Sesame (Til)
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 396 acres here. Sold at 2 mandis in your district.
₹9,000–₹13,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹2,000–₹6,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 1 irrigation short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 1 irrigation (5 cm) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 300 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 270 mm it can use in a normal year, and 210 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 20–30 °C on average, and survives 10–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 29 °C / 22 °C
- Aug 29 °C / 21 °C
- Sep 29 °C / 21 °C
- Oct 31 °C / 19 °C
Soil
Soil for Sesame (Til): 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.5–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 0.9 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 88% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 88% of this yield.
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹12,900 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹12,500 a quintal, the middle of 9 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹4,000 a season at typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹10,346 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
Prices are usually best in October.
Typical costs are about ₹15,000 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 1.9 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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Short of nitrogen Your soil is likely short of nitrogen.
Add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.
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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.