Tur (Arhar)
Sow in June, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 9,788 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹13,000–₹19,000
per acre a season, before costs
Likely a loss at typical costs: ₹319–₹7,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain is enough in a normal year. Keep one irrigation ready for a dry year.
Needs about 570 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 650 mm it can use in a normal year, and 550 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 / 26 °C
- Jul 31 °C / 25 °C
- Aug 31 °C / 24 °C
- Sep 30 °C / 24 °C
- Oct 30 °C / 20 °C
- Nov 27 °C / 13 °C
- Dec 24 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
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.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
- Most fields here are short of zinc.
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 ₹6,500 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 ₹4,000 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 3.1 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 37% 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 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.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 39%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 37%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 5%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 3%