Food Crops (Rabi Crops & Kharif Crops) in India Notes with PDF
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I. Indian Cropping Seasons
| Season | Sowing Period | Harvesting Period | Key Examples | Key Non-Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kharif (Summer/Monsoon) | June-July | September-October | Rice, Cotton, Soybean, Sugarcane, Turmeric, Maize, Moong, Groundnut, Red Chilies, Millets (Jowar, Bajra), Jute | Masoor (lentils), Gram (chickpeas) |
| Rabi (Winter) | October-November | March-April | Wheat, Barley, Mustard, Sesame, Peas, Gram, Potatoes, Carrot, Radish, Oats, Linseed, Lentil | Lady’s finger (Okra) |
| Zaid | – | – | Muskmelon, Watermelon, Cucumber, Bitter Gourd, Sunflower, Moong, Urad (in irrigated areas) | – |
II. Crop Classification
| Category | Definition | Examples | Non-Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Crops | Grown primarily for consumption. | Wheat, Rice, Maize, Gram, Peas, Millets (Jowar, Bajra, Ragi), Pulses (Arhar, Lentil) | – |
| Cash Crops | Grown primarily for sale and profit. | Sugarcane, Cotton, Jute, Tobacco, Bananas, Oilseeds (Mustard, Groundnut), Tea, Coffee, Rubber | Wheat, Rice, Jowar (as it is a food grain) |
Farming Practice:
- Parallel Cropping: A practice where two crops with different growth patterns are grown together to avoid resource competition (e.g., Wheat and Mustard).
III. Major Crops: Detailed Overview
A. Wheat
- Climatic & Soil Requirements:
- Temperature: Moderate (10-25°C); 100–150°C during winter.
- Rainfall: Moderate (50-75 cm annually).
- Soil: Well-drained fertile soil.
- Critical Irrigation Stage: Crown Root Initiation (CRI) stage (20-25 days after sowing).
- Production & Trade:
- Largest Producing State: Uttar Pradesh (Highest producer as per Economic Survey 2021-22).
- Other Major Producers: Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh.
- Correct Top 3 Sequence: Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana.
- Production Trend: Upward trend from 2006-07 to 2009-10; exceeded 109.50 million tonnes by 2020-21.
- Total Cultivation Area (2020-21): 31.6 million hectares (second-largest cropped area in India).
- Trade (Historical): Imported 1.5 million tonnes from Australia in 1998.
- Varieties:
- High-Yielding: Kalyan Sona, Sonalika, Arjun.
- Mutation-Derived: Sonora-64.
- Others: Raj 3077 (late-sown), Pusa Sindhu Ganga (HD 2967), UP-308 (developed in Mexico, used in Bihar).
- Genetics & Breeding:
- Dwarfing Gene: Norin-10.
- Hybrid: Triticale (a cross between Wheat and Rye).
- Diseases:
- Rust: Yellow, Brown, and Black Rust.
- Karnal Bunt: Fungal disease caused by Tilletia indica.
- Special Type:
- Macaroni Wheat (Triticum durum): Most suitable for rainfed conditions.
B. Rice (Paddy)
- Classification: Primarily a Kharif crop.
- Climatic Conditions:
- Rainfall: Above 100 cm.
- Temperature: Above 25°C.
- Climate: Warm and humid.
- Significance:
- Chief food crop of India.
- Largest cropped area in India (45.1 million hectares as per 2021-22).
- Average Yield (2020-21): 2713 kg/hectare.
- Cultivation:
- Method: Typically transplanting.
- Seed Rate (Basmati): 15-20 kg per hectare.
- Biofertilizer: Blue-green algae.
- Note: Not helpful in nitrogen fixation; cultivation can release methane gas.
- Major Producing Regions:
- Largest Producer: West Bengal.
- Largest Area Under Cultivation: Uttar Pradesh (5.74 million hectares in 2019-20).
- Highest Yield: Punjab (4035 kg/hectare in 2019-20).
- “Rice Bowl” of India: Delta region of Krishna-Godavari rivers.
- Regional Trend: Eastern coast produces more rice than the western coast.
- Cultivation Seasons:
- Aman: Sown June-July, harvested Nov-Dec (Winter).
- Aus/Karif: Sown May-June, harvested Sep-Oct (Autumn).
- Boro/Dalua: Sown Nov-Dec, harvested Mar-Apr (Summer).
- Varieties:
- High-Yielding: Jaya, Padma, Krishna.
- Aromatic/Basmati: Mahi Sugandha, Pusa Sugandha-3, Pusa Sugandha-5, Pusa RH-10 (Basmati hybrid).
- Others: Hansa, Barani Deep.
- Dwarfing Gene: Dee-gee-woo-gen (found in rice).
C. Pulses
- General Status:
- India is the world’s largest producer and consumer.
- Faces a shortage and is not a usual exporter; often requires imports.
- The area under cultivation has remained relatively stagnant.
- Largest Producer: Madhya Pradesh.
- Nitrogen Fixation:
- Mechanism: Rhizobium bacteria in root nodules fix atmospheric nitrogen.
- Examples: Gram, Pea, Bean, Pigeon Pea (Arhar).
- Essential Nutrient: Cobalt (aids nitrogen-fixing bacteria).
- Fertilizer Ratio (NPK): 1:2:2 (or similar, as they require less nitrogen).
- Specific Pulses:
- Black Gram (Urad): Can be cultivated in both Kharif and Rabi seasons.
- Pigeon Pea (Arhar/Red Gram): Originated in India.
- Varieties: Malaviya Chamatkar, Amar, Azad, Bahar, U.P.A.S-120 (suitable for double cropping with wheat).
- Pea:
- Variety: Aparna (a popular, high-yielding, leafless variety).
IV. State-Specific Dominance
- Uttar Pradesh is the highest producer of Wheat, Potatoes, and Sugarcane. It also has the largest area under hybrid rice cultivation.
V. Miscellaneous Facts
- Crop Varieties:
- ‘Mahi Sugandha’: A variety of Basmati Rice.
- Neelam & Surya: Varieties of mango. (Surya is also a variety of papaya and potato, but not linseed).
- Agro-chemicals:
- Herbicide: Butachlor (kills weeds).
- Insecticides: Chlorpyrifos, Quinalphos (kill insects).
- Fungicide: Carbendazim (kills fungi).
- Genes:
- Opaque-2: A gene found in maize.
- Cultivation Area Comparison:
- The area under cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.
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