Banka

Most soil here is low in nitrogen. Rice and wheat cover the most farmland.
Soil score
8/10
Good for most crops
Rain
1,130 mm
a year, most of it Jun⁠–⁠Oct
Temperature
10–38 °C
Hottest in April, coolest nights in January
Main crop
Rice
2.4 lakh acres 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 and organic carbon.

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

    From 14,753 soil tests

    Poor

    Low 92% Medium 8%

    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 92% 8% 0%
    Bihar 64% 35% 1%
    India 65% 29% 6%
  • Phosphorus

    From 14,753 soil tests

    Good

    Low 1% Medium 9% 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% 9% 91%
    Bihar 3% 21% 76%
    India 13% 41% 45%
  • Potassium

    From 14,752 soil tests

    Good

    Low 1% Medium 86% 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 1% 86% 13%
    Bihar 6% 72% 22%
    India 14% 53% 33%
  • Organic carbon

    From 14,753 soil tests

    Poor

    Low 76% Medium 23% High 1%

    8 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 76% 23% 1%
    Bihar 33% 53% 14%
    India 49% 28% 23%
  • pH

    From 14,749 soil tests

    Good

    Acidic 2% Neutral 98%

    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

    In these tests, neutral means about pH 6 to 8, which suits most crops; acidic is below about 6 and alkaline above about 8.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place AcidicNeutralAlkaline
    Here 2% 98% 0%
    Bihar 3% 96% 1%
    India 11% 86% 2%
  • Salt

    From 14,753 soil tests

    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. Between 1 and 4, only crops that can't take salt lose yield. Above 4 harms most crops.

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

    From 14,752 soil tests

    Good

    Short 5% Enough 95%

    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 5% 95%
    Bihar 20% 80%
    India 24% 76%
  • Zinc

    From 14,753 soil tests

    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%
    Bihar 23% 77%
    India 35% 65%
  • Iron

    From 14,753 soil tests

    Good

    Short 6% Enough 94%

    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 more

    Healthy soil has 4.5 ppm or more.

    Compared with the wider area
    Place ShortEnough
    Here 6% 94%
    Bihar 7% 93%
    India 24% 76%
  • Copper

    From 14,753 soil tests

    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%
    Bihar 2% 98%
    India 5% 95%
  • Manganese

    From 14,752 soil tests

    Good

    Short 3% Enough 97%

    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 3% 97%
    Bihar 5% 95%
    India 12% 88%
  • Boron

    From 14,753 soil tests

    Good

    Short 16% Enough 84%

    2 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 16% 84%
    Bihar 38% 62%
    India 44% 56%

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. 14,753 samples.

Climate

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

Rain

About 1,130 mm of rain a year

In a normal year. A dry year brings about 990 mm.

Temperature

Hottest in April: days about 38 °C, nights 23 °C

Coolest in January: days about 24 °C, nights 10 °C.

Typical of the district's villages; a farm much higher or lower can be a few degrees cooler or warmer.

Source: 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.

Crops that suit Banka

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.

Sowing Growing

Money a season, before costs. Bar: compared with the best crop here.

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 54% of districts growing it.

Wheat

Yield is better than 40% of districts growing it.

Potato

Yield is better than 54% of districts growing it.

0 5 q 10 q 15 q 20 q
1997-98 2024-25
Latest 12 quintals an acre 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). 2018-19 to 2024-25.

Compared with districts like this one

What this district harvests, next to districts whose soil tests look alike and whose rain and warmth are close to its own.

Rice

Here 16 quintals of paddy an acre
Similar districts 18 quintals of paddy an acre

Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 18 quintals an acre of paddy, about 13% more than the 16 quintals an acre here.

Wheat

Here 10 quintals an acre
Similar districts 12 quintals an acre

Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 12 quintals an acre of wheat, about 20% more than the 10 quintals an acre here.

Potato

Here 73 quintals an acre
Similar districts 66 quintals an acre

Districts with similar soil, rain and warmth typically get 66 quintals an acre of potato; here it's 73 quintals an acre.

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 2016-17
3.3 lakh
Average farm size 2016-17
1.1 acres
Young farmers (18–30) 2016-17
3%
Farmers with secondary school or more 2016-17
20%
Farmland that is irrigated 2016-17
37%
Farmers who took a bank or co-op loan 2016-17
52%
Farmers who had their soil tested 2016-17
0%
Farmers using certified seed 2016-17
17%

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

Districts like this one

Places whose soil tests look most like this district's, with rain and warmth close to its own, and what they grow.

Blocks in this district

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