Suvarna
From IISR — planted as rhizome pieces, not true seed, and bred for a higher curcumin content that buyers pay a premium for.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Turmeric
- Type
- Planting material
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 210–220 days
- Expected yield
- 250–300 q/ha (fresh rhizome)
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Release
- Released 1987 · ICAR-IISR, Calicut · selection from germplasm PCT-8 (Assam)
About this variety
Suvarna is an early turmeric release from ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Calicut, notified in 1987 as a selection from germplasm accession PCT-8 collected in Assam. IISR’s own variety profile rates it a high-yielding, comparatively short-duration line with a deep orange rhizome: 200-day duration, a research-station yield of 17.4 t/ha (with a reported potential up to 43.5 t/ha under best management), 4.0% curcumin, 13.5% oleoresin and 7.0% essential oil. It carries field-level tolerance to rhizome rot, leaf blotch, leaf spot, rhizome scale and shoot borer, and is recommended for Kerala, Karnataka and (undivided) Andhra Pradesh — the last of which now includes Telangana following the 2014 state split.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
210–220 days
Expected yield
250–300 q/ha (fresh rhizome)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Field tolerance to rhizome rot (Pythium)
- Field tolerance to leaf blotch and leaf spot
- Field tolerance to rhizome scale and shoot borer
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Shorter, 200-day duration than many turmeric releases, freeing the field sooner
- Deep orange rhizome colour that buyers favour, plus a decent 4.0% curcumin rating from IISR’s own testing
- Broadest field-level disease tolerance package (five issues) recorded for any IISR release checked in this pass
Things to consider
- IISR’s own research-station yield for Suvarna (17.4 t/ha) sits well below both its stated potential yield (up to 43.5 t/ha) and this record’s own 250–300 q/ha (25–30 t/ha) yieldPotential band — treat this record’s figure as an attainable ceiling under strong management, not the typical field result
- IISR’s recommendation predates the 2014 Andhra Pradesh/Telangana split, so this record’s inclusion of Telangana (in place of the original undivided Andhra Pradesh) is a reasonable modern reading rather than an error
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
Frequently asked questions
How much curcumin does Suvarna turmeric have?
IISR rates it at 4.0% curcumin, with 13.5% oleoresin and 7.0% essential oil — a solid, though not the highest, quality profile among IISR’s own turmeric releases.
Is the 250–300 q/ha yield on this record realistic for Suvarna?
It is achievable under strong management — IISR’s own potential-yield figure goes up to 43.5 t/ha (435 q/ha) — but its typical research-station result was lower, 17.4 t/ha (174 q/ha), so treat the higher figure as a best-case ceiling.
Sourced from: Suvarna (Turmeric) — ICAR-IISR. editorial policy.