Jowar (Sorghum)
Sow in September, harvest around January
This season's sowing time (September–October) is over.
No figures for this season in your district. Sold at 5 mandis in your district.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Doesn't suit: Too dry without irrigation
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Too dry to grow on rain alone. It would need irrigation.
Needs about 340 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 20 mm it can use in a normal year, and 0 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):
- Sep 34 °C / 24 °C
- Oct 35 °C / 19 °C
- Nov 31 °C / 13 °C
- Dec 27 °C / 9 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Jowar (Sorghum): 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.
- The pH here suits it.
- 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 3.2 quintals an acre here in its other seasons (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 (January–February 2026): about ₹2,894 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹4,005 a quintal, the middle of 2 mandis in your district (latest 11 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹4,023 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹2,000 2021
- ₹2,230 2022
- ₹3,410 2023
- ₹2,650 2024
- ₹2,700 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 3.5 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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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.
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) 87%
- Urea 50%
- Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) 3%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 2%