Date Palm

Water

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

Needs about 1,160 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 920 mm it can use in a normal year, and 570 mm in a dry year.

Temperature

Grows best at 26–45 °C on average, and survives 10–52 °C.

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

• Jun 30 °C / 18 °C (outside its best range)
• Jul 28 °C / 18 °C (outside its best range)
• Aug 27 °C / 18 °C (outside its best range)
• Sep 27 °C / 15 °C (outside its best range)
• Oct 24 °C / 10 °C (outside its best range)
• Nov 19 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Dec 13 °C / 2 °C (outside its best range)
• Jan 10 °C / 0 °C (outside its best range)
• Feb 13 °C / 3 °C (outside its best range)
• Mar 18 °C / 6 °C (outside its best range)
• Apr 23 °C / 11 °C (outside its best range)
• May 28 °C / 15 °C (outside its best range)
• Jun 30 °C / 18 °C (outside its best range)

Months in orange are outside its best range.

Nights in November can bring frost. When frost is forecast, water the field lightly in the evening.

Soil

Soil for Date Palm: 7 out of 10 (okay).

Not in the score: nitrogen.

• The pH here suits it.
• Many fields here are short of potassium, which it needs a lot.
• Many fields here are short of zinc, which it needs a lot.
• Many fields here are short of boron, which it needs a lot.

Likes pH 6.5–8.0.

Money

Yield: about 31 quintals an acre, the typical figure across India (no figures for your state).

A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 5 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.

On rain alone it gets about 79% of the water it needs, so the money here is worked at 79% of this yield.

No mandi or support price for this crop yet.