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 6 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 (0 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 190 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 30 °C / 20 °C
- Nov 27 °C / 13 °C
- Dec 24 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 23 °C / 9 °C (outside its best range)
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 phosphorus.
Likes pH 5.0–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 12 quintals an acre here in its other seasons (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 76% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 76% of this yield.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹2,100 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹2,205 a quintal, the middle of 2 mandis in your district (latest 12 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹1,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,860 2021
- ₹1,880 2022
- ₹2,000 2023
- ₹2,100 2024
- ₹2,230 2025
Prices are usually best in April.
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 10 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 82% of local fields of this crop get it.
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Short of phosphorus Your soil is likely short of phosphorus.
Add about a quarter more DAP or single super phosphate than the usual dose, at sowing.
About 68% 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 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 82%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 68%
- Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) 10%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 5%