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Your plan for Prakasam

Rabi Rain only

We checked 54 crops against your soil, rain and temperature, whether or not they're grown near you.

It's November: 30 of the crops that suit can still be sown this season. For 5 the sowing time is over.

Your land

Soil

7

out of 10

Soil score

Okay

Short in most fields here: nitrogen and organic carbon.

For most crops. How the soil score works

Rain

About 317 mm in Rabi

October–February, in a normal year. A dry year brings about 240 mm.

Temperature

Days about 32 °C, nights 21 °C in Rabi

Typical of the district's villages; a farm much higher or lower can be a few degrees cooler or warmer.

What's short in your soil, and what to do (2 nutrients)

  • Nitrogen

    From 35,646 soil tests

    Poor

    Low 97% Medium 2%

    Almost every soil test here came out low

    If your field is low: add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.

    What this means

    Grows leaves and stems. Short soil gives pale, yellow leaves.

    Low under 280 kg/ha Medium 280–560 kg/ha High over 560 kg/ha

    Healthy soil has 280 kg/ha or more.

  • Organic carbon

    From 35,613 soil tests

    Poor

    Low 68% Medium 10% High 21%

    7 in 10 soil tests here came out low

    If your field is low: add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.

    What this means

    Shows how much organic matter the soil has. It keeps soil loose, holds water and feeds the crop slowly.

    Low under 0.5% Medium 0.5–0.75% High over 0.75%

    Healthy soil has 0.5% or more.

Fixes are the usual advice. Your Soil Health Card or nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra gives the exact dose for your field.

Other soil results

  • Phosphorus

    From 35,667 soil tests

    Good

    Low 5% Medium 27% High 68%

    Most soil tests here came out high

    If your field is high: you can use about a quarter less DAP than usual.

    What this means

    Builds roots and helps the crop flower and fill grain.

    Low under 10 kg/ha Medium 10–25 kg/ha High over 25 kg/ha

    Healthy soil has 10 kg/ha or more.

  • Potassium

    From 35,688 soil tests

    Good

    Low 1% Medium 15% High 84%

    Most soil tests here came out high

    If your field is high: you can use about a quarter less potash than usual.

    What this means

    Fills grain and fruit, and helps crops stand drought and disease.

    Low under 110 kg/ha Medium 110–280 kg/ha High over 280 kg/ha

    Healthy soil has 110 kg/ha or more.

  • pH

    From 35,538 soil tests

    Okay

    Neutral 79% Alkaline 21%

    2 in 10 soil tests here came out alkaline

    If your field is alkaline: add compost or farmyard manure. Very alkaline land also needs gypsum; a soil lab works out how much.

    What this means

    How sour (acidic) or alkaline the soil is. It decides which nutrients roots can take up.

    Acidic Neutral Alkaline

    In these tests, neutral means about pH 6 to 8, which suits most crops; acidic is below about 6 and alkaline above about 8.

  • Salt

    From 35,590 soil tests

    Good

    Not salty 100%

    Almost no soil tests here came out salty

    What this means

    Salt in the soil, shown as EC on the card. Salt makes it hard for roots to drink.

    Not salty Salty

    Under 1 dS/m is fine. Between 1 and 4, only crops that can't take salt lose yield. Above 4 harms most crops.

  • Sulphur

    From 35,700 soil tests

    Good

    Short 3% Enough 97%

    Almost every soil test here had enough

    What this means

    Makes oil in oilseeds and protein in pulses.

    Short under 10 ppm Enough 10 ppm or more

    Healthy soil has 10 ppm or more.

  • Zinc

    From 35,556 soil tests

    Okay

    Short 32% Enough 68%

    3 in 10 soil tests here came out short

    If your field is short: mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.

    What this means

    Needed for growth and healthy leaves. Rice and wheat often run short.

    Short under 0.6 ppm Enough 0.6 ppm or more

    Healthy soil has 0.6 ppm or more.

  • Iron

    From 35,545 soil tests

    Okay

    Short 33% Enough 67%

    3 in 10 soil tests here came out short

    If your field is short: spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.

    What this means

    Keeps young leaves green.

    Short under 4.5 ppm Enough 4.5 ppm or more

    Healthy soil has 4.5 ppm or more.

  • Copper

    From 35,634 soil tests

    Good

    Short 6% Enough 94%

    1 in 10 soil tests here came out short

    What this means

    Helps the crop set seed and resist disease.

    Short under 0.2 ppm Enough 0.2 ppm or more

    Healthy soil has 0.2 ppm or more.

  • Manganese

    From 35,690 soil tests

    Good

    Short 6% Enough 94%

    1 in 10 soil tests here came out short

    What this means

    Helps leaves make food from sunlight.

    Short under 2 ppm Enough 2 ppm or more

    Healthy soil has 2 ppm or more.

  • Boron

    From 35,706 soil tests

    Good

    Short 8% Enough 92%

    1 in 10 soil tests here came out short

    What this means

    Needed for flowers to set seed and fruit.

    Short under 0.5 ppm Enough 0.5 ppm or more

    Healthy soil has 0.5 ppm or more.

Good fit 0

Water, temperature and soil type suit; amber shows what needs care, such as nutrients to add. Sorted by what is likely left per acre after costs; risky crops come lower.

Nothing fits well this season. Look at the crops below that are possible with effort, or try another season.

Possible, with effort 35

Each needs something extra: irrigation, soil care or a careful sowing time, or it likely loses money at typical costs. The card says what.

Sowing Growing Harvest

  1. Radish

    JJASONDJFMAM

    Sow in October, harvest around December

    Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.

    No figures for your district: its government crop records list no area or yield for this crop. Priced from mandis across India.

    ₹72,000–₹1.1 lakh

    per acre a season, before costs

    After typical costs: ₹18,000–₹54,000 an acre a season

    • Needs care: Risky: 1 irrigation short
    • Needs care: Warm in October
    • Needs care: Soil 7/10
    Why, and how to make it work

    Water

    Rain falls about 1 irrigation (5 cm) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

    Needs about 160 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 120 mm it can use in a normal year (80 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 10 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

    Temperature

    Grows best at 12–26 °C on average, and survives 10–37 °C.

    Here, in its growing months (day / night):

    • Oct 33 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)
    • Nov 31 °C / 22 °C (outside its best range)

    Months in orange are outside its best range.

    Soil

    Soil for Radish: 7 out of 10 (okay).

    • Soil here is often more alkaline than it likes.
    • Many fields here are short of nitrogen, which it needs a lot.
    • Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

    Likes pH 6.0–7.0.

    How the soil score works

    Money

    Yield: about 120 quintals an acre, the typical figure in your state (its government crop records list none for your district).

    On rain alone it gets about 81% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 81% of this yield.

    Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹925 a quintal across India's mandis.

    Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
    1. ₹990 2021
    2. ₹1,090 2022
    3. ₹1,130 2023
    4. ₹1,360 2024
    5. ₹1,280 2025

    Prices are usually best in August.

    Typical costs are about ₹54,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.

    How to make it work

    • 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.

      Ask your Krishi Vigyan Kendra what to add for this crop.

    • 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.

  2. Cowpea (Lobia)

    JJASONDJFMAM

    Sow in October, harvest around January

    Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.

    Grown on 20,928 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.

    ₹18,000–₹27,000

    per acre a season, before costs

    After typical costs: ₹8,000–₹17,000 an acre a season

    • Needs care: Risky: 3 irrigations short
    • Suits: Ideal temperatures
    • Suits: Soil 9/10
    Why, and how to make it work

    Water

    Rain falls about 3 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

    Needs about 270 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 150 mm it can use in a normal year (90 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 10 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

    Temperature

    Grows best at 25–35 °C on average, and survives 15–40 °C.

    Here, in its growing months (day / night):

    • Oct 33 °C / 24 °C
    • Nov 31 °C / 22 °C
    • Dec 30 °C / 19 °C (outside its best range)
    • Jan 31 °C / 19 °C

    Months in orange are outside its best range.

    Soil

    Soil for Cowpea (Lobia): 9 out of 10 (good).

    • The pH here suits it.
    • Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
    • Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

    Likes pH 5.5–7.5.

    How the soil score works

    Money

    Yield: about 3.4 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

    Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹6,592 a quintal across India's mandis.

    Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
    1. ₹5,510 2021
    2. ₹5,430 2022
    3. ₹6,340 2023
    4. ₹7,030 2024
    5. ₹5,820 2025

    Prices are usually best in November.

    Typical costs are about ₹10,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. 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.

    • 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.

  3. Gram (Chana)

    JJASONDJFMAM

    Sow in October, harvest around February

    Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.

    Grown on 1.5 lakh acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.

    ₹24,000–₹36,000

    per acre a season, before costs

    After typical costs: ₹5,000–₹17,000 an acre a season

    • Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
    • Suits: Ideal temperatures
    • Suits: Soil 9/10
    Why, and how to make it work

    Water

    Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

    Needs about 320 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 150 mm it can use in a normal year (90 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 10 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

    Temperature

    Grows best at 15–29 °C on average, and survives 7–35 °C.

    Here, in its growing months (day / night):

    • Oct 33 °C / 24 °C
    • Nov 31 °C / 22 °C
    • Dec 30 °C / 19 °C
    • Jan 31 °C / 19 °C

    Soil

    Soil for Gram (Chana): 9 out of 10 (good).

    • The pH here suits it.
    • Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
    • Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

    Likes pH 6.0–8.5.

    How the soil score works

    Money

    Yield: about 5.8 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

    Mandi price at last season's harvest (February–March 2026): about ₹5,131 a quintal across mandis in your state.

    Minimum support price: ₹5,958 a quintal (2027-28), if you sell to government procurement.

    Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
    1. ₹4,700 2021
    2. ₹4,710 2022
    3. ₹4,850 2023
    4. ₹5,680 2024
    5. ₹5,520 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 7.1 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.

    • 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.

    What local farmers put on it (share of fields):

    • Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 77%
    • Urea 66%
    • Muriate of Potash (MOP) 9%
    • Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) 9%

  4. Cotton

    JJASONDJFMAM

    Sow in October, harvest around April

    Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.

    Grown on 6,755 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.

    ₹29,000–₹44,000

    per acre a season, before costs

    After typical costs: ₹2,000–₹16,000 an acre a season

    • Needs care: Risky: 11 irrigations short
    • Suits: Ideal temperatures
    • Suits: Soil 8/10
    Why, and how to make it work

    Water

    Rain falls about 11 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

    Needs about 670 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 150 mm it can use in a normal year, and 100 mm in a dry year.

    Temperature

    Grows best at 22–36 °C on average, and survives 15–42 °C.

    Here, in its growing months (day / night):

    • Oct 33 °C / 24 °C
    • Nov 31 °C / 22 °C
    • Dec 30 °C / 19 °C
    • Jan 31 °C / 19 °C
    • Feb 34 °C / 21 °C
    • Mar 36 °C / 24 °C

    Soil

    Soil for Cotton: 8 out of 10 (good).

    • The pH here suits it.
    • Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
    • Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

    Likes pH 6.0–7.5.

    How the soil score works

    Money

    Yield: about 4.3 quintals of kapas (raw cotton) an acre here in this season (district figures).

    Mandi price at last season's harvest (April–May 2026): about ₹8,452 a quintal across mandis in your state.

    Minimum support price: ₹8,267 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.

    That is the price for medium staple kapas (raw cotton). Long staple kapas has ₹8,667 a quintal.

    Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
    1. ₹9,310 2022
    2. ₹7,200 2023
    3. ₹7,190 2024
    4. ₹7,520 2025

    Prices are usually best in April.

    Typical costs are about ₹28,000 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 6.5 quintals of kapas (raw cotton) an acre. That's a realistic target.

    • 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 92% of local fields of this crop get it.

    • 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.

    What local farmers put on it (share of fields):

    • Urea 92%
    • Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 89%
    • Muriate of Potash (MOP) 59%
    • Urea Ammonium Phosphate 23%

  5. Tobacco

    JJASONDJFMAM

    Sow in October, harvest around February

    Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.

    Grown on 87,726 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.

    ₹24,000–₹36,000

    per acre a season, before costs

    After typical costs: ₹1,000–₹13,000 an acre a season

    • Needs care: Risky: 6 irrigations short
    • Suits: Ideal temperatures
    • Suits: Soil 8/10
    Why, and how to make it work

    Water

    Rain falls about 6 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

    Needs about 410 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 150 mm it can use in a normal year (90 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 10 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

    Temperature

    Grows best at 15–30 °C on average, and survives 7–35 °C.

    Here, in its growing months (day / night):

    • Oct 33 °C / 24 °C
    • Nov 31 °C / 22 °C
    • Dec 30 °C / 19 °C
    • Jan 31 °C / 19 °C
    • Feb 34 °C / 21 °C

    Soil

    Soil for Tobacco: 8 out of 10 (good).

    • Soil here is often more alkaline than it likes.
    • Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
    • Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

    Likes pH 5.0–6.5.

    How the soil score works

    Money

    Yield: about 7.5 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

    Mandi price at last season's harvest (February–March 2026): about ₹3,978 a quintal across India's mandis.

    Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
    1. ₹4,650 2021
    2. ₹4,490 2022
    3. ₹4,570 2023
    4. ₹5,130 2025

    Prices are usually best in December.

    Typical costs are about ₹23,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2022–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.

    How to make it work

    The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 12 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.

    • 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 90% of local fields of this crop get it.

    • 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.

    What local farmers put on it (share of fields):

    • Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 90%
    • Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 66%
    • NPK Mixture 27%
    • Urea 25%

  6. Moong (Green Gram)

    JJASONDJFMAM

    Sow in October, harvest around December

    Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.

    Grown on 1,565 acres here. Priced from mandis across India.

    ₹15,000–₹22,000

    per acre a season, before costs

    After typical costs: ₹463–₹8,000 an acre a season

    • Needs care: Risky: 2 irrigations short
    • Suits: Ideal temperatures
    • Suits: Soil 9/10
    Why, and how to make it work

    Water

    Rain falls about 2 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

    Needs about 210 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 140 mm it can use in a normal year (90 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 10 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

    Temperature

    Grows best at 21–36 °C on average, and survives 8–40 °C.

    Here, in its growing months (day / night):

    • Oct 33 °C / 24 °C
    • Nov 31 °C / 22 °C
    • Dec 30 °C / 19 °C

    Soil

    Soil for Moong (Green Gram): 9 out of 10 (good).

    • The pH here suits it.
    • Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
    • Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

    Likes pH 6.2–7.5.

    How the soil score works

    Money

    Yield: about 4.2 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

    On rain alone it gets about 71% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 71% of this yield.

    Mandi price at last season's harvest (December 2025–January 2026): about ₹6,108 a quintal across India's mandis.

    Minimum support price: ₹8,780 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.

    Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
    1. ₹6,010 2021
    2. ₹6,130 2022
    3. ₹7,280 2023
    4. ₹7,580 2024
    5. ₹6,880 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 2.9 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.

    • 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.

    What local farmers put on it (share of fields):

    • Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 100%

  7. Urad (Black Gram)

    JJASONDJFMAM

    Sow in October, harvest around January

    Still sowing time: sow by the end of December.

    Grown on 72,967 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.

    ₹13,000–₹20,000

    per acre a season, before costs

    At typical costs, from a loss of ₹870 to a profit of ₹6,000 an acre a season

    • Needs care: Risky: 2 irrigations short
    • Suits: Ideal temperatures
    • Suits: Soil 8/10
    Why, and how to make it work

    Water

    Rain falls about 2 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

    Needs about 240 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 150 mm it can use in a normal year (90 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 10 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):

    • Oct 33 °C / 24 °C
    • Nov 31 °C / 22 °C
    • Dec 30 °C / 19 °C

    Soil

    Soil for Urad (Black Gram): 8 out of 10 (good).

    • Soil here is often more alkaline than it likes.
    • Low nitrogen matters less: it makes its own.
    • Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

    Likes pH 5.5–6.5.

    How the soil score works

    Money

    Yield: about 2.1 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

    Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹7,920 a quintal across mandis in your state.

    Minimum support price: ₹8,200 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.

    Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
    1. ₹5,290 2022
    2. ₹7,080 2023
    3. ₹8,750 2024
    4. ₹6,870 2025

    Prices are usually best in November.

    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 3.3 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.

    • 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.

    What local farmers put on it (share of fields):

    • Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 95%
    • Urea 11%
    • Ammonium Phosphate Sulphate / Nitrogen Phosphate 10%
    • Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) 3%

  8. Jowar (Sorghum)

    JJASONDJFMAM

    Sow in September, harvest around January

    This season's sowing time (September–October) is over.

    Grown on 8,888 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.

    ₹11,000–₹17,000

    per acre a season, before costs

    At typical costs, from a loss of ₹1,000 to a profit of ₹4,000 an acre a season

    • Needs care: Risky: 3 irrigations short
    • Suits: Ideal temperatures
    • Needs care: Soil 7/10
    Why, and how to make it work

    Water

    Rain falls about 3 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

    Needs about 340 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 220 mm it can use in a normal year, and 160 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):

    • Sep 34 °C / 25 °C
    • Oct 33 °C / 24 °C
    • Nov 31 °C / 22 °C
    • Dec 30 °C / 19 °C

    Soil

    Soil for Jowar (Sorghum): 7 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 5.5–8.0.

    How the soil score works

    Money

    Yield: about 7.0 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

    Mandi price at last season's harvest (January–February 2026): about ₹2,000 a quintal across mandis in your state.

    Minimum support price: ₹4,023 a quintal (2026-27), if you sell to government procurement.

    Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
    1. ₹2,000 2021
    2. ₹2,080 2022
    3. ₹3,090 2023
    4. ₹2,150 2025

    Prices are usually best in July.

    Typical costs are about ₹12,000 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 5.7 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.

    • 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 53% of local fields of this crop get it.

    • 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.

    What local farmers put on it (share of fields):

    • Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 53%
    • Urea 31%
    • Urea Ammonium Phosphate 18%
    • NPK Mixture 5%

  9. Maize

    JJASONDJFMAM

    Sow in October, harvest around January

    Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.

    Grown on 24,427 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.

    ₹15,000–₹22,000

    per acre a season, before costs

    At typical costs, from a loss of ₹7,000 to a profit of ₹122 an acre a season

    • Needs care: Risky: 4 irrigations short
    • Suits: Ideal temperatures
    • Needs care: Soil 7/10
    Why, and how to make it work

    Water

    Rain falls about 4 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

    Needs about 330 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain in its months gives about 150 mm it can use in a normal year (90 mm in a dry one), and the soil holds about 10 mm from the monsoon at sowing.

    Temperature

    Grows best at 18–33 °C on average, and survives 10–47 °C.

    Here, in its growing months (day / night):

    • Oct 33 °C / 24 °C
    • Nov 31 °C / 22 °C
    • Dec 30 °C / 19 °C
    • Jan 31 °C / 19 °C

    Soil

    Soil for Maize: 7 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 works

    Money

    Yield: about 20 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

    On rain alone it gets about 47% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 47% of this yield.

    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.

    Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
    1. ₹1,440 2021
    2. ₹1,850 2022
    3. ₹1,980 2023
    4. ₹2,230 2024
    5. ₹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 24 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    What local farmers put on it (share of fields):

    • Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 100%
    • Urea 78%
    • Muriate of Potash (MOP) 27%

  10. Chillies (Dry)

    JJASONDJFMAM

    Sow in October, harvest around March

    Still sowing time: sow by the end of November.

    Grown on 27,011 acres here. Priced from mandis across your state.

    Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on

    • Needs care: Risky: 10 irrigations short
    • Suits: Ideal temperatures
    • Suits: Soil 8/10
    Why, and how to make it work

    Water

    Rain falls about 10 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

    Needs about 630 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 150 mm it can use in a normal year, and 100 mm in a dry year.

    Temperature

    Grows best at 17–30 °C on average, and survives 8–35 °C.

    Here, in its growing months (day / night):

    • Oct 33 °C / 24 °C
    • Nov 31 °C / 22 °C
    • Dec 30 °C / 19 °C
    • Jan 31 °C / 19 °C
    • Feb 34 °C / 21 °C
    • Mar 36 °C / 24 °C (outside its best range)

    Months in orange are outside its best range.

    Soil

    Soil for Chillies (Dry): 8 out of 10 (good).

    • The pH here suits it.
    • Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
    • Most fields here are short of organic carbon.

    Likes pH 6.0–7.5.

    How the soil score works

    Money

    Yield: about 14 quintals an acre here in this season (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 (March–April 2026): about ₹18,249 a quintal across mandis in your state.

    Average mandi price each year (₹ a quintal):
    1. ₹7,060 2021
    2. ₹14,700 2022
    3. ₹16,200 2023
    4. ₹11,520 2024
    5. ₹12,050 2025

    Prices swing a lot from year to year, so income can be well above or below this range.

    Prices are usually best in November.

    Typical costs are about ₹1.1 lakh an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.

    How to make it work

    The better districts with similar soil, rain and warmth get 20 quintals an acre. That's a realistic target.

    • 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 98% of local fields of this crop get it.

    • 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.

    What local farmers put on it (share of fields):

    • Urea 98%
    • Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 84%
    • Muriate of Potash (MOP) 70%
    • Urea Ammonium Phosphate 21%
19 crops won't work here See why for each one

10 more crops aren't judged yet because we don't have their growing needs.

Next steps

Source: Soil Health Card – soil nutrient analysis (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Horticulture area & production statistics (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); IMD gridded daily rainfall (0.25°); IMD gridded daily max/min temperature (1°); TerraClimate 1991–2020 temperature normals (about 4 km), where each district's villages are; FAO ECOCROP crop requirements (via OpenCLIM/ecocrop); FAO-56 crop coefficients (Allen et al. 1998); Agmarknet daily prices and arrivals (India Data Portal).