Kharif cropping season (Monsoon season)
- Sowing window: Sown with the onset of the South-West monsoon in June-July and harvested in September-October.
- Climate: Requires high temperatures, high humidity, and abundant rainfall during vegetative growth.
- Major Kharif crops: Paddy (rice), maize, jowar, bajra, soybean, cotton, groundnut, pigeon pea (arhar), and green gram (moong).
Rabi cropping season (Winter season)
- Sowing window: Sown in October-November after the monsoon recedes and harvested in March-April.
- Climate: Requires cool weather and low moisture during germination and vegetative growth, with warm, dry sunny weather during grain ripening.
- Major Rabi crops: Wheat, barley, mustard, chickpea (gram), field peas, lentil, and potato.
Zaid cropping season (Summer transition season)
Sown between the harvest of Rabi crops and the onset of Kharif rains (March to June). Zaid crops require warm, dry weather and reliable irrigation. Major Zaid crops include fast-maturing vegetables, fodder crops, and cucurbits such as watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, pumpkin, bitter gourd, and summer moong.
Official source
Check the latest rules, benefits and forms here. KisanPe is an independent platform and is not a government website.
Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What is the main difference between Kharif and Rabi crops?
Kharif crops are sown during the monsoon season (June-July) and depend on warm, rainy weather, whereas Rabi crops are sown in winter (October-November) and thrive in cool, dry conditions.
What are Zaid crops and when are they grown?
Zaid crops are short-duration summer crops grown from March to June in irrigated areas between the Rabi harvest and Kharif sowing.
In which season is wheat grown in India?
Wheat is a major Rabi (winter) crop sown in October-November and harvested in March-April across Northern and Central India.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
More Seeds, Crops & Cultivation guides
Ask Sakhi AI in your language, check live mandi prices or plan a loan with KisanPe tools.