Kharif, Rabi and Zaid Crops: Quick Answer
India has three cropping seasons (NCERT Class 10, Contemporary India II, Chapter 4):
- Kharif crops are sown with the onset of the monsoon (June–July) and harvested in September–October. Examples: rice (paddy), maize, jowar, bajra, tur (arhar), moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut, soyabean.
- Rabi crops are sown in winter, October to December, and harvested in summer, April to June. Examples: wheat, barley, peas, gram, mustard.
- Zaid is a short summer season between rabi and kharif. Examples: watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and fodder crops.
Key exam takeaway: Kharif = monsoon crops (rice, cotton, jute). Rabi = winter crops (wheat, gram, mustard). Zaid = summer fruits (melons, cucumber). Sugarcane takes almost a year, so it does not fit one season.
The kharif season rides on the southwest monsoon, so the monsoon chapter in Indian Climate Notes for SSC is the base for this topic. For context, IMD reported the 2026 southwest monsoon at 87% of its Long Period Average, a deficient season, which is exactly why exam setters link monsoon, crops and food prices.
Kharif vs Rabi vs Zaid: Comparison Table
| Point | Kharif | Rabi | Zaid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sowing | Onset of monsoon (June–July) | October–December | Summer, between rabi harvest and kharif sowing (summer months) |
| Harvest | September–October | April–June | Before the monsoon |
| Water source | Monsoon rain | Winter rain from western disturbances, plus irrigation | Mostly irrigation |
| Temperature need | Warm, humid | Cool growing season, bright sun at ripening | Hot, dry |
| Main crops | Rice, maize, jowar, bajra, tur, moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut, soyabean | Wheat, barley, peas, gram, mustard | Watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables, fodder |
Trick to remember: Kharif sounds like "khet in the rain" → monsoon. Rabi → "Rabi in the cold" → winter wheat.
Complete Kharif Crops List
| Category | Kharif crops |
|---|---|
| Cereals | Rice (paddy), maize, jowar, bajra, ragi |
| Pulses | Tur (arhar), moong, urad |
| Oilseeds | Groundnut, soyabean, sesamum (in north India) |
| Fibre | Cotton, jute |
Rice: a kharif crop needing above 25 °C, high humidity and rainfall above 100 cm; in low-rain areas such as Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh it grows with canal and tubewell irrigation. In Assam, West Bengal and Odisha three crops of paddy are grown in a year: Aus, Aman and Boro. India is the second-largest producer of rice after China (NCERT).
Maize: kharif crop needing 21–27 °C and old alluvial soil; in Bihar it is grown in the rabi season also.
Cotton: needs high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright sunshine; grows best on the black cotton soil of the Deccan; takes 6–8 months.
Jute: the "golden fibre"; grows in flood plains where soils are renewed every year; West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya.
Groundnut: a kharif crop that accounts for about half of India's major oilseeds (NCERT).
Complete Rabi Crops List
| Category | Rabi crops |
|---|---|
| Cereals | Wheat, barley |
| Pulses | Gram, peas, masur (lentil) |
| Oilseeds | Mustard, linseed |
Wheat: the second most important cereal; a rabi crop needing a cool growing season, bright sunshine at ripening and 50–75 cm rain spread over the season. Two main zones: the Ganga–Satluj plains and the black soil region of the Deccan. Major states: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.
Why the north-west grows rabi well: winter rain from western temperate cyclones (western disturbances) plus Green Revolution irrigation in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan (NCERT).
Zaid Crops List
Watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables and fodder crops. Zaid crops need warm dry weather and assured irrigation, and they are harvested before the monsoon arrives.
Crops Grown in More Than One Season (Exam Traps)
| Crop | Season (NCERT) |
|---|---|
| Sesamum (til) | Kharif in north India, rabi in south India |
| Castor seed | Both rabi and kharif |
| Maize | Kharif; also rabi in Bihar |
| Sugarcane | Takes almost a year; not a single-season crop |
| Rice in Assam, West Bengal, Odisha | Three crops: Aus, Aman, Boro |
Climate Needs of Major Crops (One Table)
| Crop | Temperature | Rainfall | Soil / note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | Above 25 °C | Above 100 cm | Alluvial; irrigation where rain is low |
| Wheat | Cool growing season | 50–75 cm | Alluvial (Ganga–Satluj), black soil (Deccan) |
| Maize | 21–27 °C | Moderate | Old alluvial soil |
| Sugarcane | 21–27 °C | 75–100 cm | Hot, humid; irrigation in low-rain areas |
| Cotton | High | Light | Black soil; 210 frost-free days |
| Tea | Warm, frost-free | Frequent showers through the year | Deep, fertile, well-drained, humus-rich soil |
| Rubber | Above 25 °C | More than 200 cm | Equatorial crop; Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar, Garo hills |
Soil types behind these crops are covered in types of soil in India, and the natural vegetation of the same rainfall belts in types of forests in India.
Kharif, Rabi and Zaid: 12 Practice MCQs
Q1. Which of the following is a rabi crop? (a) Rice (b) Gram (c) Cotton (d) Jute Answer: (b). Gram is sown in winter.
Q2. Kharif crops are harvested in: (a) March–April (b) April–June (c) September–October (d) December–January Answer: (c).
Q3. Aus, Aman and Boro are three crops of: (a) Wheat (b) Rice (c) Jute (d) Tea Answer: (b). Grown in Assam, West Bengal and Odisha.
Q4. Which crop is called the "golden fibre"? (a) Cotton (b) Jute (c) Hemp (d) Silk Answer: (b).
Q5. Rabi crops in north-west India benefit from winter rain caused by: (a) Retreating monsoon (b) Western disturbances (c) Tropical cyclones (d) Mango showers Answer: (b).
Q6. Watermelon and cucumber are typical crops of: (a) Kharif (b) Rabi (c) Zaid (d) None Answer: (c).
Q7. Cotton needs how many frost-free days (NCERT)? (a) 90 (b) 150 (c) 210 (d) 300 Answer: (c).
Q8. Rice needs annual rainfall of more than: (a) 25 cm (b) 50 cm (c) 75 cm (d) 100 cm Answer: (d).
Q9. Which oilseed is kharif in north India and rabi in south India? (a) Mustard (b) Linseed (c) Sesamum (d) Groundnut Answer: (c).
Q10. Mustard and linseed are: (a) Kharif oilseeds (b) Rabi oilseeds (c) Zaid crops (d) Plantation crops Answer: (b).
Q11. Which crop takes almost a year to grow? (a) Wheat (b) Maize (c) Sugarcane (d) Moong Answer: (c).
Q12. Which pair is correctly matched? (a) Bajra – Rabi (b) Barley – Kharif (c) Soyabean – Kharif (d) Peas – Zaid Answer: (c). Bajra is kharif, barley and peas are rabi.
Want a full timed paper? Try the SSC CGL geography mock test 02 or the RRB NTPC geography mock test 01.
Kharif, Rabi and Zaid Crops FAQs
What is the difference between kharif and rabi crops?
Kharif crops are sown with the monsoon in June–July and harvested in September–October; rabi crops are sown in October–December and harvested in April–June.
Is wheat a kharif or rabi crop?
Wheat is a rabi crop. It needs a cool growing season and bright sunshine at ripening.
Which months are the zaid season?
NCERT describes zaid as the short season during the summer months between the rabi and kharif seasons, when melons, cucumber, vegetables and fodder are grown with irrigation.
Kharif aur rabi fasal mein kya antar hai?
Kharif fasal monsoon ke saath (June–July) boyi jaati hai aur September–October mein kaati jaati hai, jaise dhaan, makka, kapas. Rabi fasal October–December mein boyi aur April–June mein kaati jaati hai, jaise gehun, chana, sarson.
Is sugarcane kharif or rabi?
Neither strictly; NCERT notes that sugarcane takes almost a year to grow.
Practice Next for Indian Geography
- Core notes: Indian Climate Notes for SSC
- Related: El Niño, La Niña and IOD, Northeast monsoon in India
- Also read: Major dams of India, Indian rivers origin and end list
- Mocks: SSC CGL geography mock test 01, SSC CHSL geography mock test 02
Sources: NCERT Class 10, Contemporary India II, Chapter 4 Agriculture; IMD, Salient Features of the 2026 Southwest Monsoon. Last checked 7 November 2026.