Crops

In agriculture, a crop is a plant or plant product that may be produced and harvested in large quantities for profit or sustenance. Crops are classified into six types based on their use: food crops for human consumption (e.g., wheat, potatoes); feed crops for livestock consumption (e.g., oats, alfalfa); fibre crops for cordage and textiles (e.g., cotton, hemp); oil crops for consumption or industrial use (e.g., cottonseed, corn); ornamental crops for landscape gardening (e.g., dogwood, azalea); and industrial and secondary crops (e.g., rubber, tobacco).

Crops Meaning

Crops are plants that farmers grow. Agriculture is extremely vital to the Indian economy. It is our country’s backbone. Agriculture provides food and income to 70% of the Indian people. It is the most common employment in rural regions. Crop cultivation is mostly determined by weather and soil conditions.

Types of Crops

1. Kharif Crops

Because the season coincides with the beginning of autumn or winter, the word “Kharif” is Arabic for autumn. Since these crops are grown during the monsoon season, the Kharif crop is also known as the monsoon crop. The Kharif season varies by state, although it normally lasts from June through September. We plant the crop at the start of the monsoon season in June and harvest it in September or October. Kharif crops include rice, maize, bajra, ragi, soybean, groundnut, and cotton.

Example:  Rice – After China, India is the world’s second-largest producer of rice. India contributes to around 20% of global rice production. It is, without a doubt, the most significant agricultural crop grown in the country. Rice is a staple crop across India, and its cultivation is also extensive.

Rice thrives in areas with considerable rainfall. It needs average temperatures of 25°C and a minimum rainfall of 100 cm. It has historically been produced on flooded rice paddy areas. The country’s largest rice-producing areas are the northeast plains and coastal areas.

2. Rabi Crops

Spring is the Arabic equivalent of the word “Rabi.” The term comes from the fact that these crops are harvested in the spring. Rabi season typically begins in November and lasts until March or April. Since the monsoon season has ended by November, the Rabi crop is mostly grown by irrigation. In fact, unseasonal rains in November or December can cause havoc on the crop. Farmers sow the seeds in the early autumn, resulting in a spring harvest. Wheat, barley, mustard, and green peas are among the most important rabi crops grown in India.

Example: Wheat – India is the world’s second-largest wheat producer. Its agricultural revenue is heavily dependent on the rabi harvest. Wheat is a staple diet among Indians, particularly in the north.

Wheat requires cold temperatures in the 14°C to 18°C range during its growth season. Rainfall of between 50 and 90 cm is good. Wheat, on the other hand, demands strong sunlight and somewhat warmer temperatures during harvesting season in the spring. Uttar Pradesh is India’s leading wheat-growing state, followed by Punjab and Haryana.

3. Zaid Crops

In the months of March to July, there is a brief season between Kharif and Rabi. Zaid crops are crops that grow during this season. These also grow on irrigated terrain. As a result, we don’t have to wait for the monsoons to grow. Pumpkin, cucumber, and bitter gourd are some examples of Zaid crops.

What Exactly Is Crop Production?

It is the division of agriculture concerned with the cultivation of crops for food and fibre. Many farmers all around the world use this technology to better manage their crops. This approach involved a thorough grasp of all the feed sources necessary to sustain and develop crops. This specific field of study assists us in farming better and smarter in order to raise our food supply through improved crop production and management.

Crop Production Influencing Factors

The following are the most important elements impacting crop production:

• The soil is being prepared.
• Planting seeds
• Irrigation.
• Manure, fertiliser, and insecticides are all used.
• Crop harvesting
• Storing of crops

Importance Of Crops

Crop diversity is the foundation of agriculture, allowing it to evolve and adapt to meet the never-ending challenge of producing sufficient and nutritious food for an expanding population in a sustainable manner.

Farmers have domesticated, selected, exchanged, and improved food plants in traditional ways, within traditional production systems, for millennia. Scientific crop improvement has greatly accelerated and focused this process, resulting in historic achievements such as the Green Revolution and the steady rise in yields since the 1960s. Genetic improvement is responsible for half of the global increase in food production.

Conclusion 

Crops are classified into six types based on their use: food crops for human consumption ; feed crops for livestock consumption ; fibre crops for cordage and textiles ; oil crops for consumption or industrial use ; ornamental crops for landscape gardening ; and industrial and secondary crops. Because the season coincides with the beginning of autumn or winter, the word “Kharif” is Arabic for autumn. Since these crops are grown during the monsoon season, the Kharif crop is also known as the monsoon crop. We plant the crop at the start of the monsoon season in June and harvest it in September or October. Spring is the Arabic equivalent of the word “Rabi”. The term comes from the fact that these crops are harvested in the spring. In the months of March to July, there is a brief season between Kharif and Rabi.