Ajmer Fennel-3 (AF-3)

High-yielding variety specifically bred for Ramularia blight resistance. Superior essential oil content addresses a major disease constraint in fennel cultivation. Developed for rainfed and semi-arid conditions typical of Rajasthan's fennel belt.

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.

Ajmer Fennel-3 (AF-3) in detail

AF-3 is ICAR-NRCSS's bold-seeded fennel release bred specifically to tackle Ramularia blight, a fungal disease that threatens crop stability in the Rajasthan fennel belt.

Origin & story

Ajmer Fennel-3 (tested under the codes AF-206 / FNL-82) was developed by ICAR-National Research Centre on Seed Spices (NRCSS), Ajmer, from germplasm collected in Tonk district, Rajasthan, using recurrent selection. It was recommended for release at the AICRP on Spices annual group meet held 4-6 October 2018 at Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, and was notified for commercial cultivation under Gazette notification S.O. 4272(E) dated 26 November 2019.

How it grows

AF-3 is suited to the timely-sown rabi (winter) crop conditions of Rajasthan's fennel-growing regions, with performance validated in multi-location trials across eight centres. Fennel generally needs cool, dry weather, with an optimum temperature range of about 15-30°C; dry and cold weather during seed formation favours both yield and quality, while very high temperatures and frost at flowering reduce seed set. The crop takes roughly 175-180 days to mature. (General fennel agronomy such as spacing, seed rate and sowing depth varies by region and recommended package of practices.)

Quality & character

Medium bold seeds with 1.9% essential oil content. The variety shows moderate resistance to Ramularia blight (Ramularia foeniculi), a fungal disease that damages foliage and impairs seed development, and it is less infested by aphids than check varieties. Plants are semi-erect, branched with dense foliage and grow to about 160 cm. Average seed yield was 2143 kg/ha across evaluation trials.

Why it matters to buyers

AF-3 addresses a major agronomic constraint: Ramularia blight causes yield loss and drives fungicide use, and the resulting chemical residues can act as trade barriers in export markets. The variety's moderate resistance can reduce dependence on fungicides while maintaining essential oil content, a quality marker relevant to culinary and industrial buyers. Bold seed grade is generally valued in the Indian spice trade. Multi-location trial performance indicates stable yield across several fennel-growing regions.

Other fennel varieties

• Gujarat Fennel-11 (GF-11)
• Gujarat Fennel-12 (GF-12)
• Ajmer Fennel-1 (AF-1)
• Ajmer Fennel-2 (AF-2)
• Hisar Swarup (HF-33)
• Co-1
• PF-35
• RF-35
• RF-125
• Lucknow Fennel
• Gujarat Bold-Seed Type (Regional)
• Rajasthan Bold-Seed Type (Regional)