Kharif, rabi or zaid? Crops through the year
Find out when twelve crops of India, Bangladesh and Nepal are sown and harvested, from paddy and jute to wheat, mustard and watermelon, and sort them into kharif, rabi and zaid crops.
Core concept
South Asian farmers grow kharif crops in the monsoon, rabi crops in the winter and zaid crops in the short summer between, because each crop needs its own temperature and water
Topic: Crop production
Crops need the right temperature and the right amount of water, so farmers across South Asia grow them in seasons. Kharif crops are sown when the monsoon rains come, in June and July, and harvested in September and October: paddy, maize, cotton, groundnut and jute. Rabi crops are sown after the rains, in October and November, grow through the cool, dry winter on the moisture left in the soil, and are harvested in March and April: wheat, mustard, gram and peas. Between them comes a short, hot summer, the zaid season, for quick crops such as watermelon, cucumber and muskmelon, often watered by irrigation.
What you will learn
- Name the three cropping seasons of South Asia.
- Tell kharif, rabi and zaid crops apart by when they are sown and harvested.
- Explain why each crop grows in its season.
Before you start
- Know the months of the year and the monsoon.
Materials
- A calendar
- Pictures or samples of seeds: rice, wheat, gram, mustard
Equipment
- None
Procedure
- Pick a crop card and check when it is sown and harvested.
- Do this for at least eight crops.
- Sort every crop into kharif, rabi or zaid.