Types of Crops

Many factors influence types of Crops: Crops are plants cultivated and harvested by farmers for various purposes like food, animal feed, fibre production, and industrial purposes. Crops include both food and non-food items. Many factors influence crop production, and the variety of crops also depends upon the season. Agriculture contributes to a major portion of India’s GDP(Gross Domestic Product) and is a major occupation in rural areas.

Types of Crop

What are Crops?

The plants that the farmers harvest are known as crops. They are grown and harvested on a large scale. The crops are grown for sustenance and commercial purposes. After the Green Revolution, India has become one of the globally leading agriculture nations. Food is an important part of the survival of human life. The crops are grown in large areas to suffice the needs of the human population. Therefore, farming is done to generate food. It involves growing crops and raising livestock. It also includes non-food products.

Definition of Crop

Types of Crops

The types of crops depending on the various seasons in which they are grown are as follows:

Kharif crops

The term kharif means autumn. Kharif Crops are the crops in which the seeds are sown during the monsoon season. Such crops need lots of water to grow. The sowing usually starts in June. The crops are harvested during the autumn season, usually by September or October. Examples of Kharif crops include rice, ragi, maize, bajra, groundnut, and soyabean.

Rabi Crops

The term Rabi is an Arabic word and it means spring. These crops are sown during November and the crops are harvested by the spring season, usually by March or April. These crops usually do not require much water, and unusual excess rains can damage the water. Such crops require warmer climate for the processes of germination and maturation of seeds and require cold climate for growth. Wheat, barley, mustard etc. are some examples of rabi crops.

Zaid Crops

Zaid crops usually lie in between kharif crops and rabi crops. The seeds are, usually sown during the month of March and are harvested in the month of June. They are grown for a short period and crops mature early. Examples of Zaid crops include watermelon, muskmelon, vegetables etc.

Factors Affecting Crop Production

The factors which affect production of crops include:

Internal or Genetic Factors

The genetic factors affect the growth of crops and the breeders tend to incorporate maximum desired characters into the crops and formation of good hybrids. The good qualities include:

1. High yielding ability
2. Early maturity
3. Resistance to flood and other calamities.
4. Tolerance to insect
5. Resistance to lodging

Environmental Factors

The environmental and external factors include:

1. Climate
2. Biotic
3. Socio-economic

Climatic Factors

Climatic factors include:

1. Precipitation
2. Temperature
3. Solar radiations
4. Wind velocity
5. Atmospheric humidity

Type of Soil

The type of soil and the factors include the following:

1. Soil Air
2. Soil Moisture
3. Soil organisms
4. Soil reactions
5. Soil temperature

Biotic Factors

Plants and other animals are biotic factors and also affect production of crops like pests and other negative implications.

Socio- Economic Factors

Many socio-economic factors affect like human resources, inclinations of society in cultivation, choice of crops, breeding varieties tend to increase pests and so forth.

Food Crops

Food Crops are crops that are sown and harvested for human consumption. They are exported to other countries as well. India is the major producer of rice and wheat. India also produces millet, maize, and pulses. India produces nearly 65% of food crops. The food crops also include vegetables and fruits. Important food crops grown are:

1. Rice: Rice is a staple food crop and majority in the regions in country and rice is a kharif crop with high temperature, heavy rainfall and high humidity.
2. Wheat: It is most important in north and north western parts of the country and mostly rabi crops which require 50-75 cm of annual rainfall.
3. Maize: Maize is used as both food and fodder and grows well in alluvial soil.

Cash Crops

Cash crops are those crops that are sold for profit. They are exported to other countries as well. Usually, developing countries sell these crops to enhance their GDP and earn revenue as well. Examples of Cash Crops include coffee, tea, cocoa, sugarcane, jute, tobacco etc. India is the second largest major producer of sugarcane. It is to be noted that these cash crops are also used for industrial purposes.

Green Revolution in India

Green Revolution was introduced in the year 1960’s by MS Swaminathan. This move enhanced India’s agriculture and it made India one of the leading agricultural nations. The Green Revolution improved the quality of crop production and also improved the lives of farmers. It involved the use of High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds, encouraged the use of insecticides and pesticides, improvement of irrigation methods and also introduced machines for harvesting. The Government of India introduced many schemes under this revolution. This movement was a success and improved the quality of crops and also improved the lives of farmers as well.

However, there are a few drawbacks of the Green Revolution. They are as follows:

• Increased use of pesticides has led to water pollution.
• The HVY seeds are costly and require lots of water.
• The schemes were not available to low-income farmers.
• The green Revolution was mostly concentrated in states like Punjab and Haryana.

To reduce the drawbacks, a second Green Revolution was introduced, which focused on reducing pollution and introduced more schemes that benefitted other states as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 3 main types of crops?

The major crops include:

1. Food crops
2. Cash crops
3. Plantation crops
4. Horticulture crops

Which 5 crops are most important?

The 5 crops which are considered to be most important include sugarcane, maize, rice and wheat.

What are the types of crops?

The types of crops include paddy, maize, soybean, cotton and ground nut.

What are the 2 types of crops?

The 2 types of crops include rabi and kharif crops.

What are the types of major crops?

The types of major crops are rice, millets, wheat, maize and pulses.