Bitter Gourd
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Sold at 4 mandis in your district.
₹1.4 lakh–₹2.1 lakh
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹6,000–₹76,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough in a normal year. Keep one irrigation ready for a dry year.
Needs about 420 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 480 mm it can use in a normal year, and 300 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–30 °C on average, and survives 15–38 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 37 °C / 27 °C (outside its best range)
- Jul 34 °C / 26 °C
- Aug 33 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 33 °C / 26 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Bitter Gourd: 7 out of 10 (okay).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of sulphur.
Likes pH 6.0–6.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 82 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (its government crop records list none for your district).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹2,133 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹1,805 a quintal, the middle of 4 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹14,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹2,110 2021
- ₹2,320 2022
- ₹2,420 2023
- ₹2,440 2025
Prices are usually best in December.
Typical costs are about ₹1.3 lakh an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2023–2025), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.
How to make it work
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Short of nitrogen Your soil is likely short of nitrogen.
Add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of sulphur Your soil is likely short of sulphur.
Use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
-
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.