Barley

Water

Rain is enough in a normal year. Keep one irrigation ready for a dry year.

Needs about 310 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 220 mm it can use in a normal year (100 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 200 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 21 °C / 11 °C
• Dec 18 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 16 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 19 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 22 °C / 11 °C

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Soil

Soil for Barley: 7 out of 10 (okay).

• Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
• Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
• Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
• Most fields here are short of copper.

Likes pH 6.5–8.5.

Money

Yield: about 12 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

Mandi price at last season's harvest (April–May 2026): about ₹2,212 a quintal across India's mandis.

This week: about ₹2,776 a quintal, the middle of 25 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹17,000 a season after typical costs.

Minimum support price: ₹2,286 a quintal (2027-28), if you sell to government procurement.

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.