Cotton
Sow in June, harvest around December
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.
₹33,000–₹49,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹5,000–₹21,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 3 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 3 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 690 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 570 mm it can use in a normal year, and 410 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–36 °C on average, and survives 15–42 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 38 °C / 26 °C
- Jul 31 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 30 °C / 23 °C
- Sep 32 °C / 23 °C
- Oct 34 °C / 19 °C
- Nov 31 °C / 14 °C
Soil
Soil for Cotton: 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 6.8 quintals of kapas (raw cotton) an acre, the typical figure in your state (its government crop records list none for your district).
On rain alone it gets about 84% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 84% of this yield.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹7,175 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹8,750 a quintal, the middle of 30 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹22,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹8,267 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
That is the price for medium staple kapas (raw cotton). Long staple kapas has ₹8,667 a quintal.
- ₹5,800 2021
- ₹9,200 2022
- ₹6,930 2023
- ₹6,920 2025
Prices are usually best in August.
Typical costs are about ₹28,000 an acre (seed, fertiliser, labour and hired machines, from the government's cost survey). They are spent whatever the harvest.
How to make it work
-
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.
About 100% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
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.
About 100% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
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.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
-
Short of boron Your soil is likely short of boron.
Mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 100%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 100%