Crop Seasons in India
The Kharif (autumn) and Rabi (spring) harvests are the two vitally important crop seasons of India, although as many as 4/5 crops are raised in coastal Kerala and some irrigated areas. Kharif is the monsoon crop, sown soon after the onset of rain (June-July) and harvested in autumn: rice, jowar, bajra, maize, cotton and jute are the principal crops.
The Rabi sowing takes place in October-December and harvesting in April-May. The important crops raised during this season are wheat, gram barley, peas, rabi, pulses, linseed, rape, boro paddy, and mustard.
In the southern half of the peninsula, where temperatures are sufficiently high and rains occur in winter season, the above classification is blurred. Rice jowar and cotton are grown there continuously. Due to excessive rainfall wheat does not grow in Kerala but other rabi crops grow.
Sugarcane, being 10-18 month’s crop, is neither kharif nor rabi and so also is the short duration vegetables which are grown throughout the year with manure and irrigation.