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Radish farming guide for India
Radish is a fast crop that needs steady, uninterrupted growth for well-shaped roots.
Key numbers
- SeasonRabi (year-round in mild climates)about 40 days
- Water over the seasonabout 300 mmrain and irrigation together
- Soil pH6.0 to 7.0NPK guide 50:25:25
- Main riskFlea Beetlessee the watchlist below
Typical values for India. Your soil test and your local KVK's advice come first.
When and where radish is grown
Radish is grown as a Rabi (year-round in mild climates) crop in India: Staggered sowing August-January.
Leading states: West Bengal, Haryana, Punjab. Soil moisture is best kept around 50 to 75% of capacity for most of the season.
What to watch on your field
What a weekly satellite and weather view of your own field shows at each stage, and when to walk the field.
Establishment
Root and bulb crops are unforgiving of early drought or waterlogging; patchy early greenness is a warning sign.
Canopy development
Healthy, even canopy growth now sets up the yield. Too much late nitrogen delays bulbing or root maturity.
Bulking
Keep soil moisture steady. Big swings between dry and wet cause splitting, misshapen roots and storage rot.
Maturity
Stop irrigation at the right time so skins set for storage; a natural, even fall in greenness signals maturity.
The main risks for radish
Most of these follow the weather. A risky week is a reason to inspect the crop, not to spray by default.
For any spray or dose, ask your KVK or an agronomist. VarshaKrishi's free Watch plan never names a product.
- Flea BeetlesThe main risk for this crop in India.
- Alternaria blightLeaf-wetness thresholds time preventive action.
- AphidsBuilds up in the cool season.
Watering radish well
Light, frequent irrigation that keeps moisture steady, ending at the right time before harvest so the crop stores well.
Crop water use follows the FAO-56 method: the weather sets a reference demand, and the crop's stage sets how much of it the crop uses. That is why the same field needs different amounts in different weeks.
A weekly message about your own radish field.
Watch is free for any field in India: what changed on your field this week, the weather for your village, and a clear note when the satellite cannot see. Decide opens crop by crop after an agronomist reviews each crop model.
1.2 km × 0.9 km · each square 10 m
- Your own field, every week.The squares inside your boundary, compared with your field's own history.
- A clear note when it cannot see.Cloudy weeks and very small plots are named, not guessed.
- Free on Watch.In Marathi, Hindi or English, on WhatsApp.
How each message is made, from which satellites and with which limits: methods and evidence. A real field's year of Sentinel-2 readings, free to download: open data.
Radish: common questions
What soil pH does radish need?
Radish grows best at a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0. A soil test before the season is the reliable way to know your own field.
How much water does radish need?
About 300 mm over a season of roughly 40 days, from rain and irrigation together. The real need changes with the weather, the soil and the crop's stage, which is why it helps to track your own field week by week.
What is the main disease or pest risk for radish?
Flea Beetles is the main risk. Most risks follow the weather, so a risky week is a reason to inspect the crop. Ask your KVK or an agronomist before any spray.
When is radish grown in India?
Radish is grown as a Rabi (year-round in mild climates) crop: Staggered sowing August-January.
Which states grow the most radish?
Leading states include West Bengal, Haryana, Punjab. VarshaKrishi's free Watch plan covers any field in these states: you need WhatsApp and your field's location, nothing installed in the field.
How much water does radish need per day?
There is no single daily figure for radish. Under the FAO-56 method, a crop's daily water use is its crop coefficient (Kc) multiplied by the day's reference evapotranspiration (ET0), which rises with heat, sun, wind and dry air. Kc is low just after sowing, highest around flowering and falls again as the crop matures, so the same field needs much more water in a hot week at flowering than in a cool week after sowing. Your KVK can give the Kc values used for radish in your district; the methods page lists the FAO-56 source.