Classification Based on growing season

1. Kharif/Rainy/Monsoon crops: The crops grown in monsoon months from June to Oct-Nov, Require warm, wet weather at major period of crop growth, also required short day length for flowering. E.g. Cotton, Rice, Jowar, bajara.

2. Rabi/winter/cold seasons crops: The crops grown in winter season from Oct to March month. Crops grow well in cold and dry weather. Require longer day length for flowering. E.g. Wheat, gram, sunflower etc.

3. Summer/Zaid crops: crops grown in summer month from March to June. Require warm dry weather for major growth period and longer day length for flowering. E.g. Groundnuts, Watermelon, Pumpkins, Gourds.

Agronomic Classification of Crops Cereals

♤ Cereals are cultivated grasses grown for their edible starchy grains. Larger grains used as staple food are cereals. Rice, wheat, maize, barley and oats. The important cereal of world is rice.

Bread wheat Macaroni wheat Emmer wheat Dwarf wheat Millets

♤ They are also annual grasses of the group cereals. But they are grown in less area or less important area whose productivity and economics are also less.

♤ These are staple food of poor people. In India pearl millet is a staple food in Rajasthan

♤ 1) Major millets and 2) Minor millets

♤ It is based on area production and productivity and grain size.

Major millets

1. Sorghum /Jowar

2. Pearl Millet /Bajra/cumbu

3. Finger millet or ragi

Minor millets

1. Fox tail millet

2. Little millet

3. Common millet

4. Barnyard millet

5. Kodomillet

Pulses or Grain Legumes

♤ Pulses are major source of protein in Indian diet and providing most of the essential amino acids to a certain degree. Economically, pulses are cheapest source of protein.

♤ It is cultivated to enrich the soil, to utilize the residual moisture and to give revenue in a shorter period.

Red gram Black gram Green gram Cowpea Bengalgram Horsegram Dewgram Soyabean

Peas or gardenpea Garden bean

Oil Seed Crops

♤ These crops are cultivated for the production of oil. Either for edible on industrial or medicinal purpose. They contain more of fat.

Groundnut or peanut Sesamum or gingelly Sunflower

Castor

Linseed or flax Niger Safflower

Rapeseed & Mustard

♤ 45 - 50% oil content is present in these seeds.

Sugar Crops

Juice extracted from

1. Sugar stem used for jaggery or sugar

♤ Number of by products like Molasses, bagasse, pressmud

♤ Molasses used for alcohol and yeast formation

♤ Bagasse for paper making and fuel

♤ Pressmud used for soil amendment

♤ Trash (green leaf + dry foliage) - the waste is used for cattle feed

2. Sugar beet - Tuber for extraction of sugar

♤ Tubers and tops are used as a fodder for cattle feed

Starch Crops or Tuber Crops

1. Potato

2. Tapioca or cassava

3. Sweet potato

Fibre Crops

♤ Epidermal hairs of seed coats is the economic portion

♤ Lint (cappas - seed) has industrial value (fibre)

♤ Stalk is of fuel nature, garment purpose, seed for cattle feed and Oil is edible

Cotton

♤ Karunganni

♤ Uppam cotton

♤ American cotton or Cambodium cotton

♤ Egyptian cotton or Sea island cotton