Barley
A winter crop. Sow in Oct–Nov, harvest in Feb–Mar.
When to sow and harvest
Will it grow on your land?
Pick your place and water to see:
- Whether Barley suits your land Good fit, possible or won't work, with the reasons.
- What it could earn an acre From yields near you and mandi prices.
- Water and fertiliser it needs Irrigations for your water, and bags for one acre.
What it needs
Temperature
Survives 2–40 °C.
Water
Rain and irrigation together, worked out where most of it grows:
Soil pH
Likes neutral soil. Grows from pH 6 to 8.
Soil
- Copes with salty soil
- Ordinary farm soil is fine
- N Needs plenty of nitrogen and zinc
Source: FAO ECOCROP crop requirements (via OpenCLIM/ecocrop); FAO-56 crop coefficients (Allen et al. 1998); IMD gridded daily rainfall (0.25°); IMD gridded daily max/min temperature (1°).
Fertiliser for one acre
Watch out for
Mandi price, month by month
Rupees a quintal, typical across India's mandis.
Government minimum support price (MSP): ₹2,286 a quintal for 2027-28.
Source: Agmarknet daily prices and arrivals (India Data Portal).
Where it grows in India
- Area grown in India
- 6,07,454 ha
- 2024-25
- Average yield
- 3.2 t/ha
- 2024-25
- Most area
- Ganganagar
- Rajasthan
- Best yield
- Ganganagar
- 4.5 t/ha
Where it grows most
The districts with the most area in recent years. The map colours every district growing it on at least 100 ha by yield; the numbers mark these districts.
- 1 Ganganagar Rajasthan 9.8% 58,540 ha
- 2 Jaipur Rajasthan 8.0% 47,610 ha
- 3 Sikar Rajasthan 4.6% 27,304 ha
- 4 Bhilwara Rajasthan 4.0% 24,164 ha
- 5 Ajmer Rajasthan 3.8% 22,828 ha
- 6 Hanumangarh Rajasthan 2.7% 15,946 ha
- 7 Beawar Rajasthan 1.8% 10,808 ha
- 8 Jalaun Uttar Pradesh 1.6% 9,798 ha
- 9 Etah Uttar Pradesh 1.6% 9,636 ha
- 10 Churu Rajasthan 1.5% 9,211 ha
Barley yield
- 0.0–1.6 t/ha
- 1.7–2.4 t/ha
- 2.5–3.0 t/ha
- 3.0–3.5 t/ha
- 3.5–4.5 t/ha
1 Numbers match the list: the districts with the most area.
Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 1997-98 to 2024-25.
Where yields are highest
Districts growing it on at least 100 ha, against the average across India. The line runs from India's average to each district.
- Ganganagar Rajasthan 4.5 t/ha 1.5× India
- Dhar Madhya Pradesh 4.4 t/ha 1.4× India
- Sangrur Punjab 4.2 t/ha 1.4× India
- Jhajjar Haryana 4.1 t/ha 1.4× India
- Gurugram Haryana 4.1 t/ha 1.3× India
- Rewari Haryana 4.1 t/ha 1.3× India
- Rupnagar Punjab 4.0 t/ha 1.3× India
- Alwar Rajasthan 3.9 t/ha 1.3× India
- Hanumangarh Rajasthan 3.9 t/ha 1.3× India
- Faridkot Punjab 3.9 t/ha 1.3× India
Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 1997-98 to 2024-25.
Across India over the years
Yield (t/ha)
Area (ha)
Only years in which most of the usual districts reported are shown.
Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 1997-98 to 2024-25.
Soil and yield
How district soil tests line up with this crop's yields across India.
Barley yields tend to be higher in districts with
- More soil low in nitrogen moderate 196 districts
- More soil low in organic carbon moderate 210 districts
- More soil that is alkaline moderate 210 districts
Barley yields tend to be lower in districts with
- More soil medium in nitrogen moderate 196 districts
- More soil that is acidic moderate 210 districts
- More soil high in organic carbon moderate 210 districts
A pattern is not proof that soil causes the difference.
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).