Bhavnagar

Most soil here is low in nitrogen. Cotton and groundnut cover the most farmland.
Soil score
7/10
Okay for most crops
Rain
710 mm
a year, most of it Jun⁠–⁠Sep
Temperature
14°–38°
Hottest in May, coolest nights in January
Main crop
Cotton
2.4 lakh 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: 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.

  • Nitrogen

    Poor

    Low 97% Medium 3%

    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 97% 3% 0%
    Gujarat 81% 18% 1%
    India 64% 30% 6%
  • Phosphorus

    Okay

    Low 27% Medium 40% High 34%

    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 27% 40% 34%
    Gujarat 9% 24% 67%
    India 14% 41% 45%
  • Potassium

    Good

    Low 1% Medium 9% High 90%

    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/ha

    Healthy soil has 110 kg/ha or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place LowMediumHigh
    Here 1% 9% 90%
    Gujarat 5% 34% 61%
    India 14% 53% 34%
  • Organic carbon

    Good

    Low 16% Medium 46% High 38%

    2 in 10 soil tests here came out low

    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 16% 46% 38%
    Gujarat 34% 35% 31%
    India 48% 28% 23%
  • pH

    Good

    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 Alkaline

    Most crops do best at pH 6.5 to 7.5.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place AcidicNeutralAlkaline
    Here 0% 100% 0%
    Gujarat 0% 98% 2%
    India 12% 86% 2%
  • Salt

    Okay

    Not salty 54% Salty 46%

    5 in 10 soil tests here came out salty

    If your field is salty: grow crops that take salt, level the field, and wash the salt down with good water before sowing.

    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 54% 46%
    Gujarat 86% 14%
    India 96% 4%
  • Sulphur

    Good

    Short 1% Enough 99%

    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 more

    Healthy soil has 10 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 1% 99%
    Gujarat 25% 75%
    India 24% 76%
  • Zinc

    Okay

    Short 36% Enough 64%

    4 in 10 soil tests 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 36% 64%
    Gujarat 39% 61%
    India 35% 65%
  • Iron

    Okay

    Short 31% Enough 69%

    3 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 more

    Healthy soil has 4.5 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 31% 69%
    Gujarat 32% 68%
    India 24% 76%
  • Copper

    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%
    Gujarat 7% 93%
    India 5% 95%
  • Manganese

    Good

    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 more

    Healthy soil has 2 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 7% 93%
    Gujarat 8% 92%
    India 13% 87%
  • Boron

    Good

    Short 13% Enough 87%

    1 in 10 soil tests here came out short

    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 13% 87%
    Gujarat 51% 49%
    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. 31,386 samples.

Climate

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

Rain

About 710 mm of rain a year

In a normal year. A dry year brings about 570 mm.

Temperature

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

Coolest in January: days about 29°, 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 Bhavnagar

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 Bhavnagar…

What grows here

Main crops by area, with yield per hectare. Tap a crop to see it across India.

Yield against other districts

Cotton

Yield is better than 46% of districts growing it.

Groundnut

Yield is better than 72% of districts growing it.

Onion

Yield is better than 89% of districts growing it.

0.0 0.4 0.8
1997-98 2024-25
Latest 0.4 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). 2016-17 to 2024-25.

Compared with similar soil

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

Cotton

Here 0.4 t/ha
Similar soil 0.5 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 0.5 t/ha of cotton; here it's 0.4 t/ha. That's about 34% more per hectare.

Groundnut

Here 2.2 t/ha
Similar soil 1.9 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 1.9 t/ha of groundnut; here it's 2.2 t/ha.

Onion

Here 27.3 t/ha
Similar soil 25.9 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 25.9 t/ha of onion; here it's 27.3 t/ha.

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
2,08,832
Average farm size
2.0 ha
Young farmers (18–30)
2%
Farmers with secondary school or more
14%
Farmland that is irrigated
50%
Farmers who took a bank or co-op loan
51%
Farmers who had their soil tested
100%
Farmers using certified seed
100%
Drip or sprinkler sets per 1,000 farms
0

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.