Disease
Stem gall
Signs · Swellings (galls) on stems, leaf stalks and flower stalks; seeds become deformed.
Manage · Grow resistant RCr 41, use clean treated seed, rotate crops. Fungicide spray on KVK advice, as per label.
All crops
Spice · Apiaceae (carrot family)
Coriander
Dhaniya · धनिया · Coriandrum sativum
Green leaves in a month, fragrant seed spice by spring.
Coriander is grown for its seed (a major seed spice of Rajasthan's Kota–Baran–Jhalawar belt and MP) and for green leaves across North India. The crop is cool-season, fairly low in water need, and pays well when the seed keeps its green colour and aroma.
- Sowing
- 15 Oct – 15 Nov
- Harvest
- 1 Mar – 10 Apr
- Duration
- 110–140 days
- Yield
- 4.9–7.3 q/acre
- 12–18 q/ha
Flowering · roots shown through the soil
At a glance
Coriander in one look
Cool, dry weather suits it. Frost at flowering damages umbels; cloudy, humid weather brings powdery mildew and aphids.
Sowing time
15 Oct – 15 Nov
Harvest
1 Mar – 10 Apr
110–140 days from sowing
Temperature
10–25 °C to grow
18–25 °C at sowing
Soil
Well-drained loam to clay loam; black soils of the Kota region
pH 6.5–8
Seed rate
4.9–6.1 kg/acre
12–15 kg/ha
Spacing
30 × 10 cm
2–3 cm deep
Irrigations
4–6
4 critical stages
Yield
4.9–7.3 q/acre
12–18 q/ha
Season
AugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
Grown most inRajasthanMadhya PradeshUttar PradeshHaryanaBihar
Waterlogging invites wilt. Good organic matter improves yield.
Seed to harvest
Watch coriander grow, stage by stage
Scroll through the season. The plant in the glass tank grows to each stage — roots and all — and every card says what the crop is doing and what you should do in the field that week.
Stage 1 of 7
Sowing
Day 0–3
- 1Day 0–3
Sowing
Split seed absorbs water in moist soil.
Your job · Sow in lines; light irrigation on light soils; pre-emergence weedicide.
- 2Day 4–15
Germination
Two narrow seed leaves emerge — coriander is slow, taking 10–15 days.
Your job · Be patient; keep the top soil moist with a light irrigation if it crusts.
- 3Day 16–35
Seedling
Broad, lobed true leaves form a small rosette.
Your job · Thin to 10 cm and weed at 30 days. Leaf crop can be cut now.
- 4Day 36–60
Branching
Stems grow up and branch; upper leaves become finely divided.
Your job · Top-dress nitrogen with irrigation; second weeding.
- 5Day 61–85
Flowering
Small white-pink flowers open in umbrella-shaped clusters (umbels).
Your job · Irrigate; watch for aphids, powdery mildew and frost.
- 6Day 86–115
Seed formation
Round green fruits form and fill.
Your job · Last irrigations; keep scouting for powdery mildew.
- 7Day 116–135
Maturity
Fruits turn from green to brownish-yellow.
Your job · Harvest when about half the fruits turn brownish-yellow — don't wait for full brown.
The seed
Good seed is half the harvest
Use certified seed of a variety bred for your region, at the right rate, and treat it before sowing.
One seed
≈ 4 mm
Seed rate
4.9–6.1 kg/acre
12–15 kg/ha
1000-seed weight
—
Recommended varieties
RCr 41RAU; resistant to stem gall, popular in Rajasthan.
RCr 435RAU; early, high-yielding seed type.
Hisar AnandHAU; for Haryana and nearby states.
Pant HaritimaGBPUAT Pantnagar; dual purpose — leaf and seed.
Seed treatment
- 1Split each round fruit into its two halves by rubbing gently before sowing — it improves germination.
- 2Soak the split seed in water for 8–12 hours and dry in shade before sowing.
- 3Treat with carbendazim at 2 g per kg seed, or Trichoderma at 4–6 g per kg, against wilt.
Field & sowing
Prepare the land, then sow at the right gap and depth
Line sowing in small beds
Layout
Flat beds
Row to row
30 cm
Plant to plant
10 cm
Depth
2–3 cm
Land preparation
- 1Plough 2–3 times and plank for a fine, level seedbed.
- 2Mix well-rotted FYM in the last ploughing.
- 3Make small beds with channels for irrigation.
Sowing, step by step
- 1Sow split seed in lines 30 cm apart, 2–3 cm deep.
- 2Thin to 10 cm between plants once seedlings have 3–4 leaves.
- 3Make small beds (kyaris) so light irrigations spread evenly.
Feeding the crop
How much fertiliser, and when
These are the standard doses for a medium-fertility field. Your Soil Health Card can raise or lower them — test first, then feed.
Nutrient dose
Nitrogen (N)24 kg/acre · 60 kg/ha
Phosphorus (P₂O₅)16 kg/acre · 40 kg/ha
Potassium (K₂O)8.1 kg/acre · 20 kg/ha
Plus 10 t/ha (4 t/acre) of well-rotted farmyard manure or compost.
When to apply
- 1At sowing: half the nitrogen and all phosphorus and potash.
- 2At 30–35 days, with irrigation: the remaining nitrogen.
Micronutrients, sulphur & biofertilisers
- 1Zinc sulphate 25 kg/ha where soils are zinc-deficient.
- 2Seed inoculation with Azotobacter and PSB.
Bags for your field
For 1 acre of Coriander
What to buy
Urea
1
bag · 39 kg
DAP
0.5
bags · 35 kg
MOP
0.5
bags · 13 kg
Nutrients in it: N 24 kg · P₂O₅ 16 kg · K₂O 8.1 kg
Also add farmyard manure or compost: 4 t
- Don't put it all in at once: follow the timing on the Coriander page.
- Your Soil Health Card can raise or lower these amounts. If you have one, follow it.
- Using SSP, NPK complexes or gypsum instead changes these amounts; the nutrient dose is what matters.
Not yet checked against a package of practices. Confirm the dose with your KVK before you buy.
Urea has 46 % N; DAP 18 % N and 46 % P₂O₅; MOP 60 % K₂O. Urea comes in 45 kg bags, DAP and MOP in 50 kg.
Water
4–6 irrigations — never miss the critical ones
A crop forgives a late irrigation at some stages and punishes it at others. These are the days that decide yield.
Day 35
Day 65
Day 90
Day 105
SowingDay 140
Critical irrigations
- Day 35Branching
- Day 65Flowering
- Day 90Seed formation
- Day 105Seed filling
Watering tips
- 1Give a light irrigation right after sowing on light soils for even germination.
- 2Keep irrigations light; standing water causes wilt.
- 3Irrigate lightly when frost is forecast.
Protection
Weeds, pests and diseases to watch for
Walk the field every week. Most problems are cheap to stop early and expensive to fix late. For any spray, follow the label dose and check with your KVK.
Disease
Powdery mildew
Signs · White powder on leaves and umbels in late winter; seeds stay small.
Manage · Spray wettable sulphur at first appearance, as per label / your KVK.
Disease
Wilt
Signs · Plants droop, turn yellow and dry; roots look brown inside.
Manage · Seed treatment, crop rotation, avoid waterlogging and very early sowing in warm soil.
Pest
Aphid
Signs · Small insects on tender shoots and umbels at flowering; umbels shrivel.
Manage · Encourage ladybird beetles; spray neem oil or an insecticide as per label / your KVK, in the afternoon to spare bees.
Disorder
Frost injury
Signs · Flowers and young seeds turn dark and drop after a frosty night.
Manage · Light irrigation and smoke on frosty nights.
Weeds
Common · Bathua, krishneel, motha and grasses — coriander grows slowly at first and is easily smothered
- 1Hand weeding or hoeing at 30 and 50 days.
- 2Pre-emergence pendimethalin, as per label / your KVK.
Harvest
Harvest on time, dry it well, store it safe
A good crop gives
4.9–7.3q/acre
12–18 quintal per hectare
Seed yield. A leaf crop can be cut from 30–40 days onward.
When is it ready?
- 1About half the fruits have turned from green to brownish-yellow.
- 2Leaves start yellowing.
Harvesting
- 1Cut the plants and tie them in small bundles.
- 2Dry in shade, not hard sun, to keep the seed's colour and aroma.
- 3Thresh by beating gently with sticks and clean with a winnower.
After harvest & storage
- 1Dry seed to about 9–10% moisture.
- 2Store in clean bags in a dry, cool, shaded store.
- 3Greenish, fragrant seed fetches a better price than dull brown seed.
Golden rules for coriander
- 1Split the seed before sowing.
- 2Choose a stem-gall-resistant variety in Rajasthan.
- 3Light irrigations only — no standing water.
- 4Dry the harvest in shade to keep colour and aroma.