Jowar (Sorghum)
Sow in June, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 1.2 lakh acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 450 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 250 mm it can use in a normal year, and 150 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–35 °C on average, and survives 8–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 41 °C / 28 °C
- Jul 36 °C / 27 °C
- Aug 34 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 35 °C / 25 °C
Soil
Soil for Jowar (Sorghum): 7 out of 10 (okay).
Not in the score: boron.
- 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 organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.5–8.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 5.8 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 this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹2,938 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹3,150 a quintal, the middle of 13 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹4,023 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,900 2021
- ₹2,140 2022
- ₹3,290 2023
- ₹3,020 2024
- ₹2,780 2025
Prices are usually best in June.
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 4.1 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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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 organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.