Urad (Black Gram)
Sow in November, harvest around February
Sowing time is now.
No figures for this season in your district. Sold at 2 mandis in your district.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Needs care: Risky: 2 irrigations short
- Needs care: Cool in December
- 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 200 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 0 mm it can use in a normal year (0 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 100 mm from the monsoon at sowing.
Temperature
Grows best at 22–35 °C on average, and survives 8–40 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Nov 31 °C / 14 °C
- Dec 26 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
- Jan 24 °C / 9 °C (outside its best range)
Months in orange are outside its best range.
Soil
Soil for Urad (Black Gram): 8 out of 10 (good).
Not in the score: nitrogen and boron.
- Soil here is often more alkaline than it likes.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.5–6.5.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 1.5 quintals an acre here in its other seasons (district figures).
Rain gives it too little of the water it needs, so there's no income figure on rain alone: grow it only with irrigation.
Mandi price at last season's harvest (February 2026): about ₹6,150 a quintal at mandis in your district.
This week: about ₹7,084 a quintal, the middle of 17 mandis in your state (latest 13 Nov).
Minimum support price: ₹8,200 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹7,410 2023
- ₹7,600 2024
- ₹5,580 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
The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 2.4 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.
Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.