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
- Doesn't suit: Too dry without irrigation
- Needs care: Frost risk in January
- Needs care: Soil 6/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Too dry to grow on rain alone. It would need irrigation.
Needs about 1,490 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 500 mm it can use in a normal year, and 350 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 39 °C / 27 °C
- Jul 35 °C / 26 °C
- Aug 33 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 33 °C / 24 °C
- Oct 32 °C / 18 °C (outside its best range)
- Nov 27 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
- Dec 21 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 18 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
- Feb 22 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
- Mar 28 °C / 14 °C (outside its best range)
- Apr 35 °C / 19 °C
- May 39 °C / 24 °C
- Jun 39 °C / 27 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Nights in January can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.
Soil
Soil for Date Palm: 6 out of 10 (okay).
Not in the score: boron.
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
- Most fields here are short of phosphorus.
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
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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 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.