Wheat sowing may be one week earlier to the recommended sowing window in the Bundelkhand region of Central India

 

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).