Sunflower

Water

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

Needs about 260 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 70 mm it can use in a normal year (20 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 200 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

Temperature

Grows best at 17–34 °C on average, and survives 5–45 °C.

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

• Oct 31 °C / 23 °C
• Nov 30 °C / 19 °C
• Dec 28 °C / 15 °C
• Jan 28 °C / 15 °C

Soil

Soil for Sunflower: 7 out of 10 (okay).

• Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
• Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
• Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
• Most fields here are short of nitrogen.

Likes pH 6.0–7.5.

Money

Yield: about 5.2 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹6,349 a quintal across India's mandis.

This week: about ₹7,283 a quintal, the middle of 20 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹15,000 a season after typical costs.

Minimum support price: ₹8,343 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.

Prices are usually best in August.

Typical costs are about ₹23,000 an acre (seed, fertiliser, labour and hired machines, from the government's cost survey). They are spent whatever the harvest.