Three Cropping Seasons

India has three cropping seasons — rabi, kharif and zaid. Each has its own sowing and harvesting time and its own set of crops, shaped by the monsoon and the temperature.

Kharif, rabi and zaid cropping seasons of India

Rabi and Kharif

Rabi crops are sown in winter (from October to December) and harvested in summer (from April to June).

  • Important rabi crops: wheat, barley, peas, gram (chana) and mustard.
  • They are grown mainly in the north and north-western states (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh). Winter precipitation from western temperate cyclones helps these crops.

Kharif crops are grown with the onset of the monsoon and harvested in September-October.

  • Important kharif crops: paddy (rice), maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut and soybean.
  • They are grown in the rainfall-rich regions such as Assam, West Bengal, coastal areas, Odisha, and the plains.

Zaid Season

Between the rabi and kharif seasons, there is a short summer cropping season called 'zaid'.

Some of the crops produced during zaid are watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and fodder crops.

Exam tip: Remember — Rabi = winter-sown (wheat, gram, mustard); Kharif = monsoon-sown (rice, cotton, jute, bajra); Zaid = short summer (watermelon, cucumber). This is a very common Board question.

Questions and Answers

Q1. Name the three cropping seasons of India.

Answer: The three cropping seasons of India are rabi (winter-sown, harvested in summer), kharif (sown with the onset of the monsoon, harvested in September-October) and zaid (a short summer season between rabi and kharif).

Q2. Distinguish between rabi and kharif crops with examples.

Answer: Rabi crops are sown in winter (October-December) and harvested in summer (April-June) — e.g. wheat, gram, peas and mustard. Kharif crops are sown with the onset of the monsoon and harvested in September-October — e.g. rice, maize, bajra, cotton and jute.

Q3. What is the zaid season? Name two zaid crops.

Answer: The zaid season is a short summer cropping season between the rabi and kharif seasons. Crops grown in zaid include watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and fodder crops (any two).