Kharif crops
Topic: Land Reforms, the Green Revolution and Farm Subsidies · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Kharif crops are sown when the south-west monsoon arrives, around June-July, and harvested around September-October. They need warm weather and plenty of water, so they depend heavily on monsoon rain. Rice, maize, cotton and soybean are common kharif crops.
Example
In Punjab and Haryana, farmers sow kharif paddy with the monsoon. After harvesting it in autumn, they sow rabi wheat on the same field. This rice-wheat cycle is at the heart of the Green Revolution belt.
Don't confuse with
- Rabi crops: these are sown in winter (October-December) and harvested in spring, for example wheat, mustard, gram and barley.
- Zaid crops: these are short summer crops grown between the rabi and kharif seasons.
Related concepts
- Green Revolution
- High-yielding variety seeds
- Research and extension
- Farm mechanisation
- Crop yield
- Seed replacement rate
- Rabi crops
- Zaid crops
- Multiple cropping
- Net sown area