Maize
Sow in October, harvest around January
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
No figures for this season in your district. Sold at 3 mandis in your district.
₹16,000–₹24,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹6,000 to a profit of ₹2,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 2 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 2 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 270 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 20 mm it can use in a normal year (10 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 200 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 18–33 °C on average, and survives 10–47 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Oct 29 °C / 19 °C
- Nov 27 °C / 14 °C
- Dec 24 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 24 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Maize: 7 out of 10 (okay).
Not in the score: phosphorus.
- 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 11 quintals an acre here in its other seasons (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 80% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 80% of this yield.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹2,200 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹2,400 a quintal, the middle of 29 mandis in your state (latest 12 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹359 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,800 2021
- ₹1,800 2022
- ₹1,960 2023
- ₹2,100 2024
- ₹2,180 2025
Prices are usually best in October.
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 12 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.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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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 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.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 3%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 2%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 0%