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Turnip (Shalgam)RabiOpen-pollinatedUpdated 6 September 2026

Purple Top White Globe

A long-established European (temperate) open-pollinated variety, widely sold by Indian seed companies, with a globe-shaped root — white below, purple-red where the shoulder is exposed to light — prized for its firm texture and sweeter flavour after cool weather.

SeasonRabi
Maturity period60–70 days
Expected yield25–30 t/ha
Suitable soilLoam

Quick facts

Crop
Turnip (Shalgam)
Type
Open-pollinated
Season
Rabi
Maturity period
60–70 days
Seed rate
3–4 kg/ha; sometimes sown slightly thicker than Asiatic types since establishment is slower in cool soil
Expected yield
25–30 t/ha
Suitable soil
Loam

About this variety

Purple Top White Globe is a long-established European (temperate) heirloom turnip variety, sold as open-pollinated seed by numerous Indian seed companies for the hill and late-rabi market. Its globe-shaped root is white below ground and develops a purple-red shoulder where exposed to sunlight — the classic appearance most people picture when they think "turnip". Unlike an Asiatic type, it needs sustained real cold to size up properly and develop its characteristic firm texture and sweeter flavour; sown too early into warm soil it bolts or gives a poor, pithy root. It is the standard choice for the hill states and for a late-sown northern-plains crop grown specifically for its much better storage life than any Asiatic variety.

Key characteristics

    Plant typeOpen-pollinated
    Maturity60–70 days
    Yield potential25–30 t/ha
    Disease resistanceNo special resistance claimed; open-pollinated, seed can be saved
    SoilLoam
    SeasonRabi

Sowing & cultivation

  • Sowing timeOctober to December in the northern plains (only once real cold has set in); much of the growing season in the hills
  • Seed rate3–4 kg/ha; sometimes sown slightly thicker than Asiatic types since establishment is slower in cool soil
  • SpacingRows 35–45 cm apart; plants thinned to 10–12 cm apart in the row

Yield & maturity

Maturity period

60–70 days

Expected yield

25–30 t/ha

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

Pest & disease considerations

Major diseases

  • No special resistance claimed; open-pollinated, seed can be saved

Advantages & considerations

Why farmers may choose it

  • Firm texture and sweeter flavour that develops fully in real cold weather.
  • Considerably better storage life than any Asiatic (desi) turnip type.
  • Open-pollinated — seed can be saved from a true-to-type root.

Things to consider

  • Must not be sown into warm soil — it bolts to seed or gives a small, pithy root if sown too early.
  • Takes longer to mature than an Asiatic type, so it is not suited to a quick catch-crop slot.

Suitable regions

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

  • Himachal Pradesh
  • Uttarakhand
  • Jammu and Kashmir
  • Uttar Pradesh