Orange (Mandarin, Kinnow)

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 860 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 1,440 mm it can use in a normal year, and 1,260 mm in a dry year.

Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.

Temperature

Grows best at 23–34 °C on average, and survives 12–38 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Jun 29 °C / 22 °C
• Jul 29 °C / 23 °C
• Aug 30 °C / 23 °C
• Sep 29 °C / 22 °C
• Oct 28 °C / 19 °C
• Nov 24 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 21 °C / 9 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 20 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 20 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 24 °C / 12 °C (outside its best range)
• Apr 25 °C / 16 °C (outside its best range)
• May 28 °C / 20 °C
• Jun 29 °C / 22 °C

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Nights in January can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.

Soil

Soil for Orange (Mandarin, Kinnow): 7 out of 10 (okay).

• Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
• Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
• Many fields here are short of iron, which it needs a lot.
• Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.

Likes pH 6.0–6.8.

Money

Yield: about 24 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (its government crop records list none for your district).

A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 4 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.

Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–February 2026): about ₹3,636 a quintal across India's mandis.

Prices are usually best in June.

Typical costs are about ₹45,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.