Date Palm
Holds the land all year
No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Needs care: Risky: 12 irrigations short
- Needs care: Cool in October
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 12 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 1,530 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 970 mm it can use in a normal year, and 840 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 26–45 °C on average, and survives 10–52 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 34 °C / 25 °C
- Jul 31 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 30 °C / 24 °C
- Sep 30 °C / 24 °C
- Oct 30 °C / 21 °C (outside its best range)
- Nov 28 °C / 16 °C (outside its best range)
- Dec 26 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 26 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
- Feb 30 °C / 15 °C (outside its best range)
- Mar 34 °C / 19 °C
- Apr 37 °C / 23 °C
- May 37 °C / 25 °C
- Jun 34 °C / 25 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Date Palm: 7 out of 10 (okay).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
Likes pH 6.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 31 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).
A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 5 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
No mandi or support price for this crop yet.
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.
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.
-
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.