Kandhamal

Most soil here is low in organic carbon. Rice and turmeric cover the most farmland.
Soil score
7/10
Okay for most crops
Rain
1,380 mm
a year, most of it Jun⁠–⁠Oct
Temperature
14°–39°
Hottest in May, coolest nights in January
Main crop
Rice
40,431 ha sown

Soil

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

7

out of 10

Soil score

Okay

Short in most fields here: organic carbon, pH, sulphur and boron.

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

    Okay

    Low 30% Medium 70%

    3 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/ha

    Healthy soil has 280 kg/ha or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place LowMediumHigh
    Here 30% 70% 0%
    Odisha 69% 29% 2%
    India 64% 30% 6%
  • Phosphorus

    Okay

    Low 28% Medium 72%

    3 in 10 soil tests here came out low

    If your field is low: add about a quarter more DAP or single super phosphate than the usual dose, at sowing.

    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 28% 72% 0%
    Odisha 26% 44% 30%
    India 14% 41% 45%
  • Potassium

    Good

    Low 2% Medium 85% High 13%

    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/ha

    Healthy soil has 110 kg/ha or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place LowMediumHigh
    Here 2% 85% 13%
    Odisha 17% 61% 22%
    India 14% 53% 34%
  • Organic carbon

    Poor

    Low 89% Medium 11%

    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 89% 11% 0%
    Odisha 49% 35% 16%
    India 48% 28% 23%
  • pH

    Poor

    Acidic 75% Neutral 25%

    8 in 10 soil tests here came out acidic

    If your field is acidic: add agricultural lime before sowing. A soil lab works out how much your field needs.

    What this means

    How sour (acidic) or alkaline the soil is. It decides which nutrients roots can take up.

    Acidic Neutral Alkaline

    Most crops do best at pH 6.5 to 7.5.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place AcidicNeutralAlkaline
    Here 75% 25% 0%
    Odisha 30% 70% 0%
    India 12% 86% 2%
  • Salt

    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. Above 4 harms most crops.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place Not saltySalty
    Here 100% 0%
    Odisha 99% 1%
    India 96% 4%
  • Sulphur

    Poor

    Short 51% Enough 49%

    5 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 51% 49%
    Odisha 36% 64%
    India 24% 76%
  • Zinc

    Good

    Short 10% Enough 90%

    1 in 10 soil tests here came out short

    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 10% 90%
    Odisha 43% 57%
    India 35% 65%
  • Iron

    Good

    Short 1% Enough 99%

    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 1% 99%
    Odisha 13% 87%
    India 24% 76%
  • Copper

    Good

    Short 2% Enough 98%

    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 2% 98%
    Odisha 11% 89%
    India 5% 95%
  • Manganese

    Good

    Enough 100%

    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 0% 100%
    Odisha 13% 87%
    India 13% 87%
  • Boron

    Poor

    Short 74% Enough 26%

    7 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 74% 26%
    Odisha 58% 42%
    India 45% 55%

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. 8,821 samples.

Climate

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

Rain

About 1,380 mm of rain a year

In a normal year. A dry year brings about 1,200 mm.

Temperature

Hottest in May: days about 39°, nights 26°

Coolest in January: days about 28°, nights 14°.

Averages for an area about 100 km across; hills and valleys can differ by several degrees.

Source: IMD gridded daily rainfall (0.25°); IMD gridded daily max/min temperature (1°).

Crops that suit Kandhamal

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.

Working out which crops suit Kandhamal…

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 16% of districts growing it.

Turmeric

Yield is better than 22% of districts growing it.

Tur (Arhar)

Yield is better than 43% of districts growing it.

0.0 1.1 2.3
1998-99 2024-25
Latest 1.5 t/ha 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). 2000-01 to 2024-25.

Compared with similar soil

What this district harvests, next to districts whose soil tests look alike.

Rice

Here 1.8 t/ha
Similar soil 2.7 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 2.7 t/ha of rice; here it's 1.8 t/ha. That's about 48% more per hectare.

Tur (Arhar)

Here 0.8 t/ha
Similar soil 0.9 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 0.9 t/ha of tur (arhar); here it's 0.8 t/ha.

Other Kharif Pulses

Here 0.4 t/ha
Similar soil 0.7 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 0.7 t/ha of other kharif pulses; here it's 0.4 t/ha. That's about 61% more per hectare.

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
91,593
Average farm size
0.9 ha
Young farmers (18–30)
4%
Farmers with secondary school or more
17%
Farmland that is irrigated
9%
Farmers who took a bank or co-op loan
1%
Farmers who had their soil tested
1%
Farmers using certified seed
4%
Drip or sprinkler sets per 1,000 farms
8

Source: Agricultural Input Survey (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare). 2016-17.

Districts with similar soil

Places whose soil tests look most like this district's, and what they grow.

Blocks in this district

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