Maize
Sow in October, harvest around January
Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.
Grown on 1,340 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.
₹36,000–₹55,000
per acre a season, before costs
After typical costs: ₹14,000–₹33,000 an acre a season
- Suits: Rain is enough
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 6/10
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 300 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 360 mm it can use in a normal year, and 210 mm in a dry year.
Temperature
Grows best at 18–33 °C on average, and survives 10–47 °C.
Here, in its growing months (day / night):
- Oct 33 °C / 25 °C
- Nov 30 °C / 23 °C
- Dec 29 °C / 21 °C
- Jan 30 °C / 20 °C
Soil
Soil for Maize: 6 out of 10 (okay).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
- Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
- Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
Likes pH 5.0–7.0.
How the soil score worksMoney
Yield: about 24 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).
Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹1,928 a quintal across mandis in your state.
Minimum support price: ₹2,410 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.
- ₹1,440 2021
- ₹1,850 2022
- ₹1,980 2023
- ₹2,230 2024
- ₹2,280 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
Typical costs are about ₹22,000 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 26 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.
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Short of nitrogen Your soil is likely short of nitrogen.
Add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
About 100% 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.
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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):
- Urea 100%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 100%
- Muriate of Potash (MOP) 100%