THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Backyard gardening is about to get a major, spicy upgrade as local scientists launch a frontal assault on pesticide-laden market veggies.
Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has officially released KAU Thejaswini, a groundbreaking new green chilli variety specifically engineered to empower households to grow their own clean, chemical-free produce. With recent reports flagging commercial green chillies and curry leaves as two of the most insecticide-heavy items on market shelves, this new variety arrives as a timely health shield for local kitchens.
Lead scientist Dr Sarada S, associate professor and head of the department of vegetable science at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, emphasised that Thejaswini is designed to give everyday families total control over what goes onto their plates. Best of all, eager growers will not have to wait long to see the fruits of their labour, as the fast-tracked plants start bearing chillies within just two months of sowing.
Beyond its rapid growth and health benefits, KAU Thejaswini clocks in with a jaw-dropping potential yield of 32.5 tonnes per hectare-shattering the performance of traditional local varieties. While farmers previously had to rely on high-yielding external hybrids from neighbouring states like Karnataka, those seeds often failed to replicate their success in Kerala’s unique climate and left farmers unable to harvest their own seeds for the next season. Thejaswini solves this crisis by thriving year-round across the state, offering robust field tolerance to devastating production bottlenecks like bacterial wilt and viral diseases.
Approved for official release by the 30th State Seed Sub-Committee at Karshaka Bhavanam, this plant is perfectly tailored for space-crunched urban settings, making it an attractive option for rooftop, terrace, and kitchen gardens. For those ready to spice up their gardens, the seeds will be made readily available for purchase directly through the official sales outlets of KAU.