Cotton
Sow in May, harvest around November
This season's sowing time (April–May) is over.
Grown on 4.5 lakh acres here. Sold at 7 mandis in your district.
Only with irrigation: rain gives too little of its water to count on
- Needs care: Risky: 15 irrigations short
- Suits: Ideal temperatures
- Needs care: Soil 7/10
Why, and how to make it work Hide details
Water
Rain falls about 15 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.
Needs about 830 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 110 mm it can use in a normal year, and 70 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):
- May 41 °C / 25 °C
- Jun 41 °C / 28 °C
- Jul 37 °C / 28 °C
- Aug 36 °C / 27 °C
- Sep 35 °C / 25 °C
- Oct 34 °C / 18 °C
Soil
Soil for Cotton: 7 out of 10 (okay).
- The pH here suits it.
- Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.
- 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 worksMoney
Yield: about 4.0 quintals of kapas (raw cotton) 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 (December 2025): about ₹7,150 a quintal at mandis in your district.
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.
- ₹9,730 2022
- ₹7,150 2023
- ₹6,860 2024
- ₹7,250 2025
Prices are usually best in November.
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 5.8 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.
-
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.
About 46% of local fields of this crop get it.
-
Short of iron Your soil is likely short of iron.
Spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
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.
-
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 92%
- Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) 90%
- Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate / Monohydrate 46%
- Single Super Phosphate (SSP) 34%