Sunflower

Water

Rain falls about 5 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

Needs about 300 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 40 mm it can use in a normal year (20 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 10 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 30 °C / 20 °C
• Nov 30 °C / 18 °C
• Dec 30 °C / 16 °C
• Jan 30 °C / 16 °C

Soil

Soil for Sunflower: 9 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 zinc.

Likes pH 6.0–7.5.

Money

Yield: about 2.7 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

Mandi price at last season's harvest (January 2026): about ₹6,939 a quintal at mandis in your district.

This week: about ₹7,423 a quintal, the middle of 18 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: ₹8,343 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.

Prices are usually best in January.

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.