Wheat Sowing Planner: Sowing Time, Seed Rate, Varieties and Basal Dose by Zone

What are India's wheat zones?

ICAR-IIWBR divides India into six wheat zones, and varieties and dates are recommended zone by zone. Knowing your zone is the first step in planning.

Zone boundaries follow the ICAR-IIWBR wheat cultivation pocket guide. Your state agricultural university may fine-tune varieties within the zone, so check its Rabi package of practices as well.

When is the right time to sow wheat?

The right sowing time for most of India is the first three weeks of November. Sowing too early in warm weather reduces tillering, and sowing late shortens the grain-filling period before March heat.

Some newer varieties are bred for early sowing. IIWBR lists an early-sown category in NWPZ and CZ for varieties such as DBW 327, DBW 370, DBW 371 and DBW 372. Punjab Agricultural University allows long-duration varieties from late October, with the first fortnight of November as the main window.

In rice-wheat areas, delay usually comes from late paddy harvest. Happy Seeder, super seeder or zero-till drills let you sow straight into residue and save 7 to 10 days of field preparation. This often matters more for yield than the choice of variety.

What seed rate should you use for wheat?

Use 100 kg seed per hectare (40 kg per acre) for timely sown irrigated wheat and 125 kg per hectare (50 kg per acre) for late sown or rainfed wheat. Late sown crops tiller less, so more seed is needed for the same number of ears.

•      Bold-seeded varieties need the upper end of the range. PAU recommends 45 kg per acre for bolder types such as Unnat PBW 550.

•      Bed planting (FIRB) needs only 20 to 32 kg per acre, as per IIWBR.

•      Line sowing at about 20 to 22 cm between rows, 4 to 5 cm deep, gives more even plant stands than broadcasting.

•      Check germination before sowing. If germination is below 85%, raise the seed rate proportionately.

Which wheat variety should you choose for your zone?

Pick a variety released for your zone and your sowing date, not the one your neighbour used last year. The table combines IIWBR's zone list and recent recommendations for Rabi 2025-26.

Sources: ICAR-IIWBR pocket guide and IIWBR recommendations reported for Rabi 2025-26. Seed of newer varieties can be limited, so dealers should book certified seed early. Always buy certified or truthfully labelled seed with a lot number.

How to treat wheat seed before sowing

Seed treatment protects wheat against loose smut, flag smut and early termite damage. It costs a few rupees per kg of seed and should be done one to two days before sowing.

1.    For loose and flag smut, IIWBR recommends carboxin 75 WP or carbendazim 50 WP at 2.5 g per kg seed, or tebuconazole 2 DS at 1.25 g per kg seed. A tebuconazole 2 DS seed dressing fungicide is labelled for this use.

2.    For an integrated option, use carboxin 75 WP at a reduced 1.25 g per kg seed plus Trichoderma viride biofungicide at 4 g per kg seed.

3.    Apply Trichoderma first, about 72 hours before sowing, and the fungicide 24 hours before sowing, as IIWBR advises.

4.    In termite-prone fields, add an insecticide seed treatment recommended by IIWBR for wheat, such as a fipronil or thiamethoxam seed treatment formulation.

5.    Dry treated seed in shade and sow within a day. Wear gloves and never use leftover treated seed as food or feed.

Follow the product label and local agriculture officer advice for all seed treatment doses.

How to prepare the field and sow wheat correctly

Good field preparation means a level, moist seedbed with fine tilth, so seed lands at an even depth and the first irrigation spreads uniformly. On medium loam soils, one or two passes after the previous crop are usually enough.

•      Laser land levelling saves 35 to 45% of irrigation water and raises nutrient use efficiency by 15 to 25%, according to IIWBR.

•      After paddy, sow with a Happy Seeder, super seeder or zero-till drill where possible instead of burning straw. This saves time and keeps organic matter in the soil.

•      Sow at 4 to 5 cm depth in soil with enough moisture (wattar). Seed placed too deep emerges weak; too shallow dries out.

•      Drill fertilizer with or just below the seed rather than broadcasting phosphorus on the surface.

•      Where Phalaris minor or bathua is a known problem, IIWBR lists pendimethalin as a pre-emergence option within 1 to 3 days of sowing. Follow the label.

Keep a simple sowing record for each field: date, variety, seed lot, seed rate and basal fertilizer. It helps you judge which variety and date suited your farm, and helps dealers advise the next season.

What basal fertilizer dose does wheat need?

Apply the full phosphorus and potash plus one-third of the nitrogen at sowing. Give the remaining nitrogen in two equal splits with the first and second irrigations. These are IIWBR's general recommendations; adjust to your Soil Health Card.

Per-acre figures are calculated from the per-hectare doses (1 ha = 2.47 acres) and rounded. PAU's recommendation for Punjab on medium-fertility soil is similar: 55 kg DAP at sowing and 90 kg urea per acre in splits, as per the PAU Rabi package of practices.

Where zinc is deficient, IIWBR advises 25 kg zinc sulphate per hectare once a year, or 10 kg per hectare to each crop. If DAP is short, replace each 50 kg DAP with 150 kg SSP plus about 20 kg extra urea, or about 72 kg of NPK 12:32:16. A crop-specific wheat nutrition soil kit can be added at sowing where soils are low in organic matter.

Input planning for 100 acres: a guide for dealers and FPOs

Dealers and FPOs can estimate Rabi stock by multiplying per-acre needs by the wheat area they serve. The example below is for 100 acres of timely sown irrigated wheat in NWPZ at 150:60:40 kg/ha.

Add seed treatment chemicals and bio-agents in proportion to seed sold (about 125 g tebuconazole 2 DS or 400 g Trichoderma per 100 kg seed). Bulk buyers can plan biofertilizer and seed treatment supply with Katyayani Organics well before the November rush.

What to do next

Fix your sowing date by zone, book certified seed of a variety matched to that date, and get your Soil Health Card ready for the basal dose. Treat seed a day or two before sowing and drill fertilizer with the seed. Plan the first irrigation at crown root initiation, about 21 days after sowing.

Follow the product label and local agriculture officer advice for doses in your district.