Thrissur

Most soil here is short of sulphur. Coconut and rice cover the most farmland.
Plan a farm here Crops that suit it
Soil score
8/10
Good for most crops
Not in the score: nitrogen.
Rain
2,700 mm
a year, most of it May⁠–⁠Nov
Temperature
23–34 °C
Hottest in March, coolest nights in January
Main crop
Coconut
2.0 lakh acres sown

Soil

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

8

out of 10

Soil score

Good

Short in most fields here: sulphur.

Not in the score: nitrogen.

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.

  • Phosphorus

    From 7,357 soil tests

    Good

    Low 2% Medium 6% High 92%

    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/ha

    Healthy soil has 10 kg/ha or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place LowMediumHigh
    Here 2% 6% 92%
    Kerala 9% 17% 74%
    India 13% 41% 45%

  • Potassium

    From 7,360 soil tests

    Okay

    Low 35% Medium 38% High 27%

    4 in 10 soil tests here came out low

    If your field is low: add about a quarter more potash (MOP) than the usual dose.

    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 35% 38% 27%
    Kerala 29% 42% 29%
    India 14% 53% 33%

  • Organic carbon

    From 7,347 soil tests

    Okay

    Low 49% Medium 28% High 23%

    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 LowMediumHigh
    Here 49% 28% 23%
    Kerala 19% 19% 62%
    India 49% 28% 23%

  • pH

    From 7,454 soil tests

    Good

    Acidic 9% Neutral 91%

    1 in 10 soil tests here came out acidic

    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 9% 91% 0%
    Kerala 28% 72% 0%
    India 11% 86% 2%

  • Salt

    From 7,343 soil tests

    Good

    Not salty 100%

    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 Salty

    Under 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 saltySalty
    Here 100% 0%
    Kerala 99% 1%
    India 96% 4%

  • Sulphur

    From 7,330 soil tests

    Poor

    Short 61% Enough 39%

    6 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 more

    Healthy soil has 10 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 61% 39%
    Kerala 44% 56%
    India 24% 76%

  • Zinc

    From 7,329 soil tests

    Good

    Enough 100%

    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 more

    Healthy soil has 0.6 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 0% 100%
    Kerala 6% 94%
    India 35% 65%

  • Iron

    From 7,334 soil tests

    Good

    Enough 100%

    Almost every soil test here had enough

    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 0% 100%
    Kerala 2% 98%
    India 24% 76%

  • Copper

    From 7,334 soil tests

    Good

    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 more

    Healthy soil has 0.2 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 0% 100%
    Kerala 1% 99%
    India 5% 95%

  • Manganese

    From 7,335 soil tests

    Good

    Short 2% Enough 98%

    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 2% 98%
    Kerala 4% 96%
    India 12% 88%

  • Boron

    From 7,332 soil tests

    Okay

    Short 22% Enough 78%

    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 more

    Healthy soil has 0.5 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 22% 78%
    Kerala 47% 53%
    India 44% 56%

Too few tests here to judge nitrogen (3 tests), out of 7,454 soil samples.

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. 7,454 samples.

Climate

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

Rain

About 2,700 mm of rain a year

In a normal year. A dry year brings about 2,210 mm.

Temperature

Hottest in March: days about 34 °C, nights 26 °C

Coolest in January: days about 32 °C, nights 23 °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 Thrissur

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.

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

Coconut

Yield is better than 20% of districts growing it.

Rice

Yield is better than 79% of districts growing it.

Arecanut

Yield is better than 39% of districts growing it.

0 5 q 10 q 15 q 20 q
1997-98 2022-23
Latest 14 quintals an acre in 2022-23

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.

Coconut

Here 11 quintals an acre
Similar districts 11 quintals an acre

Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 11 quintals an acre of coconut; here it's 11 quintals an acre.

Rice

Here 20 quintals of paddy an acre
Similar districts 14 quintals of paddy an acre

Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 14 quintals an acre of paddy; here it's 20 quintals an acre.

Arecanut

Here 3.1 quintals an acre
Similar districts 3.1 quintals an acre

Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 3.1 quintals an acre of arecanut; here it's 3.1 quintals an acre.

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
7.2 lakh
Average farm size 2016-17
0.4 acres
Young farmers (18–30) 2016-17
0%
Farmers with secondary school or more 2016-17
63%
Farmland that is irrigated 2016-17
57%
Farmers who took a bank or co-op loan 2016-17
6%
Farmers who had their soil tested 2016-17
1%
Farmers using certified seed 2016-17
3%

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.

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.