GC-4 (Gujarat Cumin-4)

Nationally dominant, occupying ~77% of India's cumin area. Strong Fusarium wilt resistance conferred through upregulation of steroid biosynthesis and limonene/pinene degradation pathways. Bold, lustrous, non-splitting seeds with excellent keeping quality.

Key facts

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-4 (Gujarat Cumin-4) in detail

GC-4 dominates Indian cumin cultivation—roughly three-quarters of the national area—because it combines strong Fusarium wilt resistance with dependable yields and large, lustrous seeds that hold their quality through storage and trade.

Origin & story

Developed by Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University's Seed Spices Research Station at Jagudan, Gujarat, together with the ICAR-AICRP on Spices, and released in 2006. It is a selection from the earlier GC-3 variety: in 1998–99 researchers picked 56 single plants from GC-3 for their non-splitting seed and bolder grain, and evaluated them in a wilt-sick plot. Ten progenies with high yield, bold lustrous grain, non-splitting habit and wilt resistance were shortlisted, then tested for yield and other traits from 2001 to 2005 before release.

How it grows

Erect to semi-erect plants maturing in about 105–110 days. Average yield is around 7 quintals per hectare, with a reported yield potential in the range of roughly 8.5–12.5 q/ha under good conditions. It is grown chiefly across Gujarat (its traditional heartland, including Banaskantha and Patan districts) and Rajasthan. Adoption is high in the main growing belts—on the order of 90% of the cumin area in Gujarat and about 60% in Rajasthan—and at the national level GC-4 occupies roughly 77% of the area under cumin.

Quality & character

Pink flowers; bold, linear-oblong seeds that are brown to dark brown with a lustrous finish. The non-splitting seed habit means grains hold together rather than shattering, which keeps harvest and cleaning cleaner. Essential oil content is high—reported at around 4.2–4.33%—with cuminaldehyde as the dominant aroma compound. The seeds keep well in storage, a useful trait in trade and export chains.

Why it matters to buyers

GC-4 is valued for consistent supply and quality. Its large seed size and non-splitting habit help reduce sorting and cleaning losses, and its high, stable essential oil content is a recognised quality marker for buyers. Because the variety dominates Indian supply, it is the cumin most exporters and importers are familiar with. For growers in Gujarat and Rajasthan, seed availability and cultivation know-how are well established, and the variety's wilt resistance lowers the risk of crop failure.

Other cumin varieties

• GC-1 (Gujarat Cumin-1)
• GC-2 (Gujarat Cumin-2)
• GC-3 (Gujarat Cumin-3)
• RZ-209
• RZ-223
• CZC-94
• Unjha Landrace
• Rajasthan Desi Landrace
• Shweta Jeeraka
• Krishna Jeeraka