Wheat fertilizer plan 2026-27: how many bags per acre, and when each goes on
The Punjab Agriculture Department's wheat plan for 2026-27, read page by page: the bags an acre for weak, medium and fertile soil, the rainfed doses, when each bag goes on, and the zinc and boron it adds at sowing.
Rafiq Ali ShahidFounder, RS Granules
When this matters
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Sow 1 to 30 November for most varieties; nitrogen in splits through the season; the booting spray in early spring
The short answer
The Punjab Agriculture Department's 2026-27 wheat plan sets fertilizer by soil class. Irrigated wheat gets 2 bags of DAP, 2 bags of urea and 1 bag of SOP or MOP an acre on weak soil; 1.5 DAP, 1.75 urea and 1 potash bag on medium soil; and 1.25 DAP, 1.5 urea and 1 potash bag on fertile soil. All the phosphorus and potash and the first share of nitrogen go on at sowing, with 6 kg of zinc sulphate (33%) and 2.5 kg of boric acid (17%).
On this page 8 questions
When should wheat be sown in Punjab this season?
Most of the varieties the 2026-27 plan recommends go in between 1 and 30 November. Urooj-22, Dilkash-20 and MH-21 can be sown until 10 December, while Sadiq-21 should be in by 15 November and Subhani-21 by 20 November. Shiraz-23, a rainfed variety, has the earliest window: 15 October to 15 November.1
Timing matters for yield as much as the bag does. Punjab averaged 33.38 maunds an acre in 2025-26, down from 34.75 two seasons earlier, and the plan puts late sowing after late cotton, rice and sugarcane first among the reasons. It also names unbalanced fertilizer use, phosphorus in particular as its price rose.1 Our farming year wheel shows where wheat sits against the other crops, and the crop guide lists what goes on it when.
How do I know if my soil is weak, medium or fertile?
The plan sorts fields into three classes by a soil test: organic matter, available phosphorus and available potash. Match the three readings on your report to the rows below.
| Soil class | Organic matter | Phosphorus (ppm) | Potash (ppm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weak | Up to 0.86% | Up to 7 | Up to 80 |
| Medium | 0.86 to 1.29% | 7 to 14 | 80 to 180 |
| Fertile | Above 1.29% | Above 14 | Above 180 |
No report yet? Your district's government soil and water testing laboratory runs the test, and the Soil Fertility Research Institute's free Khad Hisab app (search "SFRI" on Google Play) works out a balanced dose with or without a report.1 On saline or kallar land, the plan adds gypsum according to the soil's chemical analysis.1
How many bags of fertilizer does wheat need per acre?
The plan gives the dose as kilograms of nutrient an acre and then as bags. Potash stays at 25 kg an acre on every class; nitrogen and phosphorus step down as the soil gets richer.
| Soil class | N-P-K, kg an acre | DAP | Urea | SOP or MOP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weak | 64-46-25 | 2 bags | 2 bags | 1 bag |
| Medium | 54-34-25 | 1.5 bags | 1.75 bags | 1 bag |
| Fertile | 46-30-25 | 1.25 bags | 1.5 bags | 1 bag |
Irrigated wheat, 50 kg bags. Source: Punjab Production Plan Wheat 2026-27, page 12. The plan also lists routes through SSP, nitrophos, TSP and CAN for the same nutrients.
The bag sizes explain the arithmetic. A 50 kg bag of DAP carries 23 kg of phosphate and 9 kg of nitrogen, a bag of urea 23 kg of nitrogen, a bag of SOP 25 kg of potash and a bag of MOP 30 kg.1 For progressive farmers, the plan advises 2 bags of DAP an acre.1
When does each bag go on?
The plan sets out the order, from sowing to the last split.
At sowing: all the phosphorus and potash
Put all the DAP and potash in at sowing, with the first share of the urea. The plan prefers drilling them in with the seed drill, because it raises the fertilizer's efficiency.1
After sowing: the rest of the nitrogen in splits
Split the nitrogen into two or three equal doses. On sandy soil, where more is lost, split it four times or more.1
Missed it at sowing?
If the phosphorus or potash did not go on at sowing, the plan says to apply it with the first irrigation. For late sowing, put the full dose on at sowing.1
Not sure which soil class your field is in? Send your soil report, or your district and last crop, on WhatsApp.
Send your reportWhat changes on rainfed (barani) land?
On barani land the dose follows the rain, and all of it goes on at land preparation, before sowing.1 These rates come from the Soil Fertility Research Institute, Lahore.
| Annual rainfall | Areas the plan names | N-P-K, kg an acre | Bags an acre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 350 mm | Rainfed Rajanpur, Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Khushab; Jand, Pindi Gheb | 32-23-12 | 1 DAP + 1 urea + 0.5 SOP or MOP |
| 350 to 600 mm | Chakwal, Talagang, Pind Dadan Khan | 40-28-12 | 1.25 DAP + 1.25 urea + 0.5 SOP or MOP |
| Above 600 mm | Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Sohawa, Narowal, Gujrat, Kharian, Shakargarh | 48-34-25 | 1.5 DAP + 1.5 urea + 1 SOP or MOP |
Source: Punjab Production Plan Wheat 2026-27, page 13, recommendations of the Soil Fertility Research Institute, Lahore.
Does wheat need zinc and boron at sowing?
The plan adds both at sowing: zinc sulphate at 6 kg an acre for the 33% grade, 7.5 kg for 27% or 10 kg for 21%, and boric acid (17%) at 2.5 kg an acre. If the previous crop already got zinc sulphate, skip it on the wheat.1
Missed the micronutrients at sowing? At booting, the plan gives one spray an acre: 350 g each of zinc sulphate (33%), copper sulphate, ferrous sulphate, manganese sulphate and boric acid in 100 litres of water. The plan says this spray improves grain size, and with it the yield.1
Variety choice helps too: the plan notes that Akbar-19, Nawab-21 and Zincol-16 carry relatively more zinc.1 A liquid or chelated zinc has its own rate, so follow the label on the product you buy.
From RS Granules
Zinc 10%
Liquid zinc, sprayed on the leaf. Ask us for its label rate on wheat before you buy.
Should I add farmyard manure as well?
The plan says the organic matter in our soils is low. It recommends 8 to 10 tonnes of farmyard manure an acre, about 3 to 4 trolleys, or a green-manure crop ploughed in before the wheat.1
Under the Punjab Fertilizers Control Act 2025, every fertilizer pack must carry nine details, including the licence number and the batch number with its date. The read-the-pack section of our homepage shows where the main ones sit.2
Questions farmers ask
Can all the urea go on at sowing?
For irrigated wheat, no: the plan splits nitrogen into two or three equal doses, or four or more on sandy soil. The full dose goes on at sowing only for late-sown wheat and on rainfed land.
What if I missed the phosphorus at sowing?
The plan says to put the phosphorus and potash on with the first irrigation. Drilling at sowing works better, so plan for it next season.
SOP or MOP for wheat?
The plan accepts either at 1 bag an acre on irrigated land. A 50 kg bag of SOP carries 25 kg of potash and a bag of MOP 30 kg.
Does wheat need zinc every year?
Not if the previous crop got zinc sulphate: the plan says to skip it on the wheat. Otherwise it goes on at sowing, 6 kg an acre of the 33% grade.
Is there an app that works out my doses?
Yes. The Soil Fertility Research Institute's free Khad Hisab app (search "SFRI" on Google Play) works out a balanced dose with or without a soil report.
Sources
- Punjab Agriculture Department, Production Plan Wheat 2026-27 (Urdu), pages 2, 4, 5 and 12 to 16. Checked 21 Oct 2026.
- Punjab Fertilizers Control Act 2025 (Act XLIII of 2025), section 23. Checked 21 Oct 2026.
General guidance from the Punjab Agriculture Department's published plan. Follow the label on any product you use, and ask your district Agriculture Extension office when in doubt.
