Samai (Little Millet)

A monsoon crop. Sow in Jun–Jul, harvest in Sep–Oct.

Check it on your land
Season
Kharif
JJASONDJFMAM

Sowing Growing Harvest

55% of its area. Also grown in rabi.
Ready in
85 days
about 3 months
Grows best at
22–27 °C
0 °C survives 15–45 °C 40 °C

When to sow and harvest

Kharif 55% of its area
Rabi 45% 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.

Sowing Growing Harvest

Will it grow on your land?

Davanagere Karnataka
Water
Season

Good fit in Davanagere

Samai (Little Millet)

JJASONDJFMAM

Sow in July, harvest around October

This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.

No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Priced from mandis across your state.

No yield figures yet to estimate income

  • Suits: Rain is enough
  • Suits: Ideal temperatures
  • Suits: Soil 9/10
Why, and how to make it work

Water

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

Needs about 240 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 230 mm it can use in a normal year, and 120 mm in a dry year.

Temperature

Grows best at 22–27 °C on average, and survives 15–45 °C.

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

  • Jul 28 °C / 21 °C
  • Aug 28 °C / 21 °C
  • Sep 28 °C / 21 °C

Soil

Soil for Samai (Little Millet): 9 out of 10 (good).

  • The pH here suits it.
  • Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
  • Most fields here are short of iron.

Likes pH 5.5–6.2.

How the soil score works

Money

No yield records for this crop yet.

Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹9,400 a quintal across mandis in your state.

This week: about ₹7,350 a quintal, the middle of 5 mandis across India (latest 12 Nov).

Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
  1. ₹4,350 2022
  2. ₹3,590 2024
  3. ₹3,830 2025

Prices are usually best in November.

How to make it work

  • Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.

    Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.

    Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.

See every crop that suits Davanagere

What it needs

Temperature

22–27 °C
0 °C40 °C

Survives 15–45 °C. Frost hurts it.

Water

The check above works out its water need on your land.

Soil pH

4 acidic7 neutral9 alkaline

Likes slightly acidic soil. Grows from pH 5 to 7.

Soil

  • No salty soil
  • Ordinary farm soil is fine
  • N Needs plenty of nitrogen and zinc
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°); TerraClimate 1991–2020 temperature normals (about 4 km), where each district's villages are.

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
August, ₹7,600 a quintal
Lowest
December, ₹3,478 a quintal
₹7,600
₹3,478
J F M A M J J A S O N D

Rupees a quintal, typical across India's mandis: each month's latest price (Dec 2025–May 2026, Jul–Nov 2026).

Latest prices near Davanagere Today's price across India

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

Where it grows in India

Where it grows most

The districts with the most area in recent years. The map colours every district growing it on at least 100 ha by yield; the numbers mark these districts.

No recent district figures for this crop.