Safflower

A winter crop. Sow in Oct–Nov, harvest in Feb–Mar.

Check it on your land
Season
Rabi
99% of its area.
Ready in
130 days
about 4½ months
Water
390–430 mm
over its season
Temperature
20–32 °C
0° survives 5–45 °C 40°

When to sow and harvest

Rabi 99% of its area
Today: rabi sowing time
J J A S O N D J F M A M
Sow Growing Harvest
The year starts in June, with the monsoon. Your district can shift a few weeks.

Will it grow on your land?

Water
Season

Pick a place and water to see if it suits your land, and what it earns.

What it needs

Temperature

20–32 °C
0 °C40 °C

Survives 5–45 °C.

Water

390–430 mm over its season
Bidar Latur Kalaburagi Dharashiv Khargone (West Nimar)

Worked out where most of it grows. Rain and irrigation together.

Soil pH

4 acidic7 neutral9 alkaline

Likes neutral soil. Grows from pH 5 to 8.

Soil

  • Takes a little salt
  • Ordinary farm soil is fine
  • S Needs plenty of sulphur and boron
How the soil score works

Source: FAO ECOCROP crop requirements (via OpenCLIM/ecocrop); FAO-56 crop coefficients (Allen et al. 1998); IMD gridded daily rainfall (0.25°); IMD gridded daily max/min temperature (1°).

Fertiliser for one acre

Not covered yet. Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra for the dose.

Watch out for

Not covered yet. Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to watch for.

Mandi price, month by month

Best month
January, ₹5,181
Lowest
March, ₹4,551
₹5,181
₹4,551
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Rupees a quintal, typical across India's mandis.

Government minimum support price (MSP): ₹7,215 a quintal for 2027-28.

Source: Agmarknet daily prices and arrivals (India Data Portal).

Where it grows in India

Area grown in India
1,07,159 ha
2022-23
Average yield
0.8 t/ha
2022-23
Most area
Bidar
Karnataka
Best yield
Ranga Reddy
1.2 t/ha

Districts with the most area (recent figures)

The map colours each district by yield, for districts growing it on at least 100 ha.

  1. Bidar, Karnataka 12,582 ha
  2. Latur, Maharashtra 12,508 ha
  3. Kalaburagi, Karnataka 6,690 ha
  4. Dharashiv, Maharashtra 5,868 ha
  5. Nanded, Maharashtra 4,919 ha
  6. Gadag, Karnataka 4,538 ha
  7. Dharwad, Karnataka 4,261 ha
  8. Parbhani, Maharashtra 2,144 ha
  9. Vijayapura, Karnataka 1,923 ha
  10. Hingoli, Maharashtra 1,745 ha

Safflower yield

  1. 0.2–0.5 t/ha
  2. 0.5–0.6 t/ha
  3. 0.6–0.8 t/ha
  4. 0.8–0.8 t/ha
  5. 0.8–1.2 t/ha
No data

Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 1999-00 to 2022-23.

Where yields are highest

  1. Ranga Reddy, Telangana 1.2 t/ha
  2. Bidar, Karnataka 1.1 t/ha
  3. Kamareddy, Telangana 1.0 t/ha
  4. Narayanpet, Telangana 0.9 t/ha
  5. Vikarabad, Telangana 0.9 t/ha
  6. Wardha, Maharashtra 0.9 t/ha
  7. Parbhani, Maharashtra 0.9 t/ha
  8. Gondia, Maharashtra 0.8 t/ha
  9. Buldhana, Maharashtra 0.8 t/ha
  10. Gadchiroli, Maharashtra 0.8 t/ha

Only districts growing it on at least 100 ha.

Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 1999-00 to 2022-23.

Across India over the years

Yield (t/ha)

0.0 0.4 0.8
1999-00 2022-23
Latest 0.8 t/ha in 2022-23

Area (ha)

0.0 220K 440K
1999-00 2022-23
Latest 1,07,159 ha in 2022-23

Only years in which most of the usual districts reported are shown.

Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 1999-00 to 2022-23.

Soil and yield

How district soil tests line up with this crop's yields across India.

  • Districts with more soil that is neutral tend to have higher safflower yields (moderate pattern, 49 districts).
  • Districts with more soil short of sulphur tend to have higher safflower yields (weak pattern, 49 districts).
  • Districts with more soil that is salty tend to have lower safflower yields (weak pattern, 49 districts).
  • Districts with more soil that is alkaline tend to have lower safflower yields (weak pattern, 49 districts).
  • Districts with more soil short of iron tend to have higher safflower yields (weak pattern, 49 districts).
  • Districts with more soil low in potassium tend to have lower safflower yields (weak pattern, 49 districts).

A pattern is not proof that soil causes the difference.

Source: Soil Health Card – soil nutrient analysis (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare).