Tur (Arhar)
Sow in June, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 1.7 lakh acres here. Sold at 14 mandis in your district.
₹13,000–₹20,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹6,000 to a profit of ₹935 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 8 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 8 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 670 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 300 mm it can use in a normal year, and 200 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 35 °C / 23 °C
- Jul 31 °C / 23 °C
- Aug 31 °C / 22 °C
- Sep 31 °C / 22 °C
- Oct 33 °C / 21 °C
- Nov 32 °C / 18 °C
- Dec 31 °C / 16 °C
Soil
Soil for Tur (Arhar): 7 out of 10 (okay).
- 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 2.4 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹6,903 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹9,000 a quintal, the middle of 5 mandis in your district (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹3,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹8,450 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹6,230 2021
- ₹6,000 2022
- ₹9,250 2023
- ₹9,620 2024
- ₹6,410 2025
Prices are usually best in October.
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 4.5 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.
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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.
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Short of manganese Your soil is likely short of manganese.
Spray manganese sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, on the young crop.
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):
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 59%
- Urea 31%
- NPK Mixture 3%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 3%