Kolhapur

Most soil here is low in nitrogen. Sugarcane and rice cover the most farmland.
Soil score
8/10
Good for most crops
Rain
1,310 mm
a year, most of it Jun⁠–⁠Sep
Temperature
17°–36°
Hottest in April, coolest nights in January
Main crop
Sugarcane
1.8 lakh ha sown

Soil

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

8

out of 10

Soil score

Good

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 58% Medium 38% High 4%

    6 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 58% 38% 4%
    Maharashtra 86% 13% 1%
    India 64% 30% 6%
  • Phosphorus

    Good

    Low 1% Medium 8% High 91%

    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 1% 8% 91%
    Maharashtra 22% 53% 25%
    India 14% 41% 45%
  • Potassium

    Good

    Low 7% Medium 40% High 52%

    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 7% 40% 52%
    Maharashtra 4% 29% 66%
    India 14% 53% 34%
  • Organic carbon

    Good

    Low 13% Medium 20% High 67%

    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.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place LowMediumHigh
    Here 13% 20% 67%
    Maharashtra 55% 25% 20%
    India 48% 28% 23%
  • pH

    Okay

    Acidic 21% Neutral 79%

    2 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 21% 79% 0%
    Maharashtra 2% 95% 2%
    India 12% 86% 2%
  • Salt

    Good

    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 Salty

    Under 1 dS/m is fine. Above 4 harms most crops.

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

    Good

    Short 12% Enough 88%

    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 12% 88%
    Maharashtra 54% 46%
    India 24% 76%
  • Zinc

    Okay

    Short 44% Enough 56%

    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 44% 56%
    Maharashtra 52% 48%
    India 35% 65%
  • Iron

    Okay

    Short 39% Enough 61%

    4 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 39% 61%
    Maharashtra 59% 41%
    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%
    Maharashtra 4% 96%
    India 5% 95%
  • Manganese

    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%
    Maharashtra 12% 88%
    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%
    Maharashtra 45% 55%
    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. 22,938 samples.

Climate

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

Rain

About 1,310 mm of rain a year

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

Temperature

Hottest in April: days about 36°, nights 23°

Coolest in January: days about 31°, nights 17°.

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 Kolhapur

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 Kolhapur…

What grows here

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

Yield against other districts

Sugarcane

Yield is better than 87% of districts growing it.

Rice

Yield is better than 83% of districts growing it.

Soybean

Yield is better than 99% of districts growing it.

0.0 57.3 115
1997-98 2024-25
Latest 114.5 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). 2013-14 to 2024-25.

Compared with similar soil

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

Sugarcane

Here 93.1 t/ha
Similar soil 83.2 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 83.2 t/ha of sugarcane; here it's 93.1 t/ha.

Rice

Here 3.3 t/ha
Similar soil 2.9 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 2.9 t/ha of rice; here it's 3.3 t/ha.

Soybean

Here 2.2 t/ha
Similar soil 1.4 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 1.4 t/ha of soybean; here it's 2.2 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
6,57,621
Average farm size
0.9 ha
Young farmers (18–30)
11%
Farmers with secondary school or more
38%
Farmland that is irrigated
46%
Farmers who took a bank or co-op loan
55%
Farmers who had their soil tested
44%
Farmers using certified seed
84%
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.