Maize
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 48,022 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹29,000–₹44,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹7,000–₹22,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 5 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 5 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 390 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 180 mm it can use in a normal year, and 120 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):
- Jul 32 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 32 °C / 24 °C
- Sep 32 °C / 23 °C
- Oct 32 °C / 23 °C
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 15 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹2,411 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹2,450 a quintal, the middle of 47 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹15,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,440 2021
- ₹1,850 2022
- ₹1,980 2023
- ₹2,230 2024
- ₹2,280 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 14 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
-
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 68% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
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):
- Urea 68%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 67%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 6%
- NPK Mixture 6%