Orange (Mandarin, Kinnow)

Water

Rain is enough in a normal year. Keep one irrigation ready for a dry year.

Needs about 820 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 850 mm it can use in a normal year, and 720 mm in a dry year.

Temperature

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

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

• Jun 29 °C / 19 °C
• Jul 26 °C / 19 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 25 °C / 19 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 25 °C / 17 °C (outside its best range)
• Oct 23 °C / 13 °C (outside its best range)
• Nov 19 °C / 8 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 16 °C / 5 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 13 °C / 3 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 17 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 21 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
• Apr 27 °C / 14 °C (outside its best range)
• May 29 °C / 18 °C
• Jun 29 °C / 19 °C

Months in orange are outside its best range.

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

Soil

Soil for Orange (Mandarin, Kinnow): 9 out of 10 (good).

Not in the score: nitrogen.

• The pH here suits it.
• Many fields here are short of zinc, 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 53 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

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 ₹2,800 a quintal across mandis in your state.

Prices are usually best in June.

Typical costs are about ₹99,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.