Maize
Sow in June, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 109 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹44,000–₹67,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹22,000–₹45,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough in a normal year. Keep one irrigation ready for a dry year.
Needs about 390 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 460 mm it can use in a normal year, and 370 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 34 °C / 27 °C
- Aug 33 °C / 27 °C
- Sep 33 °C / 26 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Maize: 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of sulphur.
Likes pH 5.0–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 24 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (your district's own figure looked wrong).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹2,350 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹2,700 a quintal, the middle of 495 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹42,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,580 2021
- ₹2,020 2022
- ₹2,010 2023
- ₹2,230 2024
- ₹2,150 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
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 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.
-
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.
-
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%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 69%
- Calcium Ammonium Nitrate 15%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 15%