Suroma
A sister selection of Roma from HARS Pottangi, with slightly higher curcumin (5.1%) and oleoresin (14.7%).
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
Suroma (registration PTS-24, sometimes spelled Surama in the literature) was selected alongside Roma at the High Altitude Research Station (HARS), Pottangi, Koraput, Odisha. A peer-reviewed marker study found 5.1% curcumin and 14.7% oleoresin in Suroma, both a little above Roma's 5.0% and 13.0%. In a per-plant comparison of several cultivars in the same study, Suroma gave the highest fresh-rhizome yield of the group, 436 g/plant. The study also found that Roma and Suroma, though registered as two cultivars, share identical SSR banding patterns. So the two were separated on curcumin and oleoresin, not on a genetic difference the markers could detect, which matters if you are growing them as two different plants. Surama and Suroma are treated here as one registered cultivar (PTS-24), because the institute, the curcumin range and the pairing with Roma are the same in every source.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Suroma if you farm in Odisha and want the extra bit of curcumin and oleoresin, 5.1% and 14.7% against Roma's 5.0% and 13.0%. In a multi-cultivar comparison it also gave the highest fresh weight per plant, 436 g. The yield rating is 200–250 q/ha. The gain over Roma is small and the two share identical marker patterns, so Roma is just as sound if seed is easier to find. Choose Suguna instead for a shorter crop with 4.9% curcumin, or Salem Local for bigger rhizomes.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- The literature spells this cultivar both Suroma and Surama. They are treated as one registered cultivar (PTS-24, HARS Koraput), because the institute and the pairing with Roma match across sources.
- Roma and Suroma share identical SSR banding patterns despite separate registration. The difference between them is in curcumin and oleoresin, not in genetics the markers can detect.
- The 436 g/plant yield comes from one multi-cultivar comparison and is a per-plant figure, not q/ha. It supports a high-yielding reputation but cannot be set directly against the 200–250 q/ha range shown here.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Odisha
Suroma, Surama, Roma: reading the seed tag
Three names can reach you for what is nearly the same plant. Suroma and Surama are two spellings of one registered cultivar, PTS-24. Roma is its sister selection, PTS-10, from the same station at Pottangi. A marker study found Roma and Suroma carry identical genetic banding.
So do not pay a premium because a seller says Suroma is a different crop from Roma. The difference is in the lab numbers: Suroma 5.1% curcumin and 14.7% oleoresin, Roma 5.0% and 13.0%.
Ask the seller for the registration number, the source of the seed rhizomes and the date they were lifted. Clean, firm seed rhizomes matter more to your crop than which of the two names is on the bag.
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 |
| 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 |
| Suromathis page | 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 Suroma selected?
At the High Altitude Research Station (HARS), Pottangi, Koraput, Odisha, under registration PTS-24, alongside sibling cultivar Roma.
Is "Surama" the same as Suroma?
Yes, most likely — both spellings appear in the literature for what matches as the same registered cultivar (PTS-24) from the same institute.
How does Suroma differ from Roma?
Mainly in curcumin and oleoresin content (Suroma 5.1%/14.7% vs Roma 5.0%/13.0%) — genetically, a marker study found the two share identical SSR patterns.
What is Suroma's curcumin content?
About 5.1%, with 14.7% oleoresin, per a peer-reviewed marker study.
What yield has Suroma shown in trials?
In a multi-cultivar comparison study it produced the highest fresh-rhizome yield among the cultivars tested, at 436 g/plant.
Is the 436 g per plant the same as 436 q/ha?
No. It is the fresh weight of one plant, about 436 g, from one comparison trial. It cannot be set against the 200–250 q/ha range, which is per hectare.
Are Suroma and Surama two different varieties?
No. They are two spellings of one registered cultivar, PTS-24, from HARS Pottangi. If a seller offers both as different varieties, ask for the tag.
Which is the safer pick in Odisha, Roma or Suroma?
Both come from the same station and share the same marker pattern. Pick the one whose seed rhizomes you can get clean and healthy this season. The curcumin gap, 5.1% against 5.0%, is small.
Is Suroma's extra 0.1% curcumin worth paying more for seed?
Usually not. Suroma has 5.1% curcumin and 14.7% oleoresin against Roma's 5.0% and 13.0%. The two share identical marker patterns, so they behave much alike in the field. Buy whichever you can get certified seed of at a fair price, and pay a premium only if your buyer actually pays for the oleoresin difference.
Suroma or Suguna — which one?
It depends on your state. Suroma is the Odisha selection from HARS Pottangi, 200–255 days, with 5.1% curcumin. Suguna is recommended for Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, takes 190 days and has 4.9% curcumin. In Odisha, Suroma or Roma is the local line. Suguna is the choice for a shorter crop where it is recommended.
Sourced from: EST-SSR marker study of turmeric cultivars including Roma and Suroma — PMC (NCBI). editorial policy.