashtra
Selling at Sangli: what the market pays for
Rajapuri's main asset is not in the field. It is the Sangli market, which has run turmeric auctions since 1910 and handles one of Asia's biggest turmeric trades. Sangli accounts for roughly 70% of Maharashtra's turmeric production.
That market rewards thick, fleshy, low-wrinkle rhizomes with a steady saffron colour. So the work after harvest matters as much as the variety: clean the rhizomes, cure them properly, and bring uniform lots, because mixed or damaged lots lose the premium.
If you farm outside the Sangli belt, this advantage may not reach you, since no source puts Rajapuri anywhere else. Check where your nearest turmeric mandi stands and what it pays before you choose Rajapuri for its name.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This crop is planted from rhizomes, so your own field can supply next season. Lift plump rhizomes with healthy buds from plants that showed no rot or yellowing, store them where it is cool, dry and dark, and leave out every soft or mouldy piece — rot carries over in the planting material. Take fresh, clean rhizomes from a research station, a KVK or a government farm when yields drop.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Turmeric variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IISR Alleppey Supreme | Deep colour and high curcumin (5.5%) for buyers who pay for colour, rainfed in Kerala or irrigated elsewhere | About 210 days | 35.4 t/ha fresh (IISR table) or 19.94 t/ha (IISR variety page) | Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal |
| IISR Kedaram | Steady curcumin and leaf-blotch cover, rain-fed Kerala or irrigated Maharashtra | 180 days (IISR variety page); 210 days (IISR table) | 29 t/ha fresh on average (IISR variety page) or 34.5 (IISR table); 5.28 t/ha dry | Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal |
| IISR Prabha | Curcumin-led sales; a 205-day high yielder | 205 days (IISR) | 37 t/ha fresh rhizome (IISR variety page); 37.5 in the 2025 Indian Horticulture appraisal | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| IISR Pragati | A short 180-day crop with a high fresh yield; nematode soils | 180 days (IISR) | 38 t/ha fresh rhizome (IISR variety page and Indian Horticulture 2025); 52 t/ha potential | Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana |
| IISR Prathibha | The highest fresh yield of IISR's turmeric releases, with high curcumin and nematode resistance | 225 days (IISR); 210 to 240 days in the Indian Horticulture 2025 appraisal | 39.12 t/ha fresh rhizome on average (IISR), about 391 q/ha | Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
| IISR Surya | The powdering industry; light-coloured, aromatic turmeric | 220 to 240 days (IISR) | 29 t/ha fresh rhizome on average; 41 t/ha potential; 5.8 t/ha dry (IISR variety page) | Kerala, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh |
| Rajapurithis page | Thick, fleshy rhizomes sold through the Sangli market, for Maharashtra farmers who sell by size | 240–270 days | 200–250 q/ha (fresh rhizome) | Maharashtra |
| Roma | Odisha turmeric with 5.0% curcumin and good tolerance to leaf and rhizome disease, selected at a high-altitude station | 200–255 days | 200–250 q/ha (fresh) | Odisha |
| Salem (Tamil Nadu local) | A big-rhizome Tamil Nadu farmer type with 4.75% curcumin and about 300–320 q/ha fresh | 250–270 days | 250–300 q/ha (fresh) | Tamil Nadu |
| Sudharsana | A short 190-day crop with plump orange rhizomes | 190 days (IISR) | 28.8 t/ha fresh rhizome on average; 54.9 t/ha potential (IISR) | Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh |
| Suguna | A short 190-day crop with 4.9% curcumin, ahead of Suvarna's 4.0%, for Kerala and Andhra Pradesh | 190 days | 280–320 q/ha (fresh rhizome) | Kerala, Andhra Pradesh |
| Suroma | The same Odisha line as Roma with slightly higher curcumin (5.1%) and oleoresin (14.7%) | 200–255 days | 200–250 q/ha (fresh) | Odisha |
| Suvarna | Deep orange rhizomes and the widest field-tolerance list (rhizome rot, leaf blotch, leaf spot, scale, shoot borer), in about 200 days | About 200 days | 17.4 t/ha fresh (IISR station yield); potential 43.5 t/ha | Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana |
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 Turmeric is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Turmeric plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Turmeric variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Turmeric 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 Turmeric rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Turmeric seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rajapuri an official ICAR-bred turmeric variety?
No — it is a long-traded commercial type from Maharashtra’s Sangli belt rather than a formally released breeding-programme variety. Its protection comes instead from the November 2018 Geographical Indication tag covering "Sangli turmeric."
Does Rajapuri really have lower curcumin than Suvarna or Suguna?
Not necessarily. It is grown and marketed more for rhizome size and trade reputation than as a curcumin specialty, but at least one published trial found its curcumin content (roughly 2.8–4.4%) competitive with Suvarna’s IISR-rated 4.0%.
What is the Sangli turmeric GI tag, and does it cover my Rajapuri?
In November 2018 "Sangli turmeric", the trade name under which Rajapuri is sold, received a Geographical Indication tag. It names the trading region. Ask the Sangli market committee how it applies to your lot before you rely on it.
Should I choose Rajapuri over Suguna for curcumin?
Not if curcumin is what you sell. Suguna has 4.9% from IISR's own testing. Rajapuri measured about 2.8–4.4% in one published trial. Rajapuri's strength is rhizome size and a ready market at Sangli.
Can I grow Rajapuri in Karnataka?
No source names Karnataka for Rajapuri. Every source ties it to Maharashtra's Sangli belt. Test a small plot first, and ask your KVK.
Rajapuri or Salem Local — which one pays more?
Salem Local gives the higher fresh yield, 300–320 q/ha against 200–250 q/ha, and TNAU publishes 4.75% curcumin for it. Rajapuri takes 240–270 days and is grown for thick, fleshy rhizomes sold by size through the Sangli market. Which pays more depends on your buyer: size and Sangli trade favour Rajapuri, while curcumin and fresh weight favour Salem Local.
What yield should I plan on for Rajapuri?
Plan on 200–250 q/ha of fresh rhizome over 240–270 days. These are common Sangli-belt figures, not trial results, because Rajapuri is a traditional trade type and no institute has released it or given it a formal rating. Treat them as a working range and keep your own plot records.
Sourced from: Sangli turmeric — Wikipedia. editorial policy.