FB-PKM 2 is a superior drumstick variety from a pure-line breeding programme, selected for high productivity and pod quality. Pods are notably long and fleshy with less seed, and the flesh cooks soft and delicious with low fibre. The variety adapts to most soils from sandy loam to clay loam with good drainage, and ratoon crops can be taken for three years from a single planting.
Key characteristics
| Pod length | 120-125 cm with a girth of 8 to 8.5 cm |
| Pod weight | About 280 g with 70% flesh |
| Pod quality | Fleshy, less seeded, low fibre, soft and delicious when cooked |
| Flower | Yellowish creamy white, bisexual, sweetly fragrant |
| Pods per tree | About 220 per tree per year |
| Soil | Most soil types from sandy loam to clay loam with good drainage |
| Ratoon | Ratoon crops can be taken for three years |
Agronomy
| First harvest | 170-180 days after sowing |
| Yield | Around 50-55 tonnes of pods per hectare |
| Seed rate | 1-1.5 kg per acre |
| Seed count | Approx. 3-4 seeds per gram |
| Sowing depth | 2.5-3 cm; seed may also be sown in polybags of pot mixture and transplanted after 35-40 days |
| Spacing | 3 m between trees, rows 3 m apart |
| Ideal temperature | 25-35 degrees C for luxuriant growth |
Yield and maturity figures depend on season, region and cultural practice. Seed rate and spacing follow Indian agricultural practice and Farmson R&D trial data.
