Mahabubnagar
Soil
What soil tests across the district found, nutrient by nutrient.
8
out of 10
Soil score
GoodShort in most fields here: nitrogen and iron.
For most crops. How the soil score works
This shows what soil in this area tends to be like. Your own field can be different. Get it tested at a soil testing lab before deciding.
-
Poor
Nitrogen
From 2,146 soil tests
Low 89% Medium 11%
9 in 10 soil tests here came out low
If your field is low: add about a quarter more urea than the usual dose, in two or three splits. A pulse crop in rotation also adds nitrogen.
What this means
Grows leaves and stems. Short soil gives pale, yellow leaves.
Low under 280 kg/ha Medium 280–560 kg/ha High over 560 kg/haHealthy soil has 280 kg/ha or more.
Compared with the wider area Place Low Medium High Here 89% 11% 0% Telangana 82% 16% 1% India 65% 29% 6% -
Good
Phosphorus
From 2,147 soil tests
Medium 3% High 97%
Most soil tests here came out high
If your field is high: you can use about a quarter less DAP than usual.
What this means
Builds roots and helps the crop flower and fill grain.
Low under 10 kg/ha Medium 10–25 kg/ha High over 25 kg/haHealthy soil has 10 kg/ha or more.
Compared with the wider area Place Low Medium High Here 0% 3% 97% Telangana 3% 9% 88% India 13% 41% 45% -
Good
Potassium
From 2,147 soil tests
Low 1% Medium 91% High 8%
Almost every soil test here had enough
What this means
Fills grain and fruit, and helps crops stand drought and disease.
Low under 110 kg/ha Medium 110–280 kg/ha High over 280 kg/haHealthy soil has 110 kg/ha or more.
Compared with the wider area Place Low Medium High Here 1% 91% 8% Telangana 14% 37% 48% India 14% 53% 33% -
Okay
Organic carbon
From 2,142 soil tests
Low 50% Medium 50%
5 in 10 soil tests here came out low
If your field is low: add 4 tonnes of compost or farmyard manure per acre before sowing, and plough crop leftovers back in instead of burning them.
What this means
Shows how much organic matter the soil has. It keeps soil loose, holds water and feeds the crop slowly.
Low under 0.5% Medium 0.5–0.75% High over 0.75%Healthy soil has 0.5% or more.
Compared with the wider area Place Low Medium High Here 50% 50% 0% Telangana 57% 28% 15% India 49% 28% 23% -
Good
pH
From 2,146 soil tests
Neutral 100%
Almost every soil test here came out neutral
What this means
How sour (acidic) or alkaline the soil is. It decides which nutrients roots can take up.
Acidic Neutral AlkalineIn these tests, neutral means about pH 6 to 8, which suits most crops; acidic is below about 6 and alkaline above about 8.
Compared with the wider area Place Acidic Neutral Alkaline Here 0% 100% 0% Telangana 1% 94% 5% India 11% 86% 2% -
Good
Salt
From 2,145 soil tests
Not salty 98% Salty 2%
Almost no soil tests here came out salty
What this means
Salt in the soil, shown as EC on the card. Salt makes it hard for roots to drink.
Not salty SaltyUnder 1 dS/m is fine. Between 1 and 4, only crops that can't take salt lose yield. Above 4 harms most crops.
Compared with the wider area Place Not salty Salty Here 98% 2% Telangana 98% 2% India 96% 4% -
Okay
Sulphur
From 2,147 soil tests
Short 24% Enough 76%
2 in 10 soil tests here came out short
If your field is short: use single super phosphate instead of DAP, or add about 100 kg of gypsum per acre before sowing.
What this means
Makes oil in oilseeds and protein in pulses.
Short under 10 ppm Enough 10 ppm or moreHealthy soil has 10 ppm or more.
Compared with the wider area Place Short Enough Here 24% 76% Telangana 18% 82% India 24% 76% -
Good
Zinc
From 2,124 soil tests
Short 4% Enough 96%
Almost every soil test here had enough
What this means
Needed for growth and healthy leaves. Rice and wheat often run short.
Short under 0.6 ppm Enough 0.6 ppm or moreHealthy soil has 0.6 ppm or more.
Compared with the wider area Place Short Enough Here 4% 96% Telangana 42% 58% India 35% 65% -
Poor
Iron
From 2,124 soil tests
Short 57% Enough 43%
6 in 10 soil tests here came out short
If your field is short: spray ferrous sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, when young leaves turn yellow.
What this means
Keeps young leaves green.
Short under 4.5 ppm Enough 4.5 ppm or moreHealthy soil has 4.5 ppm or more.
Compared with the wider area Place Short Enough Here 57% 43% Telangana 48% 52% India 24% 76% -
Good
Copper
From 2,122 soil tests
Enough 100%
Almost every soil test here had enough
What this means
Helps the crop set seed and resist disease.
Short under 0.2 ppm Enough 0.2 ppm or moreHealthy soil has 0.2 ppm or more.
Compared with the wider area Place Short Enough Here 0% 100% Telangana 17% 83% India 5% 95% -
Good
Manganese
From 2,123 soil tests
Short 7% Enough 93%
1 in 10 soil tests here came out short
What this means
Helps leaves make food from sunlight.
Short under 2 ppm Enough 2 ppm or moreHealthy soil has 2 ppm or more.
Compared with the wider area Place Short Enough Here 7% 93% Telangana 25% 75% India 12% 88% -
Okay
Boron
From 2,145 soil tests
Short 23% Enough 77%
2 in 10 soil tests here came out short
If your field is short: mix 4 kg of borax per acre into the soil before sowing.
What this means
Needed for flowers to set seed and fruit.
Short under 0.5 ppm Enough 0.5 ppm or moreHealthy soil has 0.5 ppm or more.
Compared with the wider area Place Short Enough Here 23% 77% Telangana 34% 66% India 44% 56%
Fixes are the usual advice. Your Soil Health Card or nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra gives the exact dose for your field.
Source: Soil Health Card – soil nutrient analysis (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2024-25. 2,147 samples.
Climate
Rain and temperature through the year, from 24 years of weather records.
Rain
About 770 mm of rain a year
In a normal year. A dry year brings about 710 mm.
Temperature
Hottest in May: days about 40 °C, nights 26 °C
Coolest in December: days about 30 °C, nights 16 °C.
Typical of the district's villages; a farm much higher or lower can be a few degrees cooler or warmer.
Source: IMD gridded daily rainfall (0.25°); IMD gridded daily max/min temperature (1°); TerraClimate 1991–2020 temperature normals (about 4 km), where each district's villages are.
Crops that suit Mahabubnagar
Judged on the soil, rain and temperature here, whether or not they're grown here now. Best bets first: what each could earn an acre before costs, with risky crops moved down.
Kharif 6 good fits
- Urad (Black Gram) ₹37,000–₹55,000 an acre
- Cucumber ₹1.0–1.6 lakh an acre
- Moth Bean ₹8,000–₹13,000 an acre
- Moong (Green Gram) ₹15,000–₹22,000 an acre
- Bajra (Pearl Millet) ₹11,000–₹17,000 an acre
Rabi 0 good fits
Whole year 0 good fits
No crop fits well in this season here.
Possible with effort: Dragon Fruit Pineapple
Sowing Growing
Money a season, before costs. Bar: compared with the best crop here.
What grows here
Each crop's share of the district's farmland in recent years, with its yield. Tap a crop to see it across India.
Yield against other districts
Rice
Yield is better than 86% of districts growing it.
Cotton
Yield is better than 49% of districts growing it.
Maize
Yield is better than 61% of districts growing it.
Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2018-19 to 2024-25.
Compared with districts like this one
What this district harvests, next to districts whose soil tests look alike and whose rain and warmth are close to its own.
Rice
Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 19 quintals an acre of paddy; here it's 21 quintals an acre.
Cotton
Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 4.8 quintals an acre of kapas (raw cotton); here it's 5.0 quintals an acre.
Maize
Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 15 quintals an acre of maize, about 17% more than the 13 quintals an acre here.
Yields also depend on water, weather, seeds and farming practice, not only soil.
Source: Soil Health Card – soil nutrient analysis (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare).
Who farms here
- Farms 2016-17
- 10.6 lakh
- Average farm size 2016-17
- 2.8 acres
- Young farmers (18–30) 2016-17
- 4%
- Farmers with secondary school or more 2016-17
- 19%
- Farmland that is irrigated 2016-17
- 32%
- Farmers who took a bank or co-op loan 2016-17
- 76%
- Farmers who had their soil tested 2016-17
- 8%
- Farmers using certified seed 2016-17
- 18%
Source: Agricultural Input Survey (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2016-17.
Districts like this one
Places whose soil tests look most like this district's, with rain and warmth close to its own, and what they grow.
- Wanaparthy Telangana About 50 km away. 750 mm of rain in a typical year (2001–2024). Rice Groundnut Urad (Black Gram)
- Nagarkurnool Telangana About 80 km away. 690 mm of rain in a typical year (2001–2024). Cotton Rice Groundnut
- Jogulamba Gadwal Telangana About 70 km away. 630 mm of rain in a typical year (2001–2024). Cotton Rice Maize
- Dungarpur Rajasthan About 890 km away. 770 mm of rain in a typical year (2001–2024). Wheat Maize Soybean
- Sitamarhi Bihar About 1,340 km away. 960 mm of rain in a typical year (2001–2024). Rice Wheat Sugarcane
- See all similar districts
Source: Soil Health Card – soil nutrient analysis (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare).
Blocks in this district
Open a block for its soil report and the villages in it.