Tur (Arhar)
Sow in June, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 1.1 lakh acres here. Sold at 12 mandis in your district.
₹26,000–₹39,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹7,000–₹19,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 650 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 470 mm it can use in a normal year, and 340 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 18–38 °C on average, and survives 10–45 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jun 37 °C / 25 °C
- Jul 31 °C / 23 °C
- Aug 31 °C / 23 °C
- Sep 31 °C / 22 °C
- Oct 32 °C / 20 °C
- Nov 31 °C / 17 °C
- Dec 30 °C / 14 °C
Soil
Soil for Tur (Arhar): 8 out of 10 (good).
- The pH here suits it.
- 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 4.9 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹6,545 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹9,900 a quintal, the middle of 5 mandis in your district (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹30,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹8,450 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹6,080 2021
- ₹6,250 2022
- ₹8,850 2023
- ₹9,520 2024
- ₹6,390 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 4.4 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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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 sulphur Your soil is likely short of sulphur.
Use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
-
Short of zinc Your soil is likely short of zinc.
Mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
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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.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 41%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 31%
- Mono-Ammonium Phosphate (MAP) 14%
- Ammonium Phosphate Sulphate / Nitrogen Phosphate 3%