Leading examples of Zaid crops in Indian agriculture
- Cucurbits and fruits: Watermelon (tarbooj), muskmelon (kharbuja), cucumber (kheera), and long melon (kakri).
- Summer vegetables: Bitter gourd (karela), bottle gourd (lauki), ridge gourd (torai), pumpkin (kaddu), and okra (bhindi).
- Short-duration pulses: Summer moong (green gram) and summer urad (black gram) maturing in 60 to 65 days.
- Summer fodder crops: Fodder maize, sorghum (chari), cowpea (lobia), and cluster bean (guar) to sustain dairy cattle through dry summers.
Agronomic requirements and irrigation management
- Sowing window: Sown immediately after Rabi crop harvest in late February to March.
- Climate: Thrives in hot, dry climates with temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius; sensitive to cold and unseasonal frost.
- Irrigation: Requires assured irrigation; drip irrigation systems and riverbed diara cultivation are widely used to maintain steady root-zone moisture.
- Organic mulching: Straw mulching or plastic mulch helps conserve scarce soil moisture and lowers soil temperature during peak summer heat.
Economic advantages of cultivating Zaid crops
Growing Zaid crops utilizes land that would otherwise lie idle during the summer months, generating intermediate cash flow for farmers. Cultivating leguminous summer moong also fixes atmospheric nitrogen, enriching soil nitrogen reserves and improving crop yields for the subsequent Kharif paddy or maize crop.
Official source
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Common questions
What are the best examples of Zaid crops in India?
Key examples include watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, bitter gourd, pumpkin, summer moong, and fodder maize.
In which months are Zaid crops sown and harvested?
Zaid crops are sown from late February to March and harvested from May to June before the arrival of the monsoon rains.
Why is summer moong considered an ideal Zaid crop?
Summer moong matures quickly in 60 to 65 days, provides high market returns for protein-rich pulse grain, and enriches soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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