Crop groups

 Crop Groups 

1. Kharif Crops: Also called the summer crops, they are sown before the onset of the 

rainy season from May to July and harvested after the rains in September and October. 

Rice and millets are major kharif crops of India. 

2. Rabi Crops: Also called the winter crops, they are sown in the beginning of the winter 

season from October to December and harvested before the summer season from February to April. Wheat, barley and oilseeds (mustard) are rabi crops. 

3. Zaid Crops: These are the short duration crops grown after the harvest of the kharif or rabi crops before the next major season. The crops sown in February to April and harvested by June and July are called the ZaidRabi crops. Green vgetables are main crops of this season. Similarly, after the harvest of the kharif crops in September are grown some crops to be harvested before sowing the rabi crops in November and December. They are called zaidkharif crops. Oil seeds and some pulses are grown in this season. 

4. Food crops: These are the crops that serve as food, and all food grains and pulse and most oilseeds are included here. They can be further divided as food grains, pulses, oil seeds and beverages. 

5. Food grains: These are grains consumed in various forms by man. The most important food grains in India are rice, wheat, maize, jowar and bajra. 

6. Pulses: The important pulses grown in India include gram, mung, urad and masur. They are also grain crops but they are not the stable food of the people. 

7. Oilseeds: These crops yield seeds from which oil is expelled. Mustard, rapeseed, groundnut, linseed and castor are the examples. 

8. Beverages: The most important beverage crops of India are tea and coffee. 

9. Subsistence Crops: These crops are grown primarily for own consumption by farmers and only a small portion enters the market. Cultivation of rice in west Bengal is an example of subsistence cropping.

10. Commercial crops: Also called the cash crops, they are grown mainly for the market. Cotton and sugarcane are important commercial crops. 

11. Plantation Crops: In some cases, the crop is planted once and it provides yield for many years. Such plantations are managed like an industry. Tea, coffee, rubber, coconut and spices are examples of such crops. 

12. Spices: Pepper, cardamom, red chilly and turmeric are examples of spices. 

13. Fibre Crops: Also grown as cash crops, this group includes the plant that yield fibres; Jute and cotton are fibre crops. 

14. Fodder Crops: These are crops harvested generally when green and used as cattle fodder. Berseem is one example of such a crop.