Castor Seed
Sow in July, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (July–August) is over.
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Priced from mandis across India.
₹18,000–₹27,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹6,000 to a profit of ₹3,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Needs care: Cool in October
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 400 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 3,340 mm it can use in a normal year, and 2,680 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 20–30 °C on average, and survives 15–39 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 24 °C / 18 °C
- Aug 24 °C / 18 °C
- Sep 24 °C / 18 °C
- Oct 23 °C / 15 °C (outside its best range)
- Nov 21 °C / 11 °C (outside its best range)
- Dec 18 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Castor Seed: 8 out of 10 (good).
- Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
- Most fields here are short of copper.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.6 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (its government crop records list none for your district).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹6,218 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹7,560 a quintal, the middle of 9 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹3,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹4,670 2021
- ₹6,580 2022
- ₹5,720 2023
- ₹5,530 2024
- ₹6,000 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹24,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), 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 copper Your soil is likely short of copper.
Mix 2 kg of copper sulphate per acre into the soil 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.