Chillies (Dry)
Sow in July, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (July–August) is over.
Grown on 235 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹1.3 lakh–₹1.9 lakh
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹17,000–₹82,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Needs care: Frost risk in November
- 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 430 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 720 mm it can use in a normal year, and 550 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 17–30 °C on average, and survives 8–35 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 25 °C / 17 °C
- Aug 25 °C / 17 °C
- Sep 24 °C / 16 °C
- Oct 22 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
- Nov 18 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
- Dec 15 °C / 3 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Nights in November can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.
Soil
Soil for Chillies (Dry): 7 out of 10 (okay).
- Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
- Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of phosphorus.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 12 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (your district's own figure looked wrong).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹13,638 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹17,550 a quintal, the middle of 39 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹96,000 a season after typical costs.
- ₹10,650 2021
- ₹14,980 2022
- ₹16,750 2023
- ₹12,910 2024
- ₹12,120 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹1.1 lakh 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 phosphorus Your soil is likely short of phosphorus.
Add about a quarter more DAP or single super phosphate than the usual dose, at sowing.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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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.
-
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.
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Short of manganese Your soil is likely short of manganese.
Spray manganese sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, on the young crop.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.