Calculate the total quantity of seed needed for your field based on your land area and crop's typical seed rate.
How to Use the Seed Requirement Calculator
Select your "Crop" from the dropdown - each comes with a typical seed rate per acre.
Enter your "Land Area (acres)".
If your crop isn't listed, or your local recommendation differs, choose "Custom" and enter your own seed rate.
Click "Calculate Seed Required" to see the total seed quantity needed.
How the Seed Quantity Is Worked Out
The calculator uses one multiplication: Total Seed (kg) = Land Area (acres) × Seed Rate (kg per acre). Choosing a crop fills in a typical seed rate; choosing "Custom" lets you use the rate from your seed packet, a Krishi Vigyan Kendra or your state agriculture university's package of practices.
Recommendations are often printed per hectare. To convert a per-hectare rate into a per-acre rate, divide by 2.471. For example, 100 kg per hectare is about 40 kg per acre.
Default Seed Rates Used by This Calculator
Crop
kg per acre
Approx. kg per hectare
For 2.5 acres
For 5 acres
Wheat
40
98.8
100 kg
200 kg
Rice (direct seeded)
8
19.8
20 kg
40 kg
Maize
8
19.8
20 kg
40 kg
Cotton
2
4.9
5 kg
10 kg
Soybean
30
74.1
75 kg
150 kg
Groundnut (kernels)
40
98.8
100 kg
200 kg
Mustard
2
4.9
5 kg
10 kg
Gram (chickpea)
20
49.4
50 kg
100 kg
These are general averages. The right rate for your field depends on the variety, sowing time, sowing method and region, so treat the defaults as a starting point and use "Custom" when you have a local recommendation.
Worked Example
You plan to sow wheat on 2.5 acres at the default 40 kg per acre: 2.5 × 40 = 100 kg of seed. If your field is recorded in bigha or guntha, convert it to acres first using the Land Area or Bigha to Acre calculators.
When to Adjust the Seed Rate
Germination: recommended rates assume good-quality seed. If a germination test on your own saved seed gives a lower result than expected, increase the rate in proportion. For instance, if the recommendation assumes 85% germination and your seed shows 75%, use 40 × 85 ÷ 75 ≈ 45.3 kg per acre.
Sowing time: late-sown crops have less time to tiller and branch, so recommendations for late sowing of crops such as wheat usually call for a higher seed rate than timely sowing.
Seed size: bold-seeded varieties need more kilograms for the same number of plants. Large-seeded kabuli gram, for example, needs a noticeably higher rate than small-seeded desi gram.
Sowing method: seed drills place seed at an even depth and generally need less seed than broadcasting by hand, which leaves some seed uncovered.
Hybrids and Bt cotton: hybrid seed is usually sold in packets sized for a set area. Follow the packet guidance rather than a per-kg rate, as the seed is expensive and spacing matters.
A Simple Germination Test
Count out 100 seeds from your lot, spread them on a damp cloth or several layers of wet paper, roll it up and keep it moist in a shaded place. After about a week (the time varies by crop), count the seeds that have sprouted properly. That number is your germination percentage. Running the test a couple of weeks before sowing gives you time to adjust your seed purchase.
Buy a little extra beyond the calculated amount to allow for gap filling, but avoid sowing much more than recommended, since overcrowded plants compete for light, water and nutrients and can lower yield.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are commonly cited average seed rates. Actual requirements can vary based on the seed variety, germination percentage, sowing method, and local agricultural extension recommendations - use "Custom" to enter your exact recommended rate for the most accurate result.
A rice grain weighs roughly half as much as a wheat grain, and wheat is sown at a much higher plant density, so wheat needs far more kilograms per acre. The 8 kg default is a typical figure for drill-sown direct-seeded rice. Broadcast sowing and nursery raising for transplanted rice follow different recommendations, so use "Custom" if your method differs.
Yes, select "Custom" and enter the seed rate (kg per acre) recommended for your specific crop and variety.
Divide the per-hectare figure by 2.471, because one hectare is about 2.471 acres. A recommendation of 75 kg per hectare is roughly 30 kg per acre. Enter that figure with the "Custom" option.
Often, yes. For crops such as wheat, recommendations for late sowing usually specify a higher seed rate than for timely sowing, because plants have less time to tiller. Check the package of practices from your state agriculture university for the exact figure.