Raichur

Most soil here is low in nitrogen. Rice and cotton cover the most farmland.
Soil score
4/10
Poor for most crops
Not in the score: phosphorus and salt.
Rain
650 mm
a year, most of it in Sep
Temperature
18–38 °C
Hottest in May, coolest nights in December
Main crop
Rice
6.5 lakh acres sown

Soil

What soil tests across the district found, nutrient by nutrient.

4

out of 10

Soil score

Poor

Short in most fields here: nitrogen, organic carbon, zinc, iron and boron.

Not in the score: phosphorus and salt.

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.

  • Nitrogen

    From 27,043 soil tests

    Poor

    Low 100%

    Almost every soil test 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/ha

    Healthy soil has 280 kg/ha or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place LowMediumHigh
    Here 100% 0% 0%
    Karnataka 67% 29% 4%
    India 65% 29% 6%
  • Potassium

    From 27,043 soil tests

    Good

    Low 5% Medium 95%

    1 in 10 soil tests here came out low

    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/ha

    Healthy soil has 110 kg/ha or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place LowMediumHigh
    Here 5% 95% 0%
    Karnataka 13% 47% 40%
    India 14% 53% 33%
  • Organic carbon

    From 27,041 soil tests

    Poor

    Low 94% Medium 6%

    9 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 LowMediumHigh
    Here 94% 6% 0%
    Karnataka 46% 32% 22%
    India 49% 28% 23%
  • pH

    From 27,042 soil tests

    Good

    Neutral 98% Alkaline 2%

    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 Alkaline

    In 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 AcidicNeutralAlkaline
    Here 0% 98% 2%
    Karnataka 5% 92% 3%
    India 11% 86% 2%
  • Sulphur

    From 27,043 soil tests

    Good

    Short 6% Enough 94%

    1 in 10 soil tests here came out short

    What this means

    Makes oil in oilseeds and protein in pulses.

    Short under 10 ppm Enough 10 ppm or more

    Healthy soil has 10 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 6% 94%
    Karnataka 31% 69%
    India 24% 76%
  • Zinc

    From 27,030 soil tests

    Poor

    Short 100%

    Almost every soil test here came out short

    If your field is short: mix 10 kg of zinc sulphate per acre into the soil before sowing. One dose lasts two or three seasons.

    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 more

    Healthy soil has 0.6 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 100% 0%
    Karnataka 57% 43%
    India 35% 65%
  • Iron

    From 27,043 soil tests

    Poor

    Short 98% Enough 2%

    Almost every soil test 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 more

    Healthy soil has 4.5 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 98% 2%
    Karnataka 50% 50%
    India 24% 76%
  • Copper

    From 27,041 soil tests

    Good

    Short 5% Enough 95%

    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 more

    Healthy soil has 0.2 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 5% 95%
    Karnataka 5% 95%
    India 5% 95%
  • Manganese

    From 27,043 soil tests

    Good

    Short 1% Enough 99%

    Almost every soil test here had enough

    What this means

    Helps leaves make food from sunlight.

    Short under 2 ppm Enough 2 ppm or more

    Healthy soil has 2 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 1% 99%
    Karnataka 14% 86%
    India 12% 88%
  • Boron

    From 26,839 soil tests

    Poor

    Short 100%

    Almost every soil test 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 more

    Healthy soil has 0.5 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 100% 0%
    Karnataka 55% 45%
    India 44% 56%

The tests here for phosphorus and salt look like a testing error: almost every test reads the same, unlike the districts around. They aren't used.

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). 2023-24 & 2024-25. 27,043 samples.

Climate

Rain and temperature through the year, from 24 years of weather records.

Rain

About 650 mm of rain a year

In a normal year. A dry year brings about 460 mm.

Temperature

Hottest in May: days about 38 °C, nights 26 °C

Coolest in December: days about 31 °C, nights 18 °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 Raichur

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 0 good fits

No crop fits well in this season here.

Possible with effort: Cotton Rice Tur (Arhar)

See every kharif option

Rabi 0 good fits

No crop fits well in this season here.

Possible with effort: Jowar (Sorghum) Rice Gram (Chana)

See every rabi option

Whole year 0 good fits

No crop fits well in this season here.

See every whole year option

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 86% of districts growing it.

Tur (Arhar)

Yield is better than 15% of districts growing it.

8 q 10 q 12 q 14 q 16 q 18 q
1997-98 2024-25
Latest 15 quintals an acre in 2024-25

Source: Crop area, production & yield – district-wise (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); Crop area, production & yield – UPAG (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2017-18 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

Here 21 quintals of paddy an acre
Similar districts 16 quintals of paddy an acre

Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 16 quintals an acre of paddy; here it's 21 quintals an acre.

Cotton

Here 6.7 quintals of kapas (raw cotton) an acre
Similar districts 4.9 quintals of kapas (raw cotton) an acre

Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 4.9 quintals an acre of kapas (raw cotton); here it's 6.7 quintals an acre.

Tur (Arhar)

Here 2.5 quintals an acre
Similar districts 4.5 quintals an acre

Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 4.5 quintals an acre of tur (arhar), about 82% more than the 2.5 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
3.0 lakh
Average farm size 2016-17
4.9 acres
Young farmers (18–30) 2016-17
2%
Farmers with secondary school or more 2016-17
22%
Farmland that is irrigated 2016-17
29%
Farmers who took a bank or co-op loan 2016-17
53%
Farmers who had their soil tested 2016-17
0%
Farmers using certified seed 2016-17
25%

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.

Blocks in this district

Open a block for its soil report and the villages in it.