Barley
Sow in November, harvest around April
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Priced from mandis across India.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 300 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 50 mm it can use in a normal year (20 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 80 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 15–20 °C on average, and survives 2–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Nov 26 °C / 11 °C
- Dec 21 °C / 7 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 18 °C / 5 °C (outside its best range)
- Feb 22 °C / 9 °C
- Mar 27 °C / 14 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Barley: 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen, manganese and boron.
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of potassium.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
Likes pH 6.5–8.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 15 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (its government crop records list none for your district).
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (April–May 2026): about ₹2,212 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹2,825 a quintal, the middle of 20 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹2,286 a quintal (2027-28), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,650 2021
- ₹2,500 2022
- ₹1,890 2023
- ₹2,130 2024
- ₹2,300 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹18,000 an acre (seed, fertiliser, labour and hired machines, from the government's cost survey). They are spent whatever the harvest.
How to make it work
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Short of potassium Your soil is likely short of potassium.
Add about a quarter more potash (MOP) than the usual dose.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.