Maize
Sow in October, harvest around January
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
Grown on 642 acres here. Sold at 13 mandis in your district.
₹65,000–₹98,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹43,000–₹76,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
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 310 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 400 mm it can use in a normal year (260 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 60 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 33 °C / 24 °C
- Nov 30 °C / 23 °C
- Dec 29 °C / 21 °C
- Jan 30 °C / 21 °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 22 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹3,800 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹2,911 a quintal, the middle of 2 mandis in your district (latest 12 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹41,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,600 2021
- ₹2,130 2022
- ₹2,160 2023
- ₹2,700 2024
- ₹3,800 2025
Prices swing a lot from year to year, so income can be well above or below this range.
Prices are usually best in January.
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 27 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 99% 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 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.
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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 99%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 97%
- Ammonium Phosphate Sulphate / Nitrogen Phosphate 76%
- Ammonium Sulphate 55%