Rabi & Horticulture Crop Guides
Explore Rabi and horticulture crop guides with practical tips on cultivation, nutrition, pest control, disease management, and better crop growth.
23 articles
15 minGreenhouse Farming in India: Types, Cost, Subsidy, Crops and Profit
Greenhouse farming is growing crops inside a covered structure where temperature, humidity, light and water are managed, so plants can grow through the year or out of season. In India most structures use UV plastic film on a galvanised pipe frame. Cost ranges from about Rs 300 per sq m for simple designs to Rs 3,500 per sq m for fully automated ones (TNAU).
11 minCool Season Crops: List, Planting Time, Soil Temperature and Frost Tolerance
Cool season crops are plants that grow best in cool weather, roughly 15 to 24 degrees C, and tolerate light to hard frost. Examples are spinach, lettuce, peas, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, radish and onion. They are sown in autumn or early spring, and in India mainly from October to December (rabi). Most bolt when days lengthen or heat arrives.
10 minPea Farming in India (Matar): Varieties, Sowing Time, Fertiliser, Diseases and Harvest
Sow pea (matar) from mid-October to mid-November in the plains. Use good seed coated with Rhizobium, keep rows about 30 cm apart, and give a small starter dose of fertiliser. Spray sulphur as soon as you see white powder on the leaves. Early varieties give the first green pods in about 65 to 70 days. Pick pods every 7 to 10 days while they are tender.
11 minGarlic Farming in India: Sowing Time, Fertilizer and Cost Per Acre
Sow garlic cloves from the last week of September to November. October to early November is best for most northern and central plains. Use about 200-240 kg of cloves per acre, planted about 15 cm by 10 cm apart. Treat the cloves before planting. Harvest comes 130-150 days later. Good crops give 32-48 quintals per acre. The cost changes a lot by state and seed price.
9 minBanana Farming (G9 Tissue Culture): Cost per Acre, Fertilizer Schedule and Profit
At 1.82 m x 1.82 m spacing, one acre holds about 1,220 G9 plants. Reported yields are about 30 to 35 tonnes per acre in an Andhra Pradesh report and about 32 tonnes per acre in a Gujarat study. ICAR-NRCB gives fertiliser per plant of 200 g N, 30 to 50 g P and 300 to 450 g K in split doses. Reported costs vary from about Rs 87,000 (Gujarat study) to Rs 3 lakh over two years (Andhra report).
9 minPotato Farming Cost per Acre: Seed Rate, Fertilizer Schedule, Yield and Profit
Reported potato cultivation cost ranges from about Rs 32,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh per acre depending on region, seed price and labour. Seed needs about 9 to 10 quintals per acre (25 g tubers at 15 cm spacing). A package of practices lists 150 to 200 quintals per hectare for irrigated improved varieties, or about 61 to 81 quintals per acre.
9 minAvocado Farming in India: Varieties, Cost per Acre and Profit
Avocado can be grown in India in cool, frost-free, well-drained hill and plateau areas, mainly Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Sikkim and the North-East. Plant grafted trees 6 to 8 metres apart, which is about 63 to 112 plants per acre. Grafted trees start bearing in 3 to 4 years. A university table puts total cost at about Rs 5.36 lakh per hectare, around Rs 2.17 lakh per acre.
9 minMakhana Farming in India: Cost, Yield, Processing and Makhana Board Support
Makhana (fox nut, Euryale ferox) is an aquatic crop grown in ponds or shallow fields, mostly in Bihar. India produced about 63,910 tonnes in 2024-25 and the National Makhana Board was launched on 15 September 2025. A Darbhanga survey put cost at about Rs 25,600 per acre for pond farming and Rs 30,900 for field farming, with gross returns of about Rs 1.19 lakh and Rs 1.47 lakh.
10 minVanilla Farming in India: Cost, Yield, Pollination and Curing Guide
Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) is an orchid vine grown mainly in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It flowers from the 3rd year, every flower must be hand-pollinated the same morning, and green pods need months of curing. Cured bean yield is about 300-600 kg per hectare, and prices swing sharply.
9 minIndoor Saffron Farming in India: Setup Cost, Yield and Real Returns
Indoor saffron farming grows saffron crocus in a cooled room, often on racks or aeroponics. Reported setup costs range from about ₹30,000 for a small trial to ₹6-₹10 lakh for a proper room. Flowering needs about 15-18°C. Yields are small, so claims of lakhs a month from one room are usually exaggerated.
9 minDragon Fruit Farming in India 2026: Cost, Yield and Profit Guide
Dragon fruit farming in India costs roughly ₹4-₹6 lakh per acre to set up, mostly for poles and drip. Plants flower in 12-15 months and give economic yield from year 3. Reported yields are 5-10 tonnes per acre and prices ₹50-₹120 per kg, so profit varies widely.
8 minOyster Mushroom Farming in India: Cost, Process and Profit
Oyster mushroom farming means growing Pleurotus mushrooms on pasteurized straw inside a clean room. A beginner room of 100-200 sq ft can start with ₹20,000-₹60,000 (guide estimate). One cycle takes 30-45 days, and sale prices of ₹120-₹250 per kg are commonly reported.
