Botanical Name: Amaranthus spp
Varieties: Red:
Kannara Local :Dark red, season bound ,flowers in Nov-Dec. Adjust Planting accordingly. Multi cut variety.
Arun: Maroon red leaves. High yielding. Photoinsensitive. Suitable for multi cut and once over harvests
Krishnasree: Reddish brown leaved,fleshy stemed,multicut variety
Green
Co-1:Dark green, resistant to leaf spot, suitable for late harvest
Co-2:Suitable for early harvest
Co-3:Small leaved,slender and tender stemed, multicut varity
Mohini:Attractive green variety. Photoinsensitive.High yielding. Suitable for summer season.
Renusree: Green leaved, purple fleshy stem
Climate & Soil: Adapted to hot humid climatic conditions.Comes up well in well drained loamy soils rich in organic matter.
Season: Round the year, avoid sowing or planting during heavy rain.
Seed rate: 1.5 to 2 Kg/ha
Seeds available with VFPCK: Arun,CO-1
Raising Nursery: Sow in raised seedbeds and spread a thin layer of fine sand on top.
Transplanting: Transplant 20-30 days old seedlings with 4-5 leaves in the shallow trenches during summer and raised beds during rainy season
Spacing: 30cmX20cm
Nutrient management : Apply 50tonnes of cowdung/ha and NPK @ 50:50:50 kg/ha as basal dose. Apply N @ 50kg/ha as top dressing 15 days after transplanting. Foliar spray of 1% urea(10g per litre)after every harvest.
Crop Management: Carry out weeding before applying the fertilizer. Rake the soil lightly during top dressing. Irrigate the field at one or two day’s interval to ensure sufficient moisture in the field.Avoid spray irrigation to prevent the spread of leaf spot disease. Follow flood irrigation if attack is detected in the main field.
Pest Management :

Leaf Webber :Caterpillars web the leaves together and feed from inside.Destroy the caterpillars along with the leaf.Apply cows urine-capsicum mixture. Avoid pesticides as far as possible.If the attack is severe apply Malathion 50EC @ 2ml/l.

Disease Management :

Leaf spot : Small white spots appear on the leaves. The disease is severe during the rainy season and spreads through irrigation water.Plant CO1, which is resistant to the disease. Mixed planting of red varieties with CO1 will prevent the spread of the disease.Apply turmeric & soda powder mixture.Spray the plant with Dithane M-45 @4g per litre of supernatant cow dung slurry. Harvesting should only be done 2 weeks after the application of the fungicide.

Harvesting: In multiple cut harvest 3-4 weeks after planting and then every week. In uprooting harvest one month after planting. Spray the plants with 1% urea solution after each harvest.
Yield: Approximately 15-20t/ha
Post Harvesting: Harvested the crop when there is good foliage, the stem is tender and flowering has not been initiated. Cut the plant close to ground level,clean thoroughly in running water to remove the cobwebs, soil stuck to the roots and dirt. Keep the harvested plant in shade. Pack into bundles. Sprinkle water intermittently and cover the cut ends to reduce the rate of dessication.
Seed Collection: Harvest the crop from the field before it is fully dried.