Urad (Black Gram)
Sow in July, harvest around October
This season's sowing time (June–July) is over.
Grown on 297 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.
₹16,000–₹24,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹2,000–₹10,000 an acre a season
- Needs care: Risky: 2 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Suits: Soil 8/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 2 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 300 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 230 mm it can use in a normal year, and 150 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–35 °C on average, and survives 8–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Jul 35 °C / 26 °C
- Aug 34 °C / 26 °C
- Sep 34 °C / 23 °C
Soil
Soil for Urad (Black Gram): 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of phosphorus, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of potassium.
- Most fields here are short of manganese.
Likes pH 5.5–6.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 3.4 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
On rain alone it gets about 75% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 75% of this yield.
Mandi price at this season's harvest so far (October–November 2026): about ₹8,113 a quintal across India's mandis.
This week: about ₹7,728 a quintal, the middle of 184 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would leave about ₹5,000 a season after typical costs.
Minimum support price: ₹8,200 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹5,930 2021
- ₹5,700 2022
- ₹7,310 2023
- ₹8,230 2024
- ₹6,290 2025
Prices are usually best in October.
Typical costs are about ₹14,000 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
-
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.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
-
Short of potassium Your soil is likely short of potassium.
Add about a quarter more potash (MOP) than the usual dose.
Few local farmers add it to this crop, so it's an easy place to get ahead.
-
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.
What local farmers put on it (share of fields):
- Urea 100%