Arka Jyoti
A classic IIHR F1 hybrid — round, light-green fruit with dark stripes, 6–8 kg, bright red flesh with good keeping quality; one of the first Indian watermelon hybrids and still widely grown.
Quick facts
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Zaid / summer
- Maturity period
- First harvest ~95 days
- Expected yield
- 35–45 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
- Release
- Released by ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bengaluru
About this variety
Arka Jyoti is an F1 hybrid watermelon from ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, and one of the earliest Indian watermelon hybrids — it has been a commercial mainstay for decades. The fruit is round, 6–8 kg, with a light green rind marked by dark stripes and bright red, firm, good-keeping flesh. It suits the general commercial fresh market and medium-to-distant transport, maturing at about 95 days. Being a hybrid, seed cannot be saved and must be bought fresh each season.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
First harvest ~95 days
Expected yield
35–45 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
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- A long-proven commercial F1 hybrid — uniform fruit and reliable yield
- Bright red, firm flesh with good keeping quality for medium-to-distant transport
- Good all-round fruit size (6–8 kg) for the general market
Things to consider
- Hybrid — seed cannot be saved and must be bought each season
- No special disease resistance — manage wilt and the mildews and rotate away from cucurbits
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Karnataka
- Andhra Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana