Maize
Sow in June, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 83,744 acres here. 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: 3 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 3 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 430 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 320 mm it can use in a normal year, and 220 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 40 °C / 28 °C (outside its best range)
- Jul 35 °C / 27 °C
- Aug 33 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 34 °C / 25 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
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 12 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 74% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 74% of this yield.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹2,164 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹2,239 a quintal, the middle of 22 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹2,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,520 2021
- ₹1,970 2022
- ₹2,130 2023
- ₹2,180 2024
- ₹2,400 2025
Prices are usually best in December.
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.
-
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 98% 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 98%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 90%
- Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate / Monohydrate 1%
- Calcium Ammonium Nitrate 0%