Maize
Sow in June, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 1.1 lakh acres here. Sold at 10 mandis in your district.
₹12,000–₹18,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹4,000–₹10,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 3 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 3 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 420 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 290 mm it can use in a normal year, and 170 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 18–33 °C on average, and survives 10–47 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 39 °C / 28 °C (outside its best range)
- Jul 35 °C / 27 °C
- Aug 33 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 33 °C / 25 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Maize: 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 organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.0–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 9.8 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 68% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 68% of this yield.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹2,207 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹2,239 a quintal, the middle of 22 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹7,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,810 2021
- ₹2,120 2022
- ₹2,120 2023
- ₹2,290 2024
- ₹2,400 2025
Prices are usually best in December.
Typical costs are about ₹22,000 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 13 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.
About 87% of local fields of this crop get it.
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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.
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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.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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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.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 87%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 60%
- Calcium Ammonium Nitrate 20%
- Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate / Monohydrate 8%