Amaranthus
Amaranthus sp.
Amaranthaceae
Chromosome number:
2n = 32,34,64
Introduction
•Grown in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Leaves and succulent stem are good sources of iron (38.5 mg/100g),
calcium (350-400 mg/100g), vitamin-A and vitamin-C.
•The iron availability -15.2 – 53.6% of total iron.
•High oxalate content (1-2%) and nitrate (1.8-8.8 g/ kg dry matter)
•Short duration, quick response to manures and fertilizers, high yield.
•Both leaf and grain types -malnutrition of poor people.
Amaranths
(Amaranthus spp) Amaranthaceae
Origin :
A. tricolor – Main type – South or S.E. Asia
particularly India
A. dubius – diversity in Central America, Indonesia, India,
Africa
A. lividus – Southern and Central Europe
Amaranthus – 50-60 spp – Leaves and grains
Common amaranth species present in India
Chromosome Cultivated /
Species Seed colour Purpose
number Weeds
1. A. tricolor 2n=34 Cultivated Black Pot-herb
ornamental
A. tristis
2. A. viridis 2n=34 Weed Black Pot-herb
3. A. spinosus 2n=34 Weed Black Pot-herb
4. A. dubius 2n=64 Cultivated Black Pot-herb
5. A. blitum 2n=34 Weed & Black Pot-herb
Cultivated
A. lividus
forms
6. A. hypochondriacus 2n=34 Cultivated White, Pot-herb,
golden brown grain,
or black ornamental
7. A. cruentus 2n=34 Cultivated Black, brown, Pot-herb,
white or grain,
A. paniculatus
yellow ornamental
8. A. caudatus 2n=32 Cultivated White or dark Pot-herb,
grain,
A. edulis
ornamental
Amaranthus VARIETIES
CO 1: -A.dubius ( Mulai Keerai)
• Leaves are dark green with rigded
appearance,stem is dark green,round and
succulent
• Suitable for late harvesting
• Yield:7-8 t/ha
• Tolerant to pest and diseases.
CO 2 : -A.tricolor (Thandu Keerai)
• Developed by selection from local type
• Suited for early harvest
• Leaves green, stem green succulent
• Takes 42 days for flowering and 80 days for
seed maturity
• Yield:10-11 t/ha
CO 3: (A. tristis) – Arakeerai
This is suitable for clipping of tender greens.
locally named as Araikeerai in Killu keerai
First clipping is possible 20 days after sowing and
total of about ten clippings spread over three months.
The leaf : stem ratio is high and this enhances the
palatability of cooked vegetable.
yield is 10-12 t/ha.
CO.4 A. hypochondriacus
Plants dwarf
Rapid vegetative growth
Plants thinned to get a
spacing of 30 x 30 cm
7-8 t/ha
Remaining plants allowed to
set seeds 2-2.5t/ha
80-90 days.
CO 5:
Duration – 50 days, Double coloured leaves
(green & pink)
Season – June –sep & Jan – May
Yield – 40 t/ha
Plants – medium in height & high nutritive
value
Harvesting – 30 days onwards
Sirukeerai (A. polygonoides) :
• Traditional cultivar in Tamil Nadu
• Suited for uprooting at 25 days after sowing
• Leaves -small, ovate with blunt bifurcated tip and have long petiole
• Collar region is dark pink and at leaf axil a miniature branch initiates.
IARI, New Delhi
• Pusa Chotti Chaulai (A. Blitum) : Plants dwarf with succulent, small
and green leaves; responds well to cutting.
• Pusa Badi Chaulai (A. tricolor) : Plants tall and stem thick with large
green leaves; responds to cutting.
• Pusa Kirti (A. blitum) : Green leaved variety with green and thick stem;
leaf lamina broad ovate; ready for harvest in 30-35 days and extends
up to 70-85 days; yield 55 t/ha; specifically suited for summer.
IARI, New Delhi
• Pusa Kiran (A. tricolor) : This is developed by natural crossing between
A. tricolor and A.tristis and has more characteristics of A. tricolor.
Leaves are glossy green with broad ovate lamina; leaf-stem ratio is
1.0:4.6; yield 35 t/ha in 70-75 days; suited for kharif season.
• Pusa Lal Chaulai (A. tricolor) : Upper surface of leaves are deep red
and lower surface purplish red; yield 45-49 t/ha in 4 harvests.
IIHR, Bangalore
• Arka Suguana (A. tricolor) : A multi-cut variety with broad green
leaves. First picking starts in 24 days after sowing and continue up to
90 days. Moderately resistant to white rust. Yield 17-18 t/ha.
• Arka Arunima (A. tricolor) : A multicult variety with broad dark purple
leaves. First picking starts in 30 days after sowing and two
subsequent cuttings at 10-12 days interval. Yield 27 t/ha.
Climate and Soil
• Tropical and sub-tropical regions.
• Leaf amaranth -warm season crop adapted to hot humid climatic
conditions.
• Grown throughout the year in tropics and in autumn, spring and
summer seasons in temperate regions.
• Leaf types -day neutral in habit but differ in their day length
requirements and respond differently to changes in photo and thermo-
periodism.
• Grain types-A. caudatus, A. cruentus and A. edulis are short day
species while A. hypochondriacus is day neutral.
• pH is 5.5-7.5
• Red amaranth requires bright sunlight for colour development
Sowing
• Direct sown- broadcast/rows
• Bed size- 2.0 x 1.2 m
• Spacing b/w plants- 20 cm
• Row distance- 20-30 cm
• Seed depth- 1-1.5 cm
• Seed rate- 2 kg (direct sowing), Transplanted-500 g/ha
• Seed mixed with fine sand
Season
State Season
South India Thro’out year
Maharashtra & Gujarat (grain Rabi
amaranth)
North India (leaf amaranth) Summer (Feb-Mar)
Kharif (June-July)-plains
May-July (hills)
Manuring
• 20-30 t/ha of FYM
• N:P2O5:K2O @ 50:25:20 kg/ha- basal dose
• 50 kg of N- topdressing
• CO3 (clipping type)- 75:25:25 kg NPK/ha
• Spraying 1% urea immediately after each harvest will increase
the yield.
Irrigation
• Amaranth is relatively drought tolerant-insufficient water will
reduce yield
• Watering- just after sowing or transplanting
• Slow and steady watering
Bolting
• Premature flowering or bolting is a serious problem in cultivation of amaranth.
• Quality and yield are deteriorated after flowering.
• Bolting is usually associated with planting of short day varieties during
November-December, deficiency of nitrogen, extreme high temperature and
poor soil aeration.
• Practices like raising of crop at ideal time depending on locality, frequent
application of nitrogen fertilizers and manures and keeping soil loose by light
hoeing prolong flowering.
Plant protection
• Avoid use of insecticides or fungicides
• Leaf webber attack, spray malathion 0.1%
• Amaranth is susceptible to damage by foliar insects such as
leafminers , leafrollers, cutworms, aphids, flea beetles, and
mites
• Choose pesticides that have short persistence, i.e., the effects
last only a few days
Harvesting
• Harvest - 20–45 days after planting or sowing
• Plants may be harvested once or several times
• Whole plants are pulled from soil with roots, washed and tied in
bundles
• With multiple harvests, young leaves and tender shoots are
picked at 2–3 week intervals
• Harvest varies with varieties
Cont.,
• Co 1, Co 2 (green types)- plants pulled out with root-25th DAS
• Co 3 (clipping type)- 25th DAS- clipping once in a week- 90th day
• A.hypochondriachus (grain type)- 25th DAS thinning 30x30 cm-
flower
• Grain harvest- 80-120 DAS
Yield
• CO 1- 7-8 t/ha (green matter)
• CO 2- 10-11 t/ha (green matter)
• CO 3- 12 t/ha (green clippings)
• CO 4- 8 t/ha (green matter), 2-2.5 t/ha (grains)
• CO 5- 40 t/ha (greens)
Seed production
• Isolation distance -400 m for foundation and 200 m for certified
• For seed production, seedlings are transplanted at spacing of 30-45
x 30 cm.
• Crop may be left for seed production after making one or two
cuttings for vegetable harvests.
• Inflorescence is harvested when glumes turn brown in colour and
seeds turn black.
