Sunflower

Water

Rain is enough, even in a dry year.

Needs about 330 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 700 mm it can use in a normal year, and 430 mm in a dry year.

Heavy rain here can waterlog it. Grow it on raised beds or land that drains well.

Temperature

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

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

• Jun 38 °C / 27 °C
• Jul 32 °C / 25 °C
• Aug 31 °C / 25 °C
• Sep 32 °C / 25 °C

Soil

Soil for Sunflower: 9 out of 10 (good).

Not in the score: zinc, iron, copper and manganese.

• 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.

Likes pH 6.0–7.5.

Money

Yield: about 7.0 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (your district's own figure looked wrong).

Mandi price at last season's harvest (September–October 2026): about ₹7,446 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 ₹28,000 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.