Jowar (Sorghum)
Sow in October, harvest around February
This season's sowing time (September–October) is over.
Grown on 1,290 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Doesn't suit: Too dry without irrigation
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Too dry to grow on rain alone. It would need irrigation.
Needs about 350 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 40 mm it can use in a normal year (10 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 90 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–35 °C on average, and survives 8–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Oct 31 °C / 20 °C
- Nov 30 °C / 17 °C
- Dec 29 °C / 15 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 30 °C / 15 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Jowar (Sorghum): 7 out of 10 (okay).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of iron.
Likes pH 5.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 7.1 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (February–March 2026): about ₹5,163 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹2,530 a quintal, the middle of 6 mandis in your state (latest 12 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹4,023 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹2,410 2022
- ₹2,740 2023
- ₹2,330 2024
- ₹2,440 2025
Prices are usually best in March.
Typical costs are about ₹12,000 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
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 6.7 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
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 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 iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
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):
- Urea 100%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 81%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 1%
- Calcium Ammonium Nitrate 1%