Defining Kharif crops (Monsoon / Autumn harvest)
Kharif crops depend heavily on the moisture brought by the southwest monsoon winds.
Key characteristics:
- Sowing period: Sown in June and July with the onset of the monsoon rains across the subcontinent.
- Harvesting period: Harvested in September and October as monsoon moisture recedes.
- Climatic needs: Requires high ambient temperatures, abundant humidity, and frequent rainfall during vegetative growth.
- Major crop examples: Paddy (rice), maize, jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet), cotton, soybean, groundnut, and pigeon pea (tur/arhar).
Defining Rabi crops (Winter / Spring harvest)
Rabi crops rely on cooler winter temperatures and assured irrigation.
Key characteristics:
- Sowing period: Sown from October to December after the monsoon withdraws.
- Harvesting period: Harvested in spring from March to May.
- Climatic needs: Requires cold, mild temperatures during early tillering and warm, dry sunshine during grain maturity.
- Major crop examples: Wheat, barley, mustard, chickpea (chana), field peas, lentil (masoor), and potato.
The Zaid bridge season and crop rotation
Between the Rabi harvest and the Kharif sowing lies the short summer 'Zaid' season (March to June). Farmers utilize irrigated riverbeds and tubewell plots to grow fast-maturing crops like watermelons, muskmelons, cucumbers, and summer moong pulses. Rotating heavy cereal crops like paddy with leguminous pulses restores natural soil fertility.
Official source
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Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What is the primary difference between Kharif and Rabi crops?
Kharif crops are monsoon-season crops grown between June and October, while Rabi crops are winter-season crops grown between October and April.
Is cotton a Kharif or Rabi crop in India?
Cotton is predominantly a Kharif crop, sown with monsoon showers in summer and harvested in autumn and early winter.
Why are pulses important in a Kharif-Rabi crop rotation?
Leguminous pulses fix atmospheric nitrogen in soil root nodules, replenishing nutrients exhausted by heavy cereal crops like wheat and paddy.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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