Maize
Sow in June, harvest around September
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 41,804 acres here. Sold at 6 mandis in your district.
₹13,000–₹19,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹3,000–₹9,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 420 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 260 mm it can use in a normal year, and 210 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 / 26 °C
- Aug 32 °C / 25 °C
- Sep 34 °C / 24 °C
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Maize: 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.
- The pH here suits it.
- 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 6.3 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹2,550 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹2,721 a quintal, the middle of 25 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹5,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,830 2021
- ₹2,250 2022
- ₹2,430 2023
- ₹2,730 2024
- ₹2,780 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 13 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.
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):
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 73%
- Urea 56%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 6%
- Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) 4%