Amaranths is a leafy vegetable grown throughout the year in whole India. Amaranths is a source of key vitamins. antioxidents and minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron).
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CHOLAI (AMARANTHUS tricolour L) - A NUTRIENT POWER HOUSE – PRODUCTION, PROCESSING AND VALUE ADDITION FOR RURAL EMPLOYMENT
1. CHOLAI (AMARANTHUS tricolour L) - A NUTRIENT POWER HOUSE –
PRODUCTION, PROCESSING AND VALUE ADDITION FOR RURAL
EMPLOYMENT
Dr Jai Singh (ARS)
M. Tech Ph D
Retd Director ICAR – CIPHET
Mob: 8958463808, E-Mail:jsingh.sre@gmail.com
Amaranths is a leafy vegetable grown throughout the year in whole India. It
belongs to the family Amarantaceae. It is locally known as Batu, Bhabhri,
Cholai, Ganhar, Harave, Keere, Maarsu, Marsha, Pung – Keerai,
Rajakeera, Ramdana, Sawal , Sil, Thotakura ( Telgu),, Mulai ( Keral),
Cheera (Malayalam), Harive (Karnataka), Rajgeera (Marathi), Rajagaro
(Gujrat). Amaranths is a source of key vitamins. antioxidents and minerals
(calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron). It is gluten free,
contains protein more than other grains, provides essential lysine, lowers
cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease, betters digestion and
diabetic patients.
Varieties : IARI - Badi Chauli, IARI - Chhoti Chauli, CO – 1 (A. dubius),
CO – 2 ( A. tricolor), CO – 3 (A. tritis), CO – 4 (A. hypochondriacus), CO –
5, Lal saag, Pusa Kiran, Pusa Lal Chaulai, Pusa Kirti, IIHR Arka suguna,
IIHR Arka arunima, ICAR- NBPGR Suvarn, Annapurna, Durga and KBGA-
1. There are many more varieties.
Seed Rate : For direct sowing 2 kg / ha and for transplanting 01 kg / ha.
Drilling of seed at 20 – 25 cm row to raw spacing. Transplanting 30 cm raw
to raw and 30 cm plant to plant spacing. In Northern India it is sown form
middle March to end June and throughout the year in Southern India.
Soils : Slightly acidic to slightly basic (pH 6.5 to 7.5).
2. Seedbed Preparation: Seeds are hull less and very small (1.0 – 1.5 mm
diameter). Therefore a fine pulverised firm surface seed bed is required.
Add 30 - 50 tonnes / ha FYM. N : P : K - 50 : 50 : 20 kg / ha basal . Seeding
depth should not be more than 12 mm. Seeds are broadcasted on fine
seed bed and cultipacked. Press wheel planters, precision planters, seed
broadcasting equipment can also be used. On sloppy land, planting should
be done on side of firm shallow furrows 30 – 35 cm c/c to avoid washing
away of seeds. Nursery grown 20 – 30 day old seedlings are transplanted
at 30 cm raw to raw. During rainy season raised bed planting is preferred.
If crusting takes place, break it using IGFRI – Weeder Mulcher or hand
rake.
Harvesting: In North harvest starts from September and in South from
August – September. First cutting after 21 – 30 days and thereafter at 7 –
10 days interval. For seed purpose whole plant are harvested at maturity
manually or by ICAR – CIAE reaper.
Threshing: Threshing is done by hand rubbing of ear heads or by stick
beating or by threshing machines. Trash is removed by winnowing. Seed
sieving is done using 2 mm sieve.
Yield : Green leaves 9 - 10 tonnes / ha. Seed yield is about 200 kg / ha.
Seed Drying : Seeds are dried to 6 % moisture in sun on clean tarpaulins.
Important Types of Cholai Seeds:
Govardhan Cholai Rajgeera cholai Lal cholai Green cholai
Types of Cholai Plants: The colour of leaves vary from purple to red and
green to gold.
3. Green Red Himalyan food grain cholai Purple
Red - Green Bee Attractor Valvet Grantham
Fercita Tricolour Bleeding Virdis
Biltum Prince feather Poweli ICAR -CCARI
CHOLAI (AMARANTHUS) PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
Fine cultivated field for
sowing
Field roller to firm and
level the seed bed
Amaranthus (Cholai)
seed Tiny seed broadcaster
4. Tiny seed broadcaster Broadcasted seeds Hand seed
broadcasting. Mix 100
kg sand / kg seed
Use hand rake in case of
soil crust
Precisoin seed planter
Hand seed drill – cum
furrow packer
Hand seed drill – cum
furrow packer
Tiny seed placer
in field
Cultipacker after seed
broadcast
Firm and shallow
furrows made by
Cultipacker
Manual six row seeder Raised seed bed
Shallow furrow for side
seeding on slopy land
Cholai nursery plot –
ICAR - CCARI
Cholai nursery seeds
covered by straw. Give
fine mist
Cholai nursery
Cholai seedlings planted
in field – ICAR - CCARI
Cholai ready for leaves
harvest
Cholai crop ready for
leaves harvest
Cholai fresh leaves and
stem harvested to ell for
saak bhaji
5. Cholai Leaves for market
Use zero energy cool
chambers for a week
safe storage when
market glut
Hydroponic technik to
grow cholai
Cholai seedling for sale
POST HARVEST AND HARVEST MAAGEMENT OF GREEN CHOLAI
The entire plant is cut 8 – 10 cm above ground level. Plants re-sprout and
produce 2nd
to 4th
or more cuts. Fresh harvest need to be thoroughly
cleaned, washed and sorted. It can be preserved by drying and powdering.
Number of food and commercial products are produced in India.
Harvest Cholai Harvesting Cholai – ICAR -
CCARI
Washing Cholai in basket Cholai washing and
cleaning machine
Sorting and draining
wash water
Making consumer bundles Making plastic packs foe
easey handling
Market sale fresh
cholai leaves
Open sun drying Solar drying Dried Cholai consumer
packs
Cholai powder
Cholai Food and Commercial Products:
6. Processed from Amaranth seeds flour is being used in tortillas,
breads, cookies, pasta, nutritional beverages, and marzipan.
Sabji, Bhaji, Raita, Paratha, Kheer, Puri, Sag, Cholai paneer, Soup,
Cookies, Biscuits, Flakes, Cake, Pastry, Crackers, Ice crème, Lysine rich
baby foods, Leaves protein concentrates, Seed oil, Cholai pigment,
Lubricant for computer discs,
Cholai laddoo Cholai patti Cholai biscuits Cholai chikki
Puffed cholai
Roasted cholai
Snacks Noodles
Amaranth candy ICAR -
NBPGR
Rusk – icar - nbpgr Popped cholai chikki
Energy bars icar –
nbpgr
Cholai powder Cholai Juice
Cholai seed oil Cholai flakes
Cholai flour Cholai/Ramdana/Rajgira/Amara
nth
7. Cholai Seed Harvesting and Processing:
For seed purpose, cholai crop is harvested when plants turn yellow or deep
brown in colour. Cut individual plant panicles on maturity and lay on cement
floor/tarpaulin/plastic sheet for drying. The seed is then threshed winnowed
and collected in containers for storage. Seeds are threshed with pliable
bamboo sticks / rolling by roller / threshing machine. The seeds are
winnowed and sieved through 2 mm sieve. Moist chaff is removed to avoid
mold formation in stock.
Cholai seed crop ready to
harvest
Cholai seed crop ready
to harvest
Cholai seed crop ready
to harvest
Cholai crop ready to
harvest
Check maturity – rubbing
spikelets and seed separation Sickle harvesting Field drying
Raeper harvester
Combine harvester Threshing by stick
beating
Winnowing
Open sun drying
Pedal cholai thresher ICAR – CIAE Cholai
pedal thresher
Threshing, winnowing
and seed sieving
Grain chute and
sieving unit of
thresher
