Roma
A high-altitude Odisha selection from HARS Pottangi with 5.0% curcumin and good tolerance to leaf and rhizome disease.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Turmeric
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 200–255 days
- Expected yield
- 200–250 q/ha (fresh)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Good tolerance to leaf and rhizome disease
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Roma (registration PTS-10) was selected at the High Altitude Research Station (HARS), Pottangi, Koraput, Odisha, the same station behind its sister selection Suroma. A peer-reviewed marker study found Roma carrying 5.0% curcumin and 13.0% oleoresin, both strong figures. The same study ran Roma and Suroma through one panel of SSR genetic markers and got identical banding patterns for both. So the two were separated mainly on curcumin and oleoresin, not on any genetic difference the markers could detect. Separately, field trials at Koraput put Roma's fresh-rhizome yield at around 396 q/ha, with a dry-matter yield of about 114 q/ha. That is well above the 200–250 q/ha shown here, but it comes from one high-altitude Eastern Ghats location, not an average across growing conditions.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Roma if you farm in Odisha, especially at height like the Koraput hills where it was selected, because altitude is where its record comes from. Its quality figures are ordinary — 5.0% curcumin and 13.0% oleoresin put it mid-list, below Alleppey Supreme's 5.5% and 16% — and its rated 200 to 250 q/ha is ordinary too. What it does have is tolerance on both leaf and rhizome disease, and in a wet hill season that is worth more than a point of curcumin. One figure to read carefully: trial plots at Koraput recorded about 396 q/ha, far above the rating, but that is one high-altitude site and not a number to budget on. Suroma is the near-twin, slightly ahead on curcumin and oleoresin at 5.1% and 14.7%; the two share identical marker patterns and behave much alike in the field, so pick on whichever seed you can actually get hold of.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- A marker study found Roma and Suroma carry identical SSR banding patterns although they are registered as separate cultivars. They differ in curcumin and oleoresin, not in any detectable genetics.
- Trial-station fresh-rhizome yields for Roma (about 396 q/ha) run well above the 200–250 q/ha range shown here. They come from one high-altitude Koraput location, so plan on 200–250 q/ha on your own farm.
- The curcumin (5.0%) and oleoresin (13.0%) figures come from a peer-reviewed study.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Odisha
Reading a hill-station yield for a plains farm
The 396 q/ha for Roma comes from trials at Koraput, a high-altitude site in the Eastern Ghats. The altitude, climate and soil there can differ a lot from your farm.
Use that number as a ceiling for the variety, not as a forecast. The page's range, 200–250 q/ha, is the safer plan. If your land is on the plains, expect the lower half of that range in a first season.
The better test is your own plot. Plant a strip of Roma beside the turmeric you already grow, give both the same care and weigh both at harvest. One season of your own numbers is worth more than any trial figure from another place.
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 |
| Rajapuri | 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 |
| Romathis page | 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
Where was Roma selected?
At the High Altitude Research Station (HARS), Pottangi, Koraput, Odisha, under registration PTS-10.
How is Roma different from Suroma?
Mainly in curcumin and oleoresin content (Roma 5.0%/13.0% vs Suroma 5.1%/14.7%) — a genetic study found the two share identical SSR marker patterns, meaning they were separated on biochemistry, not detectable genetics.
What is Roma's curcumin content?
About 5.0%, with 13.0% oleoresin, per a peer-reviewed marker study.
What yield has Roma shown in trials?
Field trials at Koraput recorded roughly 396 q/ha fresh rhizome and 114 q/ha dry matter, well above the 200–250 q/ha shown here.
Is the 396 q/ha trial yield something I can expect in the plains?
No. It comes from one high-altitude Koraput location. Plan on 200–250 q/ha on your own farm.
Why do the pages say 200 to 255 days for Roma?
Turmeric ripens over a range that depends on planting date and place. Plan the next crop on the longer end, 255 days, and take any early finish as a bonus.
Can I buy Roma and Suroma as two different varieties?
They are registered as two cultivars, PTS-10 and PTS-24, but a marker study found identical genetic banding in both. They differ in curcumin and oleoresin, not in plant type, so do not expect two different crops.
Roma or Suguna — which has more curcumin?
Roma has 5.0% curcumin and 13.0% oleoresin; Suguna has 4.9% curcumin and 13.5% oleoresin. The gap is tiny. The real difference is the place: Roma was selected for Odisha at a high-altitude station, while Suguna is recommended for Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Pick the one recommended for your state.
What do the oleoresin numbers mean for me?
Oleoresin is the extract that spice and colour processors pull out of dried turmeric, so a buyer of extract may care about it. Roma shows 13.0% oleoresin with 5.0% curcumin. If you sell fresh or dried fingers to a local mandi, nobody may pay extra for it. Ask your buyer before you plan on a premium.
Sourced from: EST-SSR marker study of turmeric cultivars including Roma and Suroma — PMC (NCBI). editorial policy.