Cumin variety · Released variety
GC-3 (Gujarat Cumin-3)
Also known as Gujarat Cumin-3
SDAU, Jagudan, Gujarat · SDAU/ICAR-AICRP Spices
Frost and wilt tolerant, bred for winter-season cultivation in colder Gujarat regions. High essential oil content. Served as genetic base for GC-4 improvements.
Key facts
| Type | Released variety |
|---|---|
| Origin | SDAU, Jagudan, Gujarat |
| Breeder / source | SDAU/ICAR-AICRP Spices |
| Parentage | Selection from earlier germplasm accessions; parent variety for GC-4 development |
| Yield | Reported 7.0 q/ha average |
| Tolerance | Resistant to wilt and frost damage during flowering/early fruiting |
| Distinctive features | Bold seeds, high essential oil content 4.4%, adapted to cooler climates |
| Grown in | Gujarat (winter season) |
| Also known as | Gujarat Cumin-3 |
Figures are indicative, compiled from public agricultural sources (ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities, the Spices Board and the National Innovation Foundation) and vary with soil, season and management. Confirm with your local package of practices.
GC-3 (Gujarat Cumin-3) in detail
A winter-season cumin bred for cold tolerance and wilt resistance in Gujarat, carrying bold seeds and high essential oil that became the base for the high-yielding GC-4 variety.
Origin & story
GC-3 was developed at Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU), Jagudan, Gujarat, under the ICAR-coordinated All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Spices, through selection from an exotic line. It followed GC-1 (released 1988) and GC-2 (released 1991); the exact release year for GC-3 is not given in accessible published sources. Its main significance is as a breeding parent: in 1998–99, 56 single plants were selected from GC-3 for non-splitting seed habit and bold grain and evaluated in wilt sick-plots, leading to the development and 2006 release of GC-4, which has since dominated Indian cumin cultivation.
How it grows
Bred for winter (rabi) sowing in the colder regions of Gujarat, with the usual October–November cumin sowing window. Matures in roughly 100 days and gives an average yield of about 7.0 quintals per hectare. It tolerates frost better than many cumin varieties, though severe frost during flowering and early fruit set still causes losses.
Quality & character
Bold, lustrous seeds and high essential oil content at 4.4%, which suits both the spice trade and oil extraction. It is a wilt-resistant genotype; transcriptomic work has shown GC-3 mounting defence gene responses against the cumin wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cumini.
Why it matters to buyers
The wilt resistance appeals to growers in endemic regions, and the bold seed plus high oil content suit both seed trade and essential oil production. GC-3 matters mainly as the parent of GC-4: today's GC-4, which occupies an estimated 77% of India's cumin area, traces directly to GC-3 germplasm, making GC-3 an important reference variety in breeding and germplasm conservation.
About cumin
India is the world's largest producer and exporter of cumin, with most cultivation concentrated in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The crop has evolved from traditional landraces to improved released varieties developed by ICAR institutes and State Agricultural Universities, each offering distinct advantages in yield, disease resistance, and oil quality. Below are…
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