Sowing and harvesting timetable
The rabi season begins as the southwest monsoon recedes and temperatures drop across the Indian subcontinent.
- Sowing Window: October to December; commences after harvesting kharif crops like paddy, soybean, and cotton.
- Growing Period: December to February; crops benefit from cool weather, bright sunny days, and occasional western disturbance showers.
- Harvesting Window: March to May (extending into June in temperate hilly regions) as temperatures rise, promoting grain ripening.
- Critical Temperature Requirements: Requires cold temperatures during early vegetative growth and warm dry weather during grain filling and maturity.
Major rabi crops grown across Indian states
Different agro-climatic zones cultivate specific rabi cereals, pulses, and oilseeds.
- Cereals: Wheat (the dominant rabi staple), barley, and winter maize.
- Pulses: Chickpea (chana / Bengal gram), lentils (masoor), field peas, and black gram in peninsular belts.
- Oilseeds: Mustard and rapeseed (sarson), linseed (alsi), safflower (kusum), and rabi sunflower.
- Horticultural Crops: Potato, onion, garlic, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, and winter leafy vegetables.
Agronomic and irrigation management
Proper water and nutrient management ensures high yields during the dry winter period.
- Ensure pre-sowing irrigation to provide adequate seedbed moisture for uniform germination.
- Apply balanced basal fertilizers based on Soil Health Card recommendations.
- Time critical irrigations: for wheat, the Crown Root Initiation stage at 20 to 25 days after sowing is vital.
- Protect crops against rabi pests (aphids in mustard, pod borer in chickpea) and fungal rusts through integrated pest management.
Official source
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Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What are the exact months for the rabi season in India?
Sowing occurs from October to December, while harvesting takes place between March and May across most Indian states.
What is the most widely cultivated rabi crop in India?
Wheat is the most important and widely cultivated rabi cereal crop in India, especially in the northern plains.
Why are western disturbances beneficial for rabi crops?
Western disturbances bring light winter rains to northern and northwestern India, providing natural irrigation and cooler temperatures ideal for wheat and mustard.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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