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. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹1.4 lakh–₹2.1 lakh
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹55,000–₹1.2 lakh 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, even in a dry year.
Needs about 370 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 860 mm it can use in a normal year, and 740 mm in a dry year.
Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–30 °C on average, and survives 15–38 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 33 °C / 24 °C
- Jul 29 °C / 23 °C
- Aug 28 °C / 23 °C
- Sep 29 °C / 22 °C
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 51 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 ₹3,375 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹3,300 a quintal, the middle of 5 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹86,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹2,950 2021
- ₹3,180 2022
- ₹2,950 2023
- ₹3,000 2024
Prices are usually best in February.
Typical costs are about ₹84,000 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 boron Your soil is likely short of boron.
Mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.