Wheat
Wheat Sowing Time & Seed Rate in Gujarat (2026 Guide)
The right wheat sowing time, seed rate, row spacing and depth for Gujarat and India — for timely, late and limited-irrigation conditions, to maximise tillering and yield.
Updated Fri May 22
If you change only one thing about how you grow wheat, change your sowing date. Sowing time and seed rate together set the number of productive tillers your crop can carry — and tiller number is the foundation of yield. This guide gives you the exact windows and rates for Gujarat conditions.
The optimum sowing window
For irrigated wheat in the plains, 1–20 November is the timely-sowing window, and mid-November is optimum. The reason is the grain-fill period: wheat sown on time fills its grain in cool February weather, while late-sown wheat fills grain into the hotter March period, which forces early maturity and shrivels the grain.
| Situation | Sowing window | Seed rate |
|---|---|---|
| Timely, irrigated | 1–20 November | 100 kg/ha |
| Late sown | 21 Nov – 10 Dec | 125 kg/ha |
| Rainfed / conserved moisture | Late October onward | 100–125 kg/ha |
Avoid sowing after mid-December wherever you can — yields fall sharply beyond that point.
Why late-sown wheat needs more seed
A timely-sown plant has weeks of cool weather to produce multiple tillers, so a lower plant population still fills the field. A late-sown plant has less time and tillers far less, so you compensate by increasing the seed rate to 125 kg/ha — more plants, each carrying fewer tillers, still add up to a full canopy.
If you know you'll be sowing late (for example after a late-harvested kharif crop), choose an early-maturing, late-sowing-tolerant variety such as LOK-1, which matures in ~105–110 days and copes well with a compressed season.
Sowing method, spacing and depth
- Method: Line sowing with a seed drill is strongly preferred over broadcasting. It places seed at uniform depth, uses less seed, and makes weeding and irrigation easier.
- Row spacing: About 20–22.5 cm between rows for timely sowing.
- Depth: 5–6 cm into moist soil. Too deep and emergence is delayed and weak; too shallow and the seed zone dries out.
- Seed treatment: Treat seed before sowing to protect against seed- and soil-borne diseases and to improve establishment.
A quick pre-sowing checklist
- Field levelled and seedbed fine and firm.
- Certified seed of a variety matched to your irrigation (full water → GW-496; limited water → LOK-1; rust-prone area → GW-173).
- Seed rate set: 100 kg/ha timely, 125 kg/ha late.
- Seed treated.
- First (pre-sowing or CRI) irrigation planned.
Once the crop is up, your next big lever is water and nutrition — continue to the wheat irrigation and fertilizer schedule, or go back to the complete wheat farming guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best wheat sowing time in Gujarat?+
Timely sowing is 1–20 November in most plains, with mid-November being optimum for irrigated wheat. Late sowing runs 21 November to 10–15 December but reduces yield.
What seed rate should I use for wheat?+
100 kg/ha for timely line sowing, and 125 kg/ha for late sowing or broadcasting. Late crops need more seed because they tiller less.
How deep should wheat be sown?+
Sow at 5–6 cm depth into moist soil. Deeper sowing delays and weakens emergence; shallow sowing risks drying out before germination.
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