Top Cashew Varieties for Different Regions in India

India is one of the world’s largest cashew producers, and much of this success comes down to variety selection. Cashew is grown across a wide range of agroclimatic zones – from the humid coastal plains of Kerala and Karnataka to the laterite uplands of Odisha and West Bengal – and no single variety performs equally well across all these regions. Over the decades, agricultural research institutions under the ICAR-Directorate of Cashew Research (DCR), Puttur and its coordinating State Agricultural University (SAU) centres have released over 55 improved varieties, each tailored to specific soils, climates, and market requirements. Understanding these varieties – their origin, yield potential, nut characteristics, and regional suitability – is foundational for productive cashew farming in India.

How cashew varieties are evaluated and selected 🔗

Choosing the right cashew variety is not a simple task. Breeders and agronomists assess multiple parameters before recommending a variety for commercial cultivation. The key traits evaluated include nut weight, kernel weight, shelling percentage (the proportion of kernel obtained from the raw nut), sex ratio (the share of bisexual flowers which directly set fruit), and overall nut yield per tree. Kernel grade – expressed as W-numbers like W180, W210, or W320 – indicates the number of kernels per pound, with lower numbers representing larger, more premium kernels preferred in export markets.

Research published in Scientific Reports highlights that genotype-by-environment (G×E) interaction accounts for a significant share of variation in cashew performance across locations – meaning the same variety can yield very differently in Bhubaneswar versus Pilicode or Jhargram. This is precisely why region-specific variety recommendations matter so much.

Vengurla varieties – west coast mainstays 🔗

The Vengurla series is among the most widely cultivated and recognised in India. The Regional Fruit Research Station at Vengurla, established in 1957, developed seven varieties (V1 to V7) under Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth (KKV), Dapoli. These varieties were bred from germplasm selections and hybrids suited to the laterite soils, high humidity, and intense monsoons of the Konkan coastline in Maharashtra and adjoining areas of Goa and Karnataka.

Vengurla-1 (V1) is an early-flowering selection from germplasm collected at Ansur village in Vengurla tehsil, released in 1974. It yields around 19 kg/tree with a nut weight of 6.2 g, a shelling percentage of 31%, and a kernel grade of W 240. Vengurla-4 (V4) is one of the most popular varieties in commercial cultivation, valued for its adaptability across multiple states including Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and even Madhya Pradesh. The variety is among those officially recommended by ICAR for farmers in these states.

Vengurla-7 (V7), released in 1997, is a hybrid derived from the cross Vengurla-3 × M10/4 (VRI-1). It has an exceptionally high percentage of perfect (bisexual) flowers at 40%, yields an average of 18.5 kg/tree, and produces bold nuts of 10 g with a shelling percentage of 30.5% and kernel grade of W 180. Its yellow apple weighs around 60 g with 75% juice content. In multi-location trials, Vengurla-7 recorded the tallest tree height (5.45 m) and the largest trunk girth (84.05 cm) among tested varieties, making it a vigorous and high-performing choice. The Vengurla cashew has also received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, granted in 2016, recognising the unique quality of cashews grown in Sindhudurg district’s eight tehsils.

Ullal varieties – suited to Karnataka’s west coast 🔗

The Ullal series was developed at the Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Ullal, under the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, specifically for the coastal conditions of Karnataka. Five varieties – Ullal-1, Ullal-2, Ullal-3, Ullal-4, and UN-50 – have been released from this centre.

Ullal-3 is particularly popular in high-density planting systems. Trials have shown that Ullal-3 and Bhaskara achieved the highest cumulative nut yield at a density of 500 trees per hectare, making Ullal-3 a preferred choice where intensive cultivation is practised. Ullal-4, a seedling selection from Ullal germplasm, flowers from December to January and yields around 12.4 kg/tree. Its nuts weigh 7.9 g with a shelling percentage of 30% and a kernel grade of W 210 – an export-acceptable grade. The apple is red-purple, weighing around 70 g with 60% juice content.

ICAR recommends Ullal-1, Ullal-3, Ullal-4, and UN-50 specifically for Karnataka, where these varieties have demonstrated consistent bearing and compatibility with the region’s coastal soils and rainfall patterns.

Bhubaneswar-1 – the east coast selection from Odisha 🔗

Bhubaneswar-1 is the sole variety released from the AICRP Cashew Centre at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar. It was selected from the seedling progeny of WBDC V (Vengurla 36/3), a germplasm collection from the Regional Fruit Research Station, Vengurla, and released in 1989.

Bhubaneswar-1 is characterised by a cluster-bearing habit with around 12 fruits per bunch. It flowers from January to March over a medium duration of 70 days. The nut weight is 4.6 g with a shelling percentage of 32% and a kernel grade of W 320, yielding an average of 10 kg/tree. While the nut size is small, the variety’s cluster-bearing nature, regular bearing behaviour, and high shelling percentage make it reliable for sandy and laterite soils of the east coast.

Bhubaneswar-1 is specifically recommended for Odisha alongside BPP-8 and Dhana. Multi-location studies have also identified Bhubaneswar-1 as one of the best genotypes for cumulative nut yield per tree when evaluated across environments, affirming its suitability as a stable, region-appropriate variety.

Jhargram varieties – cashew at the eastern frontier 🔗

West Bengal represents the northernmost boundary of significant cashew cultivation in India, and the Jhargram varieties were developed to meet this unique challenge. The AICRP Cashew Centre at the Regional Research Station, Jhargram, under Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), has released varieties adapted to the state’s red and laterite soils and distinctly different rainfall and temperature patterns.

Jhargram-1 is a mid-season flowering variety with 3-4 fruits per panicle. It produces golden-yellow apples weighing 63 g with a juice content of 68.9%. The nut weight is 9.2 g with a kernel weight of 2.85 g, shelling percentage of 32%, and kernel grade of W 180 – the same premium grade as Vengurla-7. The variety can yield 13.5 kg/tree at the 7th harvest.

Bidhan Jhargram-2 is a more recent selection from the same station. It has an upright tree with compact canopy, intensive flowering, cluster-bearing habit, bold nuts, and high shelling percentage. Its yield at the 7th harvest reaches 13.5 kg/tree, and its production potential is about three times the national average productivity. Importantly, this variety is not affected by Tea Mosquito Bug (TMB), a major pest of cashew across India. Both Jhargram-1 and BPP-8 are the recommended varieties for West Bengal.

BPP series – high-yielders for Andhra Pradesh 🔗

The BPP (Bapatla) series was developed at the AICRP Cashew Centre in Bapatla, now under Dr. YSR Horticultural University, Andhra Pradesh. Eight varieties – BPP-1 through BPP-8 – have been released, with BPP-8 being the most prominent and widely tested across India.

BPP-8 is a hybrid derived from the cross Tree No. 1 × Tree No. 39, released in 1993. It yields a mean of 14 kg/tree with a nut size of 8.2 g and a shelling percentage of 29%, along with a kernel grade of W 210 – an export grade. BPP-8 has proven its adaptability well beyond Andhra Pradesh. In multi-environment trials, BPP-8 ranked first for nut yield at 16.34 kg/tree in the Bhubaneswar environment and was identified among the best genotypes for cumulative nut yield alongside Madakkathara-1 and Bhubaneswar-1. It is recommended for cultivation in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.

Kerala varieties – diversity for the wet tropics 🔗

Kerala’s humid tropical climate has given rise to an extensive set of locally bred varieties, developed at the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Pilicode under Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) and the Cashew Research Station, Madakkathara. Varieties recommended for Kerala include Dhana, K-22-1, Madakkathara-1, Madakkathara-2, Kanaka, Amrutha, and Priyanka.

Madakkathara-1 is notable for its intensive branching and compact canopy. It yields around 13.8 kg/tree, with a nut weight of 6.2 g and a shelling percentage of 26.8%. Kanaka stands out for its high sex ratio and shelling performance – in multi-location trials, Kanaka was identified as the winning genotype at Pilicode alongside Priyanka, with Priyanka recording the highest nut weight of 10.88 g per nut. Dhana is particularly valued for its large, heavy apple, making it suitable not just for nut production but also for cashew apple processing industries.

VRI varieties – east coast picks for Tamil Nadu 🔗

Tamil Nadu’s cashew cultivation is served by the VRI (Vridhachalam) series, developed at the Regional Research Station, Vridhachalam under Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU). VRI-3 is the most widely referenced of this series. VRI-3 yields around 10 kg/tree with a nut weight of 7.2 g, a shelling percentage of 29.1%, and a kernel grade of W 210 – the export standard. Its yield represents a 35-39% increase over VRI-1 and VRI-2, and it is suitable for sandy and laterite soils of the east coast. In trials at Jhargram, VRI-3 ranked highest for shelling percentage with a mean of 35.83%.

State-wise variety recommendations at a glance 🔗

The variety choices officially recommended by ICAR for major cashew-growing states reflect the diversity described above. Maharashtra benefits from Vengurla-1, 4, 6, and 7; Goa from Goa-1, Goa-2, and select Vengurla varieties; Karnataka from Chintamani-1 and 2, Dhana, Bhaskara, Ullal-1 to 4, and others; Kerala from Dhana, K-22-1, Madakkathara-1 and 2, Kanaka, Amrutha, and Priyanka; Andhra Pradesh from BPP-4, 6, and 8; Tamil Nadu from VRI-1 and VRI-5; Odisha from Bhubaneswar-1, BPP-8, and Dhana; and West Bengal from Jhargram-1 and BPP-8.

This diversity of recommendations reflects a crucial principle in cashew cultivation: productivity is maximised not by planting the highest-yielding variety on paper, but by matching the right variety to local soil type, climate, rainfall pattern, and market expectation. India’s low average cashew productivity – at 782 kg/ha – compared to other producing countries is partly attributed to the continued use of seedling-origin trees and lack of region-appropriate high-yielding varieties. Wider adoption of tested, grafted clonal planting material of the recommended varieties is one of the most direct ways to bridge this gap.

What do you think? Given that a variety like Vengurla-7 or BPP-8 outperforms local varieties across multiple environments, what factors might still make a farmer hesitant to switch from traditional seedling-origin trees to recommended high-yielding varieties? And with India’s cashew productivity lagging behind other producing countries, should breeding programs prioritise higher yield potential or greater climate resilience in the next generation of varieties?

References

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330713757_Cashew_Varieties_Recent_Developments_in_India
2. https://cashew.icar.gov.in/index.php/2017/04/20/released-cashew-varieties/
3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-52030-6
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vengurla_cashew
5. https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/banking/nabard_pdf/Plantation%20and%20Horticulture/2.%20Cashewnut_Cultivation.pdf
6. https://cashew.icar.gov.in/maharashtra/
7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360973833_PERFORMANCE_OF_HIGH_YIELDING_VARIETIES_OF_CASHEW_ANACARDIUM_OCCIDENTALE_L_UNDER_DIFFERENT_PLANTING_DENSITIES
8. https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/IndFarm/article/download/174024/63860/503171
9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10808333/
10. https://icar.org.in/node/9896
11. https://sharadacollegebasrur.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/BBA-SP15.pdf