Rabi
Rabi Sowing Calendar 2026 for Gujarat: Crops, Timing & Seed Rate
A practical Rabi 2026–27 sowing calendar for Gujarat farmers — when to sow wheat, gram, mustard, coriander and fodder after the monsoon, with seed rate, spacing and the irrigations that decide yield.
By the Varsha Seeds Agronomy Team · Updated Fri Oct 02
The Rabi season rewards patience in a way Kharif does not. There is no rain to chase — the soil moisture is already banked, and the decision that matters is when to put the seed in. Sow too early into warm soil and wheat runs to head without tillering; sow too late and the crop meets the February heat while it is still filling grain. This calendar sets out what to sow across Gujarat through Rabi 2026–27, and the few things that actually move yield.
When the season opens
Rabi sowing follows the monsoon's withdrawal, usually early to mid-October in Gujarat. Two signals tell you the window is open:
- The soil has cooled. Rabi crops need declining temperature through their vegetative phase.
- There is enough conserved moisture in the profile to germinate the crop, or you can give one pre-sowing irrigation.
Gram, mustard and coriander lead the season from mid-October. Wheat comes later, in November, once soil temperature has genuinely dropped.
Rabi 2026–27 sowing window by crop
| Crop | Sowing window (Gujarat) | Seed rate | Spacing (row × plant) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gram (chana) — desi | 15 Oct – 15 Nov | 70–80 kg/ha | 30 × 10 cm |
| Gram — kabuli | 15 Oct – 15 Nov | 90–100 kg/ha | 30 × 10 cm |
| Mustard | 10 Oct – 10 Nov | 4–5 kg/ha | 45 × 15 cm |
| Coriander (dhana) | 15 Oct – 15 Nov | 15–20 kg/ha | 30 × 15 cm |
| Wheat — timely, irrigated | 1 – 20 Nov | 100–125 kg/ha | 20–22 cm rows |
| Wheat — late | 21 Nov – 15 Dec | 125–150 kg/ha | 18–20 cm rows |
| Barseem (fodder) | Oct – Nov | 25–30 kg/ha | Broadcast / 30 cm rows |
| Lucerne (rajka) | Oct – Nov | 20–25 kg/ha | 30 cm rows |
| Oat (fodder) | Oct – Nov | 80–100 kg/ha | 25 cm rows |
Treat these as windows, not dates. Local soil type, residual moisture and irrigation availability shift them by a week either way.
The three decisions that decide Rabi yield
1. Sowing date, especially for wheat
Wheat is the least forgiving crop in the calendar. 1–20 November is timely sowing for irrigated wheat in most of Gujarat, and mid-November is optimum. Past that, yield falls by roughly 1–1.5 per cent per day of delay, because the grain-filling period collides with rising February temperature. If you must sow late, raise the seed rate to 125–150 kg/ha and narrow the rows — a denser stand partly compensates for lost tillering time.
2. Seed treatment before sowing
The cheapest step with the highest return. Treat every Rabi seed lot with a recommended fungicide against seed- and soil-borne disease. For gram, follow the fungicide with the correct Rhizobium culture — nodulation supplies the crop's own nitrogen and costs almost nothing. On wilt-prone land, a wilt-tolerant gram variety is the real first line of defence.
3. Irrigation at the right stage, not the most irrigations
More water is not better in Rabi. What matters is hitting the critical stages:
| Crop | Irrigations | Most critical stage |
|---|---|---|
| Wheat | 4–6 | Crown-root initiation, 20–25 days after sowing |
| Gram | 1–2 light | Pod development |
| Mustard | 2–3 | Flowering and siliqua filling |
| Coriander | 3–4 | Flowering and seed set |
Missing the wheat crown-root irrigation costs more yield than missing any other single irrigation in the season. Conversely, over-watering gram and mustard pushes them into vegetative growth and invites wilt.
Choosing the Rabi crop for your field
- After cotton or groundnut, with limited water: gram or mustard. Both sow into conserved moisture and need very little irrigation. See best Rabi crops after cotton and groundnut.
- With assured irrigation: timely-sown wheat gives the highest return per hectare. Compare varieties in best wheat seeds in Gujarat.
- For dairy and fodder: barseem, lucerne and oat sown in October give green fodder right through winter.
- For a short cash crop: coriander fits well and suits intercropping.
Putting it together
Wait for the soil to cool, sow gram and mustard from mid-October and wheat in the first three weeks of November, treat and inoculate the seed, and protect the crown-root irrigation in wheat and the podding stage in gram. The season is decided in those few weeks.
Read the crop pillars for wheat, chickpea & gram and mustard, then look at Varsha Suvarna wheat, Nirav gram, Mishva mustard and Haritam coriander for the coming Rabi.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Rabi sowing start in Gujarat?
Rabi sowing opens as the monsoon withdraws in early-to-mid October. Gram, mustard and coriander go in from mid-October, and wheat follows in November. Sow once soil temperature has dropped — wheat sown while the soil is still warm tillers poorly and loses yield.
Which Rabi crops are best after cotton or groundnut in Gujarat?
Gram (chana) and mustard are the two strongest options after cotton or groundnut. Both sow on conserved moisture, need little irrigation and fix or recycle nutrients for the next crop. Where irrigation is assured, timely-sown wheat gives the highest return per hectare.
What is the correct wheat sowing time in Gujarat?
Timely sowing for irrigated wheat is 1–20 November, with mid-November optimum in most plains. Late sowing runs 21 November to about 15 December and costs roughly 1–1.5 per cent yield for every day of delay, so raise the seed rate slightly when sowing late.
How much irrigation does a Rabi crop need?
It varies sharply by crop. Wheat needs 4–6 irrigations with the crown-root stage (20–25 days) the most critical. Gram often needs only one or two light irrigations, and mustard two to three. Over-irrigating gram and mustard causes vegetative growth and wilt rather than yield.
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