Understanding these seasons is key to understanding the crop calendar, food security, and the economy of the nation.
The word "Kharif" is derived from Arabic, meaning "Autumn." These crops are sown with the onset of the southwest monsoon. kharif rabi and zaid crops
High temperatures, high humidity, and substantial rainfall. Understanding these seasons is key to understanding the
| Feature | Kharif | Rabi | Zaid | |--------|--------|------|------| | | Monsoon / Rainy | Winter | Summer | | Sowing | June–July | Oct–Dec | March–April | | Harvest | Sep–Oct | March–April | June–July | | Rainfall | High (monsoon dependent) | Low (irrigation dependent) | Very low (requires irrigation) | | Temperature | Warm & humid | Cool & dry | Hot & dry | | Examples | Rice, cotton, groundnut | Wheat, gram, mustard | Watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin | | Feature | Kharif | Rabi | Zaid
The word Kharif comes from Arabic, meaning "autumn." These crops are sown with the onset of the southwest monsoon and harvested at the end of the rainy season.
Zaid is a short, intermediate cropping season between Rabi and Kharif. These crops are grown in the summer months and require irrigation (since rainfall is scarce).