Cropping Pattern | Geography for UPSC 2024 (Pre & Mains) PDF Download

 Page 1


 
CROPPING PATTERN 
India has three cropping seasons — rabi, kharif and zaid.  
RABI  
Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in 
summer from April to June. Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, 
barley, peas, gram and mustard. Though, these crops are grown in large 
parts of India, states from the north and north-western parts such as 
Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand 
and Uttar Pradesh are important for the production of wheat and other rabi 
crops. Availability of precipitation during winter months due to the western 
temperate cyclones helps in the success of these crops.  
KHARIF  
Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the 
country and these are harvested in September-October. Important crops 
grown during this season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), 
moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean. Some of the most 
important rice-growing regions are Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of 
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and 
Maharashtra, particularly the (Konkan coast) along with Uttar Pradesh 
and Bihar. Recently, paddy has also become an important crop of Punjab and 
Haryana. In states like Assam, West Bengal and Odisha, three crops of paddy 
are grown in a year. These are Aus, Aman and Boro.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Page 2


 
CROPPING PATTERN 
India has three cropping seasons — rabi, kharif and zaid.  
RABI  
Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in 
summer from April to June. Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, 
barley, peas, gram and mustard. Though, these crops are grown in large 
parts of India, states from the north and north-western parts such as 
Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand 
and Uttar Pradesh are important for the production of wheat and other rabi 
crops. Availability of precipitation during winter months due to the western 
temperate cyclones helps in the success of these crops.  
KHARIF  
Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the 
country and these are harvested in September-October. Important crops 
grown during this season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), 
moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean. Some of the most 
important rice-growing regions are Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of 
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and 
Maharashtra, particularly the (Konkan coast) along with Uttar Pradesh 
and Bihar. Recently, paddy has also become an important crop of Punjab and 
Haryana. In states like Assam, West Bengal and Odisha, three crops of paddy 
are grown in a year. These are Aus, Aman and Boro.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LET’s UNDERSTAND THE CROPPING SEASONS HERE : 
 
ZAID  
This is a special season which comes between kharif and rabi. Some of the 
crops grown are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and 
fodder crops. 
 
Page 3


 
CROPPING PATTERN 
India has three cropping seasons — rabi, kharif and zaid.  
RABI  
Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in 
summer from April to June. Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, 
barley, peas, gram and mustard. Though, these crops are grown in large 
parts of India, states from the north and north-western parts such as 
Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand 
and Uttar Pradesh are important for the production of wheat and other rabi 
crops. Availability of precipitation during winter months due to the western 
temperate cyclones helps in the success of these crops.  
KHARIF  
Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the 
country and these are harvested in September-October. Important crops 
grown during this season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), 
moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean. Some of the most 
important rice-growing regions are Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of 
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and 
Maharashtra, particularly the (Konkan coast) along with Uttar Pradesh 
and Bihar. Recently, paddy has also become an important crop of Punjab and 
Haryana. In states like Assam, West Bengal and Odisha, three crops of paddy 
are grown in a year. These are Aus, Aman and Boro.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LET’s UNDERSTAND THE CROPPING SEASONS HERE : 
 
ZAID  
This is a special season which comes between kharif and rabi. Some of the 
crops grown are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and 
fodder crops. 
 
 
 
MAJOR CROPS 
 
 
 
 
 
Page 4


 
CROPPING PATTERN 
India has three cropping seasons — rabi, kharif and zaid.  
RABI  
Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in 
summer from April to June. Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, 
barley, peas, gram and mustard. Though, these crops are grown in large 
parts of India, states from the north and north-western parts such as 
Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand 
and Uttar Pradesh are important for the production of wheat and other rabi 
crops. Availability of precipitation during winter months due to the western 
temperate cyclones helps in the success of these crops.  
KHARIF  
Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the 
country and these are harvested in September-October. Important crops 
grown during this season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), 
moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean. Some of the most 
important rice-growing regions are Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of 
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and 
Maharashtra, particularly the (Konkan coast) along with Uttar Pradesh 
and Bihar. Recently, paddy has also become an important crop of Punjab and 
Haryana. In states like Assam, West Bengal and Odisha, three crops of paddy 
are grown in a year. These are Aus, Aman and Boro.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LET’s UNDERSTAND THE CROPPING SEASONS HERE : 
 
ZAID  
This is a special season which comes between kharif and rabi. Some of the 
crops grown are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and 
fodder crops. 
 
 
 
MAJOR CROPS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FOOD GRAINS: 
RICE 
 
Rice is the most important food crop of India. It is predominantly a Kharif 
or summer crop. It covers about one third of total cultivated area of the 
country and provides food to more than half of the Indian population. 
Maximum population of India is of rice consumers. 
 
 
Page 5


 
CROPPING PATTERN 
India has three cropping seasons — rabi, kharif and zaid.  
RABI  
Rabi crops are sown in winter from October to December and harvested in 
summer from April to June. Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, 
barley, peas, gram and mustard. Though, these crops are grown in large 
parts of India, states from the north and north-western parts such as 
Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand 
and Uttar Pradesh are important for the production of wheat and other rabi 
crops. Availability of precipitation during winter months due to the western 
temperate cyclones helps in the success of these crops.  
KHARIF  
Kharif crops are grown with the onset of monsoon in different parts of the 
country and these are harvested in September-October. Important crops 
grown during this season are paddy, maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), 
moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soyabean. Some of the most 
important rice-growing regions are Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of 
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and 
Maharashtra, particularly the (Konkan coast) along with Uttar Pradesh 
and Bihar. Recently, paddy has also become an important crop of Punjab and 
Haryana. In states like Assam, West Bengal and Odisha, three crops of paddy 
are grown in a year. These are Aus, Aman and Boro.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LET’s UNDERSTAND THE CROPPING SEASONS HERE : 
 
ZAID  
This is a special season which comes between kharif and rabi. Some of the 
crops grown are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and 
fodder crops. 
 
 
 
MAJOR CROPS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
FOOD GRAINS: 
RICE 
 
Rice is the most important food crop of India. It is predominantly a Kharif 
or summer crop. It covers about one third of total cultivated area of the 
country and provides food to more than half of the Indian population. 
Maximum population of India is of rice consumers. 
 
 
 
Some of the geographical conditions are as follows: 
(a) Temperature: Rice requires hot and humid conditions. The 
temperature should be fairly high i.e. 24°C mean monthly temperature 
with average temperature of 22°C to 32°C. 
(b) Rainfall: Rainfall ranging between 150-300 cm is suitable for its growth 
in areas of Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh where rainfall is 
less than 100 cm, rice is cultivated with the help of irrigation. 
(c) Soil: Rice is grown in varied soil conditions but deep clayey and loamy 
soil provides the ideal conditions. Rice is primarily grown in plain areas. 
It is also grown below sea level at Kuttinad (Kerala), hill terraces of north 
eastern part of India and valleys of Kashmir. 
(d) Distribution: Rice is grown in almost all the states of India. The main rice 
producing states are Tamilnadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, 
Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhatisgarh, Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, 
Karnataka, Assam and Maharashtra. It is also grown in Haryana, Madhya 
Pradesh, Kerala, Gujrat and Kashmir Valley.