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Home » Indian Geography » Indian Economic & Human Geography » Major Crops Grown in India

Major Crops Grown in India

 

With varied types of relief, soils, climate and plenty of sun-shine and long growing season, India is capable of growing almost every crop

  • Crops requiring tropical, sub-tropical and temperate climate can be grown in one or other part of India

Indian crops can be divided into following categories:

FOOD CROPS

 

    • These cover about three-fourths of the total cropped area in the country and contribute to about half of the total value of agricultural production
  1. Rice
    • It is the most-important food crop, covering about one-fourth of the total cropped area
    • This is staple food for people living in the Eastern and southern parts of the country
    • Rice is grown under varying conditions in India from 80 to 300 N latitude and from sea level to about 2500 m altitude
      • It requires mean temperature of 240 C, with an average annual rainfall of 150 cm
      • The 100cm Isohyet line forms the limit of rice in rainfed areas
      • Even in areas of rainfall less than 100cm, it can be grown with irrigation, as is done in case of Punjab, Haryana and western UP
    • It is a labor intensive cultivation, and requires large supply of cheap labor
    • Rice is grown in well-watered lowland plains areas, and is called wet or lowland rice
      • Rice grown in hilly dryland areas, are called dry or upland rice
    • Deep fertile clayey or loamy soils are considered ideal for rice growth
      • Such soil requirement make it a dominant crop of river valleys, flood plains, deltas and coastal plains
      • It is a labor intensive cultivation, and requires large supply of cheap labor
    • The premier rice producing areas include the lower and middle Ganga plains, east and west Coastal Plains, Brahmaputra valley and parts of Peninsular Plateau
    • Half of rice production is from four states – West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh; of which West Bengal is the leading producer
      • Other major producers are Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tamilnadu, Haryana, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Kerala

 

  1. Wheat
    • Next to rice, Wheat is the most important foodgrain of India and is the staple of Northern and North-western part of the country
    • Wheat is a Rabi crop, which is sown in beginning of winter and is harvested in the beginning of summer
    • The wheat requires an ideal winter temperature of 100-150C and summer temperature varying from 21-260 C
    • The temperature should be low at the time of sowing but as the harvesting time approaches, higher temperatures are required for proper ripening of the crop
    • It thrives in areas of annual rainfall of 75cm, and 100cm annual rainfall is the limitation for rainfall
    • The isohyet of 100cm marks the boundary between wheat growing areas on one hand, and rice growing areas on the other
    • In areas of rainfall less than 50cm, irrigation becomes necessary
    • Although wheat can be grown in a variety of soils, well drained fertile, friable loans and clay loams are the best suited soils for wheat cultivation
    • It is an extensive type of farming, which is highly mechanized and requires comparatively less labor
    • India is the second largest producer of wheat in the world, next only to China
    • In India, the production, yield and area have recorded rapid growth after introduction of Green Revolution Strategy
    • Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana are the four prominent wheat producing states; of which Punjab is the leading producer
        • Punjab, Haryana and contiguous western parts of UP have earned the distinction of being called the ‘Granary of India’
        • Other major wheat producing states are Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat

  1. Maize
    • This is a food as well as fodder crop in India
    • It is mainly a rainfed Kharif crop, which is sown just before the onset of monsoon and is harvested after retreat of monsoon
    • It is also grown as Rabi crop, in states such as Tamilnadu
    • It requires 50-100 cm of rainfall and it cannot be grown in areas of more than 100 cm rainfall
    • The crop grows well under temperatures varying from 21-270 C
    • Frost is injurious to maize, and this crop is grown in areas where there are about 4 months of frost free years
    • Fertile well-drained alluvial or red loams free from coarse materials and rich in Nitrogen are the best soils suited for successful growth
    • In India, Maize cultivation is characterized by inter-culture and is grown with pulses, vegetables and oil seeds
    • It is grown over 4% of the net sown area of the country
    • Two-third of the maize is produced in states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan
    • More than one-third of the crop is mostly raised with HYV seeds
    • Among Indian states Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka has highest area under maize (15% each) followed by Maharashtra (10%)
  1. Millets
    • These are short duration(3-4 months) warm weather grasses, grown in areas where food crops cannot be successfully grown
    • Jowar, bajra, ragi, korra, kodon, kutki, sanwa, haraka, varagu, bauti and rajgira are some of the important millets grown in India
  1. Jowar
      • It is grown as both Kharif and Rabi crop
      • As Kharif crop, it grown well in areas having mean monthly temperature of 26-330  C; while as Rabi crop it is grown in mean monthly temperature does not fall below 160 C
      • Requires more than 30 cm of rainfall and doesn’t grow where rainfall exceeds 100cm
      • Clayey deep regur and alluvium are best suited soils for Jowar
      • Maharashtra is the leading producer of Jowar in India, followed by Karnataka
  1. Bajra
      • It is a crop of dry and warm climate, and is grown in areas of 40-50cm of annual rainfall, having an ideal temperature of 25-300  C
      • It is a Kharif crop, that can be grown on poor light sandy soils, black and red soils and on upland gravely soils
      • It is a rainfed crop and is seldom irrigated
      • More than 85% of India’s Bajra comes from four states of Rajasthan, UttarPradesh, Gujarat and Haryana; of which Rajasthan is the largest producer
  1. Ragi
  • It is an important millet grown in drier parts of South India with some parts coming from Northern part of India as well
  • It requires 20-300  C temperature and 50-100 cm of rainfall
  • It is raised on red, light black and sandy loams as well as on well drained alluvial loams
  • It is mainly a Kharif crop
  • Karnataka is the largest producer, followed by Uttarakhand
  1. Barley
    • It thrives well in areas having temperature of 10-150 C, and which receive rainfall of around 75-100cm
    • Light clay and Alluvial soils are best suited for its cultivation
    • It is grown as a Rabi crop in the Great plains and valleys of the western Himalayas
    • Rajasthan is the largest producer accounting for over 40% of production in the country
    • It is also grown in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh
  2. Pulses
    • This is the most important of all pulses and accounts for 37% of the production and 28% of the total area of pulses in India
    • It prefers mild cool and comparatively dry climate with 20-250  C temperature and 40-50 cm of rainfall
    • It grows well on loamy soils and is a Rabi crop
    • Most of it comes from Madhya pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra
  1. Tur or Arhar
    • It is chiefly a Kharif crop, but in areas of mild winters it is grown as a rabi crop as well
    • It requires conditions more or less similar to those of other pulses and millets
    • Maharashtra is the largest producer of Tur, followed by Madhya Pradesh
    • Other Tur producing states include, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and Tamilnadu
    • These are grown for sale in market or are used as raw materials for industries
    • These occupy just 15% of the total cropped area of the country, but account for over 40% of the agricultural production by value
  1. Cotton
    • It is a crop of tropical and sub-tropical areas and requires high temperature varying between 21-300 C, and an annual rainfall of 50-100cm
    • About 80% of the total irrigated area under cotton comes from Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan
    • High amount of rainfall in beginning and sunny & dry weather at ripening time are useful for a good crop
    • It is mainly a Kharif crop, but is grown as Rabi crop in Tamilnadu as well
    • It grows well in deep black(regur) of the Deccan Plateau and also grows well in alluvial soils of Satluj-ganga plain
    • India is third largest producer of cotton in world, after USA and China
    • Gujarat is the largest cotton producing state in India
    • However, it is also grown in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Karnataka

 

  1. Jute
    • It is a crop of hot and humid climate
    • It requires high temperature varying from 240 C to 350 C and heavy rainfall of 120-150 cm, with 80-90% relative humidity
    • Large quantity of water is required not only for growing the crop, but also for processing the fibre after the crop is harvested
    • Light sandy or clayey loams are considered the best for jute
    • Large supply of cheap labour are necessary for growing and processing of jute
    • Over 99% of total jute of India is produced in just five states of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha; of which West Bengal is the highest producer
  2. Sugarcane
    • This belongs to Bamboo family, and is the mains source of sugar, gur and khandsari
    • It is a long duration crop and requires 10-15 months to mature
    • It requires hot and humid climate with average temperature of 21-270 C and 75-150cm of rainfall
    • Short cool dry winter season during ripening and harvesting is ideal
    • It can grow on a variety of soils including loams, clayey loams, black cotton soils, brown or reddish loams and even laterities
      • Sugarcane can grow on any soil that can retain moisture; but the soil should be rich in nitrogen, calcium and phosphorous
  • It is a labour intensive crop
  • India has the largest area under Sugarcane cultivation and is the world’s second largest producer of sugarcane, only next to Brazil
  • Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer in India, followed by Maharashtra
  • Other states include Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab

 

  1. Tobacco
    • It is a plant of tropical and sub-tropical climates, and can withstand wide range of temperatures varying from 16-350 C
    • It requires 100cm of annual rainfall; but can be grown with aid of irrigation as well
    • Well drained friable sandy loams, not too rich in organic matter but rich in mineral salts are best suited for tobacco
    • India is the third largest tobacco producing country after China and Brazil
    • Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh account for about 65% of production in the country, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Maharashtra
    • Gujarat is the leading producer of Tobacco in India
  1. OILSEEDS
    • India has the largest area and production of oilseeds in the world
    • However, it must be noted that the production of oilseeds has always fallen short of our demand and there has always been the need to import oilseeds to meet the demand of our population
    • The oilseeds produced in India are groundnut, sesamum, rapeseed, linseed, castor seed, sunflower and soyabean
    • Groundnut
      • This serves as an important rotation crop because it synthesizes atmospheric nitrogen and increases soil fertility
      • It thrives best in tropical climate and requires 20-300 C temperature and 50-75cm of rainfall
      • Isohyet of 100cm marks the upper limit of groundnut cultivation
      • It is grown as both Kharif and Rabi crop
      • Well drained light sandy loams, red, yellow and black cotton soils are well suited for cultivation
      • India is second largest producer of groundnut, behind China
      • Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan are the four main producers, which account for 70% of total production in India
        • Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer

 

    • These are grown in Plantations covering large estates
    • They require heavy initial capital investment
  1. Tea
    • It is the most important beverage crop of India
    • Tea bush is a tropical and sub-tropical plant and thrives well in hot and humid climate
    • The ideal temperature for its growth is 20-300 C, and requires 150-300 cm annual rainfall and should be well distributed through out the year
    • It grows well in drained, deep, friable loams
      • However, virgin forest soils rich in humus and iron content are considered the best soils for tea plantations
    • It is generally grown on hill slopes where water drains away easily
    • It is a labor intensive crop and requires abundant supply of cheap and skilled labor
    • Assam is the largest producer of tea accounting for over 51% of the production and over 52% of area under tea cultivation in India
    • West Bengal, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Uttarakhand, parts of Himachal Pradesh are other important tea producing states

 

  1. Coffee
    • It requires hot and humid climate with temperature varying between 15-280 C, and rainfall from 150-250 cm
    • Well drained, rich friable loams containing good deal of humus and minerals like iron & calcium are ideal for coffee cultivation
    • This requires labor abundance
    • India is the seventh largest producer of coffee in the world
    • Coffee arabica and coffee robusta are two main varities of coffee grown in India
    • Karnataka is the largest producer of coffee, followed by Kerala & Tamilnadu
  1. Rubber
    • It requires hot and humid climate with temperature of 25-350 C and annual rainfall of over 200cm
    • Deep well drained loamy soils on the hill slopes, provide best conditions for its growth
    • India is the third largest natural rubber producing country in the world, next to Thailand and Indonesia
    • Kerala is the largest producer(about 92%) followed by Tamilnadu and Karnataka
  1. SPICES
    • Pepper, cardamom, chilies, turmeric and ginger are some of important spices produced in India
    • During last few years, there has been a steady increase in area and production of spices in India
    • Pepper
      • It is a tropical plant that requires 10-300 C of temperature, with a well distributed rainfall of 200-300cm
      • Plant grows as a vine and need other tree support for its growth
      • It thrives well on deep, friable, well drained loamy soils
      • India is the second largest producer of pepper in world after Indonesia
      • Kerala is the leading producer, followed by Karnataka & Tamilnadu
    • Cardamom
      • It grows well in climate of heat and humidity with temperature ranging between 15-320 C and fairly distributed rainfall of 150-300 cm
      • Well drained forest loams, deep red and laterite soils with plenty of humus and lead mould are the suitable soils
      • Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu are the leading producers
  1. ARECANUT
    • It is a hard nut, used for chewing with betel leaves
    • Its stem is used for construction purposes and leaves for thatching
    • It is a tropical tree, and flourishes in areas having 15-350 C temperatures and 200-300 cm annual rainfall
    • India Is the largest producer of arecanut in the world
    • Kerala is the largest producer, followed by Karnataka, Assam and Maharashtra, Tamilnadu
  1. COCONUT
    • It is used to extract copra for oil
    • Gur, sugar, toddy and vinegar are made from juice collected from the tree
    • It is a tropical crop, grown in temperature range of 25-350 C, and fairly well distributed rainfall of 125-130cm
    • India is third largest coconut producing country in world next to Philippines and Indonesia
    • Kerala is the largest producer, followed by Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh
  1. HORTICULTURE
      • This is widely acknowledged for improving productivity of land, generating employment, improving economic condition of farmers
      • Immense agro-climatic diversity enables India to grow a large variety of horticulture crops
      • Cashewnut, Mango, Apple, Banana, Orange, Grape are the major fruits produced in India
      • Major vegetables grown in India are Potato, Onion, Tomato, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Bean, Egg Plants, Cucumber, Peas, Garlic and okra.
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