MAJOR CROPS CROPPING PATTERNS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE

COUNTRY
Because of the diversities in relief, soils and climate in India we can produce
almost all the varieties of crops. We can divide the major crops in India into
the following categories.
MAJOR CROPS:
1. Food crops: rice, wheat, maize, millets- jowar, bajra, ragi; pulses-gram,
tur(arhar)
2. Cash crops : cotton, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, oilseed, groundnut, linseed,
sesame, castor seed, rapeseed, mustard
3. Plantation crops:tea,coffee,spicespetter,cardamom,chillies,ginger,turmeric,coconut,arecanut,and rubber.
4. Horticulture: fruits-apple, peach ,pear, apricot, almond, strawberry,
walnut, mango, banana, citrus fruits, vegetables.
CROPPING PATTERN: This is the pattern of crops for a given piece of land,
over the period. It means in a given piece of land we cannot cultivate same
kind of crop throughout the year because some factors like seasonal
changes, soil condition and some other factors would not allow the crop to
survive, otherwise the crop would not give much profit. So depending upon
the physiographic conditions, climatic condition, economic condition,
scientific conditions and political conditions we would change different
variety of crops in a given piece of land over the period this is called
cropping pattern.
MAJOR CROPS+ CROPPING PATTERN:

FOOD CROPS:
RICE:
We all know that for paddy cultivation there are three basic requirements
1. Plenty of water.
2. Plenty of sunshine.
3. Fertile alluvial soil.

Rice is grown almost throughout the year in hot and humid regions of
eastern and Southern parts of India because most of the eastern and
Southern regions are fulfilling the above said conditions. In those areas
yearly two to three crops of rice is not uncommon. For example in the
Cauvery delta regions of Tamil Nadu paddy is cultivated thrice in a year viz.
Samba crop for 5 to 6 months again Kuruvai crop for 3 to 4 months again
Thaladi crop for remaining period (Thaladi= the paddy grown in the field
ploughed with the stumps of the previous harvest-this is for making the soil
fertile ). In the same way the other regions of eastern and Southern part of
the India paddy has been growing almost throughout the year. Some
districts in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, and Tamil Nadu were the
areas.
But in the Northern and hilly parts of the country, where the winter is very
cold so we cannot get the high temperature which needed for the paddy
cultivation so in that areas only one crop of paddy is possible . For example
some districts in the Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Assam and a
few districts in the western sides of South western states like Kerala,
Karnataka and Maharashtra.
And some areas like eastern Rajasthan, western Punjab and western
Haryana paddy cultivation is done specially with the help of the irrigation.
WHEAT:
Standard conditions for wheat growth:
1. Low to moderate temperature around
2. Moderate rainfall around
3. Fertile alluvial soil.
Wheat is mostly sown in the beginning of winter and is harvested in the
beginning of summer. The time of sowing and harvesting differs in different
regions due to climatic variations.
The sowing of wheat crops normally begins in the September-October and
harvesting has been done in January-February in Karnataka, Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal regions. The reason is
that in the ripening stage of the wheat there should be very less moisture in
the atmosphere and the temperature should rise gradually. This rise in

temperature would happen with the travelling of the sun from the tropic of
Capricorn to the tropic of cancer.
In the same way the sowing of wheat begins in the October-November and
harvested in February-march in the areas of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab,
Haryana and Rajasthan. And in the regions of Himachal Pradesh and
Jammu and Kashmir the sowing and harvesting has been done in
November-December and March-April respectively.
MAIZE:
Conditions for the maize:
1. Rainfall should be 50-100cm and it cannot be grown in areas of more
than 100cm.
2. The crop usually grows well under temperature varying from 21-27 degree
Celsius.
3. Frost is injurious to maize so it requires four and a half frost free months
in a year.
4. Fertile alluvial and red loam soil is suitable for maize.
Maize is mainly a Kharif crop which is sown just before the onset of the
monsoon and harvested after retreat of the monsoon.
The cultivation of maize in India is characterised by inter-culture i.e. it is
produced along with pulses, oil seeds and vegetables.
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal
Pradesh are the main maize producing states in India.
In Tamil Nadu it is a Rabi crop and is sown a few weeks before the onset of
winter rainy season in September and October. This is because of Tamil
Nadu is getting good rain fall in this period (North-east monsoon).

MILLETS:
Millets are short duration (3-4 months) warm weather grasses grown in
those areas where the main crops like rice and wheat cannot be grown
successfully.
Jowar, Bajra and Ragi are some important millets.

Jowar(sorghum):
Next to rice and wheat jowar is the third most important food crop both with
respect to area and production.
Conditions for growth:
1. It is grown both as kharif and rabi crop. As a kharif crop temperature
between 26 -33 degree Celsius is good. As a rabi crop temperature should
not go below 16 degree Celsius.
2. Rain fall needs more than 30cm but should not exceed 100cm.
3. Clayey deep regur and alluvium are best suited soils.
Usually it has been cultivated in the dry and irrigation is not used areas.
Maharashtra produces more than 50 per cent of the total jowar production
of India. In the Maharashtra plateau region two crops of jowar is raised in a
year. In some districts of Southern Pune as much as 80 per cent of the area
is devoted for the jowar cultivation. The North- eastern parts of the
Karnataka plateau is also mostly devoted for the jowar. Some dry districts in
Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu also producing the jowar.
Tamil Nadu has the distinction of giving the highest yield per hectare
comparing with other states.
Rajasthans dry climate also provides favourable condition for the production
of jowar.
Bajra :
It is also a dry crop.
1. Rainfall 40-50cm.
2. Temperature 25-30 degree Celsius.
3. Can be grown on poor light sandy soils, black and red soils.
It is a kharif crop which is sown between May and September and harvested
between October and February. It is sown either as a pure or mixed crop
with cotton, jowar, and ragi. Rajasthan is the largest producer of bajra in
India. Maharashtra is the second largest producer of bajra where it is mainly
grown in the central plateau having poor soils and dry climate. Over 80 per
cent of Indias bajra comes from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar

Pradesh and Haryana.

Ragi:
This is another important millet mainly grown in drier parts of South India.
Conditions for well growth:
1. Rainfall 50-100cm
2. Temperature 20-30 degree Celsius.
3. It is raised on red, light black and sandy looms.
It is a kharif crop which is sown between May and August and harvested
between September and January. Karnataka is the largest producer of ragi
in India. Tamil Nadu is the second largest producer of ragi but lags far
behind Karnataka. Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are some other
important producers of ragi.
PULSES:
Pulses include a number of crops which are mostly leguminous and provide
much needed vegetable proteins to largely vegetarian population in India.
Gram and tur(arhar ) are most important pulses.
Gram:
Gram is the most important of all the pulses.
Conditions for well growth:
1. Mild cool temperature 20-25 degree Celsius.
2. Rainfall 40-50 cm.
3. It grows well in loamy soils.
It is a rabi crop, which is sown between September and November and is
harvested between February and April. It is cultivated as pure or mixed with
wheat, barley, linseed or mustard.
Although gram is cultivated in several parts of the country, most of the gram
comes from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Maharashtra.
These 5 states produces 90 per cent of gram of India.
Tur or arhar (pigeon pea or red gram):

This is the second most important millet of India. It is chiefly grown as

kharif crop but in area of mild winter it is grown as rabi crop also. It is
grown as a dry crop mixed with other kharif crops like jowar, bajra, ragi,
maize, cotton, groundnut, etc. and is seldom grown as a single crop. Its
conditions of growth are more or less similar to those of other pulses and
millets.
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka are
the chief producing states.

CASH CROPS:
COTTON:
Conditions of growth:
1. Uniformly high temperature (21-30).
2. Rainfall normal (50-100cm)
3. Black cotton soil.
Frost is the number one enemy of the cotton plant and it is grown in areas
having at least 210 frost free days in a year.
Cotton is a kharif crop which requires 6 to 8 months to mature. Its time of
sowing and harvesting differs in different parts of the country depending
upon the climatic conditions. In Punjab and Haryana, it is sown in aprilmay and is harvested in December- January, that is before the winter frost
can damage the crop. In the peninsular part of India, it is sown upto
October and harvested between January and may because there is no
danger of winter frost in these areas. In Tamil Nadu, it is grown both as
kharif and rabi crop. Here the rainfall occurs after September and cotton is
sown in October. Most of the crop is grown mixed with other kharif crops
such as maize, jowar, ragi, sesamum, castor, ground nut and some
vegetables.
Cotton grows well in the deep black soils of the Deccan and Malwa plateau
and those in Gujarat. About two -third cotton in India is produced by four
major states viz. Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
Cotton quickly exhausts the fertility of soil. Therefore regular application of
manures and fertilizers to the soil is very necessary.

JUTE:
1. Requires high temperature (24-35) degree
2. Requires heavy rainfall 120-150cm.
3. Grow well in light sandy or claying loams.
Jute is generally sown in February on lowlands and in march-may in
uplands. The harvesting period generally starts in July and continues till
October. Because in the time of harvesting we need more water for the
retting process (processing of the jute barks in water). Jute rapidly exhausts
the fertility of the soil. So in the delta regions of the Hoogly river it grows
well because the hoogly river would made the new allluvium deposits oftenly
over the older layer.
In India 98 per cent of the jute is produced in four states, west Bengal,
Bihar, Assam, and Orissa.
West Bengal is the undisputed king of jute production in India accounting
for about 70 per cent of the production. Following this Bihar is the second
largest producer but lagging far behind west Bengal.

SUGARCANE:
Conditions of growth:
It is a long duration crop and requires 10 to 15 and even 18 months to
mature, depending upon the geographical conditions. It requires hot and
humid climate.
1. temperature 21-27 degree.
2. rainfall 75-150 cm. Too heavy rainfall results in low sugar content and
deficiency in rainfall produces fibrous crop.
3. in fact, sugarcane can tolerate any kind of soil that can retain moisture.
But deep rich loamy soils are ideal for its growth.
On the basis of above said conditions following are the three belts of
sugarcane cultivation can be identified.
1.The satluj-ganga plain from Punjab to bihar.
2.the black soil belt from Maharashtra to Tamil nadu along the eastern

slopes of the western ghats.

3.coastal Andhra and the Krishna valley.
In the Northern plain of India, the summer temperatures ranging from 30 to
35 degree hamper the growth of the cane. In the winter months of December
and January the sugarcane crop is likely to be damaged by excessively cold
weather accompanied by frost. Consequently the yield per hectare is low. In
South inidia, on the other hand reasonably high temperature in the summer
and frost free winter, coupled with the maritime winds in the coastal areas
are some of the climatic factors which are extremely beneficial to this crop.
But due to some economical and political conditions from the older days
more sugars are cultivated in North India to compare with South India. But
nowadays it has been changing towards the South India.
Uttar Pradesh is the highest producer of sugar cane in India followed by
Maharashtra and Tamil nadu.
TOBACCO:
It is a crop of tropical and sub tropical region.
1.it can the temperature varying from 16-35 degree Celsius.
2.rainfall normally 100cm.
3.well drained friable sandy loams, not too rich in organic matter but rich in
mineral salts.
In fact, soil rather than climate is the determining factor for its geographical
distribution. Further it can be grown from low lying flat plains upto a height
of 1800m
Although tobacco is grown in as many as 15 states of India only Gujarat and
Andhra Pradesh are producing more tobacco.
OILSEEDS:
India has the largest area and production of oilseeds in the world. Five major
oil seeds are:
1.Ground Nut, 2.Sesamum, 3.Rapeseed And Mustard, 4.Linseed, 5. Castor
Seed.
Ground nut:
1. It requires 20-30 degree Celsius temperature.
2. Rainfall 50-75 cm.

3. Enemies= frost, prolonged drought, continuous rain, stagnant water.

4. Well drained light sandy loams, red, yellow and black cotton soils.

Around 90 per cent of the ground nut is produced as the kharif crop. But

it can be grown both as kharif and Rabi crop.

It serves as an important rotation crop because it synthesizes
atmospheric nitrogen and increases soil fertility.

Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat are the three main producers of
ground nut in India. Other some states also producing the ground nut in
small quantities.
Sesamum:
1. It requires 21-23 degree temperature.
2. 45-50cm rainfall.
3. Well drained light loamy soils.
It is a rain fed crop it is grown as kharif crop in North India and rabi crop
in South India.
Sesamum is grown in almost all parts of the country but Orissa, Rajasthan,
West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are the main
producers.
Rapeseed and mustard:

Cool Climate of the satluj-ganga plain and very small quantity is grown in

peninsular India.
They are mainly grown as rabi crop in pure or mixed with wheat, gram

and barley.
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are the two major producers of the
rapeseed and mustard.

LINSEED:

1.it is a cool dry crop, 20 degree Celsius temperature is ideal.

2.rainfall of 75 cm is enough.
3.clay loams, deep black soils and alluvial soils are best suited.
It is a rabi crop which is sown in October november and harvested in marchapril.
Madhya Pradesh, uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra are the three main
producers of linseed in India.
CASTOR SEED:
1.it grows well in 20-25 degree Celsius temperature areas.
2.50-57cm rainfall is ideal.
3.in peninsular India it grows on red sandy loams and in satluj-ganga plain
it grows in light alluvial soil.
Almost the whole area of castor seed production is rainfed. It is a kharif crop
in the North and a rabi crop in the South.
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and rajashtan are the largest producers of castor
seed in India.
PLANTATION CROPS:
Unlike other crops, they are not annual crops and take 3-5 years to bear
fruit after they are sown. But once they start bearing fruit, they continue to
do so for 35-40 years. They require heavy initial capital investment and high
level technology for their growth and processing. Tea, coffee and rubber are
the principal plantation crops but spices are also included in this category.
TEA:
1.temperature for its growth is 20-30 degree Celsius and temperatures above
35 degree and below 10 degree is harmful for the bush.
2.it requires 150-300cm annual rainfall.
3.high humidity, heavy dew and morning fog favour the rapid development of
young leaves.
4.tea is shade loving plant and develops more vigorously when planted along
with shady trees.
5 it grow well in well drained, deep friable loams.
6.although tea requires heavy rainfall for its growth, stagnant water is
injurious to its roots. It is therefore, grown on the hill slopes.

7.most of the tea plantations in India are found at elevations varying from
600 to 1800m above the sea level.
Tea in India is highly concentrated in few selected areas.
1. North eastern India:
It is more are less a triangular area in assam and west Bengal. 75 per cent
tea produced in India is coming from here. In assam main tea producing
belts are Brahmaputra valley and surma valley. In west Bengal it is in the
Duars and Darjeeling.
2. South India:
In South India tea is produced in nilgiri, cardamom,palani and anaimalai in
Tamil nadu, kerala and Karnataka. This region accounts for 22 per cent of
tea production in India. In South India Tamil nadu is the largest producer of
tea accounting for over 14 percent of total tea production in India.
3. North west India:
Some of tea is produced in dehra dun, almora and garhwal districts of uttar
Pradesh and kangra valley and mandi districts of himachal Pradesh.
COFFEE:
1.it grows in hot and humid climate, temperature varying from 15-28 degree
is good. Temperature above 30 degree is harmful. And also it does not
tolerate frost, snowfall.
2.rainfall from 150-250cm. Is good. Stagnant water is harmful.
3.dry weather is necessary at the time of ripening.
4.well drained, rich friable loams containing good deal of humus and
minerals like iron and calcium are ideal.
Northern and eastern aspects of slopes are preferred as they are less
exposed to strong afternoon sun and the South west monsoon winds. The
restricted agro climatic conditions have forced the coffee plantations to
confine themselves to small area in South India comprising hill areas
around nilgiris. Almost the entire production is shared by three states
namely Karnataka, kerala, Tamil nadu. Karnataka is the leading producer
in India.

RUBBER:
1.it requires hot and humid climate.with temperature of 25-35degree
Celsius. And annual rainfall of about 300cm.
2.dry spell and low temperature is harmful. Daily rainfall followed by strong
sun is very useful.
3.deep well drained loamy soils on the hill slopes at elevation ranging from
300-450 m above sea level is best condition. There is no rubber tree found
above 700m elevation, because the yield will reduce.
Kerala is the largest producer of rubber followed by Tamil nadu and
Karnataka.
SPICES:
Pepper, cordomum, chillies, turmeric and ginger are some of the important
spices produced in India.
Pepper:
1. it is a tropical crop. It requires a minimum of 10 degree and maximum of
30 degree Celsius.
2. 200-300cm rainfall helps its growth.
3. the plant progresses as a vine and needs support of other trees for its
growth.
4. it thrives well on deep, well drained loamysoil.
5. kerala, Karnataka and Tamil nadu are concentrated by the crop.
Cardamom:
1.it grows well on high heat and humidity with temperature ranging from 15
degree to 32 degree Celsius.
2.rainfall 150-300cm.
3.well drained forest loams, deep red and laterite soils are best suited.
4.it is a shade loving plant and is grown under shade-trees.
5.the entire production comes from three states viz. Kerala, Karnataka and
Tamil nadu and these states contributes 53, 42, 5 percent respectively.
Chillies:

1.it requires temperatures ranging from 10 to 30 degree Celsius.

2.average rainfall of 60-125cm is enough.
3.it can be grown in wide variety of soils including black cotton soil, and
different type of loamy soils.
4.andhra Pradesh is the leading producer of chillies in India. Which is
followed by Maharashtra and Orissa.
Ginger:
1.it is grown in tropical and sub-tropical climates.10 to 25 degree Celsius
temperature is good.
2.125-250cm rainfall is required.
3.well drained sandy clayey or red loams and laterite are best suited soils.
4.kerala is the largest producer of ginger in India. Other main states are
Meghalaya, Sikkim, Orissa, Mizoram and west Bengal.
Turmeric:
1.it requires tropical climate.
2.well drained sandy and clayey loams, medium black, red or alluvial soils
for its growth.
3.andhra Pradesh is the largest producer in India. Followed by Karnataka
and Tamil nadu.

HORTICULTURE:
Horticulture is the section of agriculture in which fruits and vegetables are
grown. Immense agro climatic diversity enables India to grow a large variety
of horticulture crops.
CASHEWNUT:
Cashew requires average temperature between 16-25 degree Celsius and a
wide range of rainfall from 50 to 350 cm. It grows well on laterite soils on the
west coast and on sandy soils on the east coast. kerala, Tamil nadu and
Andhra Pradesh are the major producers. Some of the cashew is also grown
in Maharashtra and goa.
MANGO:

It is the native of monsoon lands and is grown in areas with temperature of

20-30 degree Celsius and rainfall 75 to 250cms. It can grow in almost all
soils of India but prefers rich clayey loams. Uttar Pradesh, bihar, Andhra
Pradesh, west Bengal, Orissa, kerala, Tamil nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat
and Karnataka are its main producers.

APPLE:

Apple is temperate fruit crop.

Average temperature: 21-4 degree Celsius and
Rainfall: 100-125cm.
The orchard localities should be free from hail storms and frost.
These conditions are found on hill slopes at altitudes ranging from

1500-2700m above the sea level.

Loamy soils, rich in organic matter and having good drainage are most
suitable for apple cultivation. Soil should be free from hard sub strata
and water logging.
The main areas of apple production are
Kullu and Shimla in Himachal Pradesh,
The Kashmir valley
Hilly areas of western Uttar Pradesh.
BANANA:
Banana is primarily a tropical and sub-tropical crop,
Requiring average temperature of 20-30 degree Celsius.
Rainfall should be fairly above 150cm.
The banana tree grows well in rich, well-drained soil with ample moisture
and humus.
Although banana growing is spread all over India, the peninsular India
provides ideal conditions for its cultivation. Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra
are the two leading producers of banana in India.
ORANGE:
Most of the orange orchads are rainfed and are located at heights from 600
to 1500m. well drained, even textured sandy loams which permit root

penetration upto 2-4 metres are best for orange cultivation. Although orange
is grown in almost all the states, its cultivation is more prominently
concentrated in the hilly regions of western uttar Pradesh, Darjeeling in west
Bengal, kangra valley in himachal Pradesh, khasi and jaintia hills in
Meghalaya. Hyderabad and Aurangabad in Andhra Pradesh, kodagu district
of Karnataka, waynad of kerala, nilgiri district of Tamil nadu and Nagpur
and pune districts of Maharashtra.
GRAPES:
Grapes is a sub tropical plant and requires long summer, short sharp
winter, a moderately fertile well drained soil, relatively low water supply
during growing period and a bright sunshine during mature stage. In North
India, the plant gives only one crop during summer but in South India the
plant grows throughout the year and yields two crops a year.
Uttar Pradesh,himachal Pradesh, jammu and Kashmir and Punjab in the
North and Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil nadu and Karnataka in the
South are grapes producing states.
VEGETABLES:
India also grow a large variety of vegetables. The important vegetables are
potato, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, carrot, brinjal, mushroom,
pumpkin, gourd, tomato etc.
Most of the vegetables are short duration crops as a result of which two to
three crops are raised from the same piece of land in one year. Most of the
vegetables are grown around urban areas where they find ready market for
their sale.