Maize
Sow in June, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 629 acres here. Sold at 6 mandis in your district.
₹23,000–₹35,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹1,000–₹13,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 2 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
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 410 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 350 mm it can use in a normal year, and 240 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 / 26 °C
- Jul 34 °C / 26 °C
- Aug 33 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 33 °C / 24 °C
Soil
Soil for Maize: 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.
- The pH here suits it.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.0–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 16 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 86% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 86% of this yield.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September 2026): about ₹2,200 a quintal at mandis in your district.
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 ₹14,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
Prices are usually best in September.
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 16 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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.