Your plan for Lahaul And Spiti
We checked 44 crops against your soil, rain and temperature, whether or not they're grown near you.
Your land
Soil
8
out of 10
Rain
About 263 mm in Rabi
October–February, in a normal year. A dry year brings about 162 mm.
Temperature
Days about 5 °C, nights -5 °C in Rabi
Typical of the district's villages; a farm much higher or lower can be a few degrees cooler or warmer.
What's short in your soil, and what to do (1 nutrient)
-
Poor
Nitrogen
From 1,577 soil tests
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/haHealthy soil has 280 kg/ha or more.
Fixes are the usual advice. Your Soil Health Card or nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra gives the exact dose for your field.
Other soil results
-
Good
Phosphorus
From 1,577 soil tests
Low 1% Medium 16% High 83%
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.
-
Good
Potassium
From 1,577 soil tests
Low 5% Medium 37% High 58%
Most soil tests here came out high
If your field is high: you can use about a quarter less potash than usual.
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.
-
Good
Organic carbon
From 1,577 soil tests
Low 1% Medium 1% High 98%
Most soil tests here came out high
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.
-
Good
pH
From 1,577 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.
-
Good
Salt
From 1,577 soil tests
Not salty 99% Salty 1%
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.
-
Good
Sulphur
From 1,347 soil tests
Short 3% Enough 97%
Almost every soil test here had enough
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.
-
Good
Zinc
From 1,577 soil tests
Short 5% Enough 95%
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.
-
Good
Iron
From 1,577 soil tests
Short 8% Enough 92%
1 in 10 soil tests here came out short
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.
-
Good
Copper
From 1,577 soil tests
Short 6% Enough 94%
1 in 10 soil tests here came out short
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.
-
Okay
Manganese
From 1,577 soil tests
Short 25% Enough 75%
3 in 10 soil tests here came out short
If your field is short: spray manganese sulphate, 5 g per litre of water, on the young crop.
What this means
Helps leaves make food from sunlight.
Short under 2 ppm Enough 2 ppm or moreHealthy soil has 2 ppm or more.
-
Good
Boron
From 1,347 soil tests
Enough 100%
Almost every soil test here had enough
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.
Good fit 0
Water, temperature and soil type suit; amber shows what needs care, such as nutrients to add. Sorted by what is likely left per acre after costs; risky crops come lower.
Nothing fits well this season. Look at the crops below that are possible with effort, or try another season.
Possible, with effort 0
Each needs something extra: irrigation, soil care or a careful sowing time, or it likely loses money at typical costs. The card says what.
No crops in this group.
44 crops won't work here See why for each one
- Ajwain too cold in December
- Beans (Vegetable) too cold in November
- Beetroot too cold in December
- Brinjal too cold in December
- Cabbage too cold in December
- Capsicum too cold in December
- Carrot too cold in December
- Cauliflower too cold in December
- Chillies (Dry) too cold in November
- Coriander too cold in December
- Cowpea (Lobia) too cold in December
- Cumin too cold in December
- Fennel too cold in November
- Fenugreek (Methi) too cold in December
- Garlic too cold in January
- Gladiolus too cold in November
- Gram (Chana) too cold in November
- Green Chillies too cold in December
- Groundnut too cold in December
- Horse Gram (Kulthi) too cold in December
- Jowar (Sorghum) too cold in November
- Khesari (Grass Pea) too cold in December
- Lablab Bean (Sem) too cold in December
- Lentil (Masoor) too cold in January
- Linseed too cold in November
- Maize too cold in December
- Marigold too cold in October
- Moong (Green Gram) too cold in December
- Niger Seed too cold in December
- Onion too cold in January
- Radish too cold in November
- Ragi (Finger Millet) too cold in December
- Rajmash (Kidney Bean) too cold in November
- Rapeseed & Mustard too cold in January
- Safflower too cold in November
- Sannhemp too cold in December
- Sesame (Til) too cold in December
- Strawberry too cold in December
- Sunflower too cold in November
- Sweet Potato too cold in December
- Tobacco too cold in November
- Tomato too cold in November
- Turnip too cold in December
- Urad (Black Gram) too cold in January
10 more crops aren't judged yet because we don't have their growing needs.
Next steps
-
Test your soil
A Soil Health Card tells you exactly what your field needs.
soilhealth.dac.gov.in -
Talk to your Krishi Vigyan Kendra
Your district's farm science centre gives free local advice.
kvk.icar.gov.in -
Look deeper
Everything about your district
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); Horticulture area & production statistics (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare); 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; FAO ECOCROP crop requirements (via OpenCLIM/ecocrop); FAO-56 crop coefficients (Allen et al. 1998); Agmarknet daily prices and arrivals (India Data Portal).