Tur (Arhar)
Sow in June, harvest around December
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 5,130 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹13,000–₹20,000
per acre a season, before costs
At typical costs, from a loss of ₹6,000 to a profit of ₹609 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 600 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 590 mm it can use in a normal year, and 520 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 38 °C / 27 °C
- Jul 31 °C / 24 °C
- Aug 30 °C / 24 °C
- Sep 31 °C / 24 °C
- Oct 32 °C / 21 °C
- Nov 30 °C / 15 °C
- Dec 28 °C / 13 °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.
Likes pH 6.0–7.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 2.5 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 ₹9,500 a quintal, the middle of 114 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹5,000 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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.