Soybean

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

Check it on your land
Season
Kharif
100% of its area.
Ready in
100 days
about 3½ months
Water
390–410 mm
over its season
Temperature
20–33 °C
0° survives 10–38 °C 40°

When to sow and harvest

Kharif 100% of its area
Today
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

20–33 °C
0 °C40 °C

Survives 10–38 °C. Frost hurts it.

Water

390–410 mm over its season
Ujjain Latur Rajgarh Buldhana Nanded

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

Soil pH

4 acidic7 neutral9 alkaline

Likes slightly acidic soil. Grows from pH 4.5 to 8.4.

Soil

  • Takes a little salt
  • Needs rich soil
  • N Makes its own nitrogen
  • 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

Draft: check with your KVK
DAP phosphate
53 kg 1 bag of 50 kg
MOP potash
27 kg half a bag of 50 kg

Sulphur 20 kg/ha (gypsum or single super phosphate)

Give the DAP and MOP at sowing, and the urea in two or three doses. If your soil card says a nutrient is low, add about a quarter more of it.

Watch out for

Draft: check with your KVK
  • Girdle beetle
    Pest

    Look for Leaves and branches wilt above two rings cut around the stem.

    First Pull out wilting plants with the grub inside and don't sow too thick. Spray only if many plants are hit; ask your KVK.

  • Leaf-eating caterpillars
    Pest

    Look for Leaves eaten into holes or down to the veins.

    First Use pheromone and light traps; spray when caterpillars are many. Follow the label or your KVK for the dose.

  • Yellow mosaic
    Disease

    Look for Bright yellow patches on the leaves; spread by whitefly.

    First Grow a resistant variety, pull out the first sick plants and control whitefly.

  • Rust
    Disease

    Look for Small brown powdery spots under the leaves; leaves fall early.

    First Sow on time; spray hexaconazole or propiconazole when it first appears. Follow the label or your KVK for the dose.

Mandi price, month by month

Best month
May, ₹5,675
Lowest
October, ₹4,385
₹5,675
₹4,385
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): ₹5,708 a quintal for 2026-27.

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

Where it grows in India

Area grown in India
1,29,46,403 ha
2024-25
Average yield
1.2 t/ha
2024-25
Most area
Ujjain
Madhya Pradesh
Best yield
South West Garo Hills
4.9 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. Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh 5,09,913 ha
  2. Latur, Maharashtra 4,83,014 ha
  3. Buldhana, Maharashtra 4,32,100 ha
  4. Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh 4,31,644 ha
  5. Nanded, Maharashtra 4,22,854 ha
  6. Dewas, Madhya Pradesh 3,84,362 ha
  7. Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh 3,80,281 ha
  8. Dharashiv, Maharashtra 3,78,152 ha
  9. Beed, Maharashtra 3,31,161 ha
  10. Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh 3,22,046 ha

Soybean yield

  1. 0.3–0.8 t/ha
  2. 0.8–1.0 t/ha
  3. 1.0–1.2 t/ha
  4. 1.2–1.4 t/ha
  5. 1.5–4.9 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). 2016-17 to 2024-25.

Where yields are highest

  1. South West Garo Hills, Meghalaya 4.9 t/ha
  2. West Garo Hills, Meghalaya 4.8 t/ha
  3. Pune, Maharashtra 2.3 t/ha
  4. Kolhapur, Maharashtra 2.2 t/ha
  5. Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh 2.2 t/ha
  6. Satara, Maharashtra 1.9 t/ha
  7. Jamnagar, Gujarat 1.9 t/ha
  8. Nizamabad, Telangana 1.9 t/ha
  9. Serchhip, Mizoram 1.9 t/ha
  10. Rajkot, Gujarat 1.8 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). 2016-17 to 2024-25.

Across India over the years

Yield (t/ha)

0.8 1.0 1.2
2016-17 2024-25
Latest 1.2 t/ha in 2024-25

Area (ha)

10.3M 11.8M 13.3M
2016-17 2024-25
Latest 1,29,46,403 ha in 2024-25

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). 2016-17 to 2024-25.

Soil and yield

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

  • Districts with more soil short of manganese tend to have higher soybean yields (weak pattern, 218 districts).
  • Districts with more soil medium in organic carbon tend to have lower soybean yields (weak pattern, 223 districts).
  • Districts with more soil that is neutral tend to have lower soybean yields (weak pattern, 223 districts).
  • Districts with more soil medium in phosphorus tend to have lower soybean yields (weak pattern, 223 districts).
  • Districts with more soil medium in potassium tend to have lower soybean yields (weak pattern, 223 districts).
  • Districts with more soil short of iron tend to have higher soybean yields (weak pattern, 219 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).