Tur (Arhar)
Sow in June, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 10,897 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹22,000–₹34,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹3,000–₹14,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough, even in a dry year.
Needs about 520 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 800 mm it can use in a normal year, and 750 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 18–38 °C on average, and survives 10–45 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 31 °C / 23 °C
- Jul 27 °C / 21 °C
- Aug 26 °C / 21 °C
- Sep 27 °C / 21 °C
- Oct 28 °C / 19 °C
- Nov 26 °C / 15 °C
- Dec 26 °C / 12 °C
Soil
Soil for Tur (Arhar): 7 out of 10 (okay).
- Soil here is often more acidic than it likes.
- Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
- Many fields here are short of phosphorus, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of sulphur, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 4.3 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹6,500 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹9,531 a quintal, the middle of 101 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹22,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹8,450 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹5,740 2021
- ₹5,750 2022
- ₹8,120 2023
- ₹9,380 2024
- ₹6,260 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹19,000 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 5.9 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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Short of phosphorus Your soil is likely short of phosphorus.
Add about a quarter more DAP or single super phosphate than the usual dose, at sowing.
About 15% of local fields of this crop get it.
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Short of organic carbon Your soil is likely short of organic carbon.
Add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
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):
- Urea 33%
- NPK Mixture 15%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 15%
- Nitro Phosphate Potash 11%