Palghar

Most soil here is low in nitrogen. Rice and ragi (finger millet) cover the most farmland.
Soil score
7/10
Okay for most crops
Rain
2,820 mm
a year, most of it Jun⁠–⁠Sep
Temperature
15°–37°
Hottest in May, coolest nights in January
Main crop
Rice
78,685 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 and potassium.

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 88% Medium 10% High 2%

    9 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 88% 10% 2%
    Maharashtra 86% 13% 1%
    India 64% 30% 6%
  • Phosphorus

    Good

    Low 11% Medium 15% High 74%

    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 11% 15% 74%
    Maharashtra 22% 53% 25%
    India 14% 41% 45%
  • Potassium

    Poor

    Low 58% Medium 25% High 17%

    6 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 58% 25% 17%
    Maharashtra 4% 29% 66%
    India 14% 53% 34%
  • Organic carbon

    Good

    Low 10% Medium 9% High 80%

    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 10% 9% 80%
    Maharashtra 55% 25% 20%
    India 48% 28% 23%
  • pH

    Good

    Acidic 4% Neutral 96% Alkaline 1%

    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 4% 96% 1%
    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 14% Enough 86%

    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 14% 86%
    Maharashtra 54% 46%
    India 24% 76%
  • Zinc

    Good

    Short 4% Enough 96%

    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 4% 96%
    Maharashtra 52% 48%
    India 35% 65%
  • Iron

    Good

    Short 18% Enough 82%

    2 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 more

    Healthy soil has 4.5 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 18% 82%
    Maharashtra 59% 41%
    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%
    Maharashtra 4% 96%
    India 5% 95%
  • Manganese

    Good

    Short 13% Enough 87%

    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 13% 87%
    Maharashtra 12% 88%
    India 13% 87%
  • Boron

    Okay

    Short 40% Enough 60%

    4 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 40% 60%
    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. 9,263 samples.

Climate

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

Rain

About 2,820 mm of rain a year

In a normal year. A dry year brings about 2,330 mm.

Temperature

Hottest in May: days about 37°, nights 25°

Coolest in January: days about 30°, nights 15°.

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 Palghar

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.

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 39% of districts growing it.

Ragi (Finger Millet)

Yield is better than 27% of districts growing it.

Other Cereals

Yield is better than 30% of districts growing it.

1.8 2.3 2.9
2014-15 2024-25
Latest 2.4 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). 2014-15 to 2024-25.

Compared with similar soil

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

Rice

Here 2.3 t/ha
Similar soil 2.5 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 2.5 t/ha of rice; here it's 2.3 t/ha.

Ragi (Finger Millet)

Here 0.9 t/ha
Similar soil 1.6 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 1.6 t/ha of ragi (finger millet); here it's 0.9 t/ha. That's about 84% more per hectare.

Small Millets

Here 0.6 t/ha
Similar soil 1.4 t/ha

Districts with similar soil typically get 1.4 t/ha of small millets; here it's 0.6 t/ha. That's about 140% 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
1.5 lakh
Average farm size
1.6 ha
Young farmers (18–30)
15%
Farmers with secondary school or more
21%
Farmland that is irrigated
7%
Farmers who took a bank or co-op loan
16%
Farmers who had their soil tested
20%
Farmers using certified seed
82%
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.