Wheat sowing may be one week earlier to the recommended sowing window in the Bundelkhand region of Central India
The optimum temperature range for sowing wheat in the
Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh is between 20°C and 25°C. However, the
ideal mean daily temperature for sowing is slightly lower, around 20°C to 23°C. In Central India, the recommended sowing window
(timely sowing) is mainly early–mid November so that mean daily temperatures at
sowing and early growth are in the desirable range.
Temperature
requirements for wheat sowing and germination
Sowing/Germination: Wheat seeds germinate best in a
temperature range of 20°C to 25°C. A warm and damp climate is not suitable for
early growth. For wheat in the Bundelkhand region of Central India,
the optimum daily mean
temperature for sowing is around 22–23°C. Sowing should ideally begin when average daily temperatures
fall to this range, which promotes healthy seed germination and good crop
establishment. This recommendation is widely cited for wheat cultivation in
Central Indian agro-climatic zones, including Bundelkhand.
Best sowing time
Bundelkhand falls
under the Central Zone for wheat production, which includes Madhya Pradesh. For
this region, the optimal time for sowing is generally the first
fortnight of November under irrigated conditions ( Figure 1). Timely
sowing is crucial, as delaying it can reduce crop duration and expose the plant
to heat stress during the grain-filling stage, which drastically lowers yields.
Rabi 2025
The maximum and
minimum temperatures were recorded on 9th October 2025, at 31.5 °C and 19.0°C, and on 10th October 2025, at 29.8 °C and 17.5°C. It was observed that
after October 7, 2025, there has been a continuous decrease in both maximum and minimum temperatures. It is expected that after two weeks (the last week of October 2025), the mean temperature will be in the range of 22-23°C. Thus, this year, the sowing of irrigated wheat will start one week before the recommended
sowing window. The sowing of rainfed wheat is also started one week in advance, i.e, during the current week (second week of October 2025). Sowing moisture is also
adequate for the sowing of all rabi crops.
Practical rule-of-thumb for Bundelkhand
For
Bundelkhand (central India) aim for a mean daily air temperature ~20–24°Cat
sowing (commonly reported as 23±3 °C). Germination is best when mean daily
temperature is ~20–25 °C.
Prefer
sowing when the 5–7 day running mean of daily temperature is close to 20–24 °C.
Ensure
adequate soil moisture at sowing (germination depends on moisture as much as
temperature).
