Cultivar · Rice cultivar
Swarna
Also known as: MTU 7029
Swarna (MTU 7029) is a long-duration semi-dwarf indica rice developed at Maruteru, Andhra Pradesh, and released in India. It became one of the most widely grown rice varieties in the country and is the recurrent parent of the flood-tolerant variety Swarna-Sub1.
Record
Cultivar / variety- Variety of
- Rice
- Botanical taxon
- Oryza sativa (indica group)
- Type
- Inbred line (indica)
- Breeding method
- Cross-breeding (pedigree selection)
- Origin
- Maruteru, Andhra Pradesh, India
- Breeder / institution
- Regional Agricultural Research Station, Maruteru, Andhra Pradesh (India)
- Registry status
- Registered · India · as of 2026-07-12
- Registries
- India — national variety release and notification system (ICAR) · India · as of 2026-07-12Swarna (MTU 7029) is a released and notified rice variety in India. Registration is separate from availability or recommendation; specific notification identifiers are not reproduced here.
- Adaptation
- Irrigated and shallow rainfed lowland conditions in the tropics Puddled lowland (paddy) soils
- Intended use
- Staple food grain
Registry listing or variety protection is jurisdiction- and date-specific and does not by itself indicate current commercial availability, universal cultivation approval, patent status, or a recommendation.
Swarna, also known by its breeding designation MTU 7029, is a long-duration semi-dwarf indica rice variety developed at the rice research station in Maruteru, Andhra Pradesh, India. It became one of the most widely cultivated rice varieties across large parts of India, valued for its lowland adaptation and market-accepted grain.
Swarna is also notable in breeding history as the recurrent parent of Swarna-Sub1, a submergence-tolerant version developed by introducing a flood-tolerance locus. This page describes Swarna itself; performance in any specific field depends on local environment and management.
Origin and breeding history
Swarna was developed at the regional rice research station at Maruteru in Andhra Pradesh, India; the designation MTU 7029 reflects this Maruteru origin. It was bred from a cross between the varieties Vasishta and Mahsuri and released in India, where it went on to be grown across many states, particularly in lowland rice systems.
- Origin
- Regional Agricultural Research Station, Maruteru, Andhra Pradesh, India
- Breeding designation
- MTU 7029
- Parentage
- Vasishta × Mahsuri
- Varietal group
- Indica
Characteristics and adaptation
Swarna is a long-duration, semi-dwarf variety with a non-lodging plant type, adapted to irrigated and shallow rainfed lowland conditions. It produces a medium-slender white grain and is valued in Indian markets for its milling and grain characteristics. Its wide adaptation across lowland environments contributed to its status as one of India’s most widely grown rice varieties.
Swarna-Sub1 and legacy
Swarna is widely known as the recurrent parent of Swarna-Sub1, a version developed by introgressing the SUB1 locus, which confers tolerance to temporary complete submergence. Swarna-Sub1 was developed for flood-prone lowlands where standing floodwater can otherwise destroy a rice crop. Swarna-Sub1 is a distinct, related variety; the submergence-tolerance trait belongs to it rather than to standard Swarna.
This breeding history illustrates how a widely adopted variety can serve as the genetic background into which a specific stress-tolerance trait is added while retaining the qualities that made the original popular.
Classification and status
- Botanical taxon
- Oryza sativa (indica group)
- Cultivar type
- Inbred line (indica)
- Registry status
- Released and notified as a rice variety in India
- Registration note
- Registration is separate from availability or recommendation; specific notification identifiers are not reproduced here
Relationships
Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.
Related topics
Scope & limitations
Geographic scope: Developed at Maruteru, Andhra Pradesh, and grown very widely across lowland rice regions of India; local suitability is region- and season-specific.
Climate context: A long-duration lowland indica adapted to warm irrigated and shallow rainfed conditions; the related Swarna-Sub1 targets flood-prone lowlands.
- Performance is environment- and management-specific; long-duration varieties in particular depend on a long growing season and reliable water.
- Submergence tolerance belongs to the related variety Swarna-Sub1, not to standard Swarna; the two should not be conflated.
- Registration in India indicates official release and notification only — it does not imply current availability, recommendation, or approval elsewhere.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- [1]ICAR — national agricultural research system of India (opens in a new tab)High
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
Cited for: Swarna (MTU 7029) origin at Maruteru, parentage, and release/notification in India
- Type:
- Research institute
- Jurisdiction:
- India
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]IRRI — International Rice Research Institute (opens in a new tab)High
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
Cited for: Swarna-Sub1 submergence-tolerance breeding and lowland rice context
- Type:
- Research institute
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [3]GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility (opens in a new tab)High
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Cited for: Species classification (Oryza sativa)
- Type:
- Reference database
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12