Types of Crop Seasons in India: Kharif, Rabi and Zaid

Table of Content

• Overview of Seasons in India
• Types of Crop Seasons in India
  • Kharif Season
    • Time Period & Crops Grown in Kharif Season
  • Rabi Season
    • Time Period & Crops Grown in Rabi Season
  • Zaid Season
    • Time Period & Crops Grown in Zaid Season
• Difference Between Kharif & Rabi Crops
• Conclusion

Overview of Crop Seasons in India

India is an agriculture-rich country where most of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture also plays a big role in sustaining the Indian economy. Indian agriculture witnesses three major crop seasons: Rabi, Kharif, and Zaid. It is important for farmers to have an understanding of these three seasons to optimise their farming productivity.

Types of Crop Seasons in India

There are three primary cropping seasons in India:

• Kharif
• Rabi
• Zaid

Kharif Season

Kharif is an Arabic word which means fall. The kharif season, also called the monsoon season, starts in June and lasts until October. The crops in this season are sown at the start of the monsoon season and harvested at the end. Examples of Kharif season crops which require lots of water are rice, sugarcane, maize, cotton, jute, soybeans, groundnuts, etc.

Time Period & Crops Grown in Kharif Season

Rabi Season

Rabi comes from the Arabic word, which means “spring.” It occurs just after the monsoon season. The rabi season, also known as the winter season, starts in October and lasts until March. The popular crops grown in the Rabi season are wheat, mustard, barley, gram, peas, etc.

Time Period & Crops Grown in Rabi Season

Zaid Season

The crops cultivated between Rabi and Kharif are known as filler crops. The Zaid season, also called the summer season of India, starts in March and lasts till June. The Zaid crops require warm and dry weather to grow and mature as they need less water. They are sown in March and harvested in June.

The popular crops grown in this season are watermelon, muskmelon, pumpkin, cucumber, bitter ground, etc.

Time Period & Crops Grown in Zaid Season

Difference Between Rabi and Kharif Crops

The major difference between Rabi and Kharif crops from farming perspective is the sowing and harvesting time. The top four differences between Kharif and Rabi crops are shown in the table below:

Conclusion

The variation in soil, monsoon patterns, and geography makes the Indian climate suitable for a wide variety of crops. It allows the farmers to grow different crops in their particular region according to their climatic conditions. The crop season plays a major role in sustaining the food security in the country. With proper knowledge of crop seasons and availability of farm implements, farmers can achieve better productivity.