Sunflower
Sow in October, harvest around January
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
Grown on 1,944 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Doesn't suit: Too dry without irrigation
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Too dry to grow on rain alone. It would need irrigation.
Needs about 290 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 30 mm it can use in a normal year, and 20 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 17–34 °C on average, and survives 5–45 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Oct 30 °C / 22 °C
- Nov 30 °C / 20 °C
- Dec 30 °C / 18 °C
- Jan 30 °C / 18 °C
Soil
Soil for Sunflower: 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- 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 iron.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.4 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹6,593 a quintal across mandis in your state.
This week: about ₹7,423 a quintal, the middle of 18 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹8,343 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹5,880 2021
- ₹5,960 2022
- ₹4,660 2023
- ₹4,640 2024
- ₹5,860 2025
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.
How to make it work
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 4.4 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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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.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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Short of boron Your soil is likely short of boron.
Mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 100%
- Urea 100%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 96%
- Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate / Monohydrate 72%