Food Crops

Rice

Rice is predominantly a Kharif crop. It covers 1/3rd of the total cultivated area of India. It provides food to more than half of the Indian population.

Rice is produced in almost all states, but the most popular ones are West Bengal, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. Other rice-growing states include Tamil Nadu, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, and so forth. It is also grown in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, and so forth. Rice requires about 150-300 cm of rainfall and deep clayey and loamy soil. The average temperature required throughout the life period ranges from 21 to 37°C. Crop of rice is grown by various methods like dry or semi-dry upland cultivation, broadcasting seeds, sowing the seeds behind the plow, and so forth.

Wheat

Wheat is the second most important crop in India following rice. It is part of the rabi crop and is a staple food in north and northwestern India. It is a winter crop and needs low temperatures and the ideal temperature for its cultivation is between 10-15°C at the time of sown and 21-26°C at the time of harvest.

Wheat grows well in rainfall less than 100 cm and more than 75 cm. The most suitable soil for the cultivation of wheat is well-drained fertile loamy soil and clayey soil. The top three wheat-producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana.

Maize

Maize is globally known as the queen of cereals because it has the highest genetic yield potential among cereals. It is grown in the monsoon season and is accompanied by high temperatures and rainfall. 

Maize is grown successfully in a variety of soils from loamy to clay loam. It is a sensitive crop to moisture stress particularly excess soil moisture and salinity stresses.

Millets

Coarse cereals and millets are short-duration warm-weather crops used for both food and fodder. Important millets are Jowar, Bajra, Ragi, and so forth. They are grown in areas with high temperatures and are called dryland crops because rainfall of 50-100 cm is required for their growth. They can be grown in an inferior alluvial or loamy soil. The top three states for their production are Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.

Pulses

Most of the pulses are leguminous crops and provide proteins to the vegetarian population. Some of the major pulses of India are Gram, tur or arhar, matar, etc. Gram and tur are the most important pulses.

Oilseeds

Diverse agro-ecological conditions of the country are favorable for growing 9 oilseeds crops annually, which include 7 edible oilseeds- groundnut, rapeseed and mustard, soybean, sunflower, sesame, safflower, and niger; and two non-edible oilseeds- Castor and linseed.

The largest oilseeds-producing states in India include Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Sugarcane

Broadly there are two distinct agro-climatic regions of sugarcane cultivation in India, tropical and subtropical regions. The tropical sugarcane region includes 4 peninsular zone and 5 coastal zones which includes states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and so forth. There has been a reduction in the yield of sugarcane due to the rise in temperature.

Tea

India stands as the second largest tea producer in the world, right behind China. It requires a temperature between 20-30°C and rainfall of around 150-300 cm. The soil preferred is deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter. Tea is grown in 16 states in India and important states are Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala accounting for 95 percent of total tea production.

Coffee

For the growth of coffee hot and humid climate with temperatures between 15-28°C is required. Dry weather is required at the time of ripening of berries and rainfall between 150 to 250 cm is favorable for coffee cultivation. Well-drained rice loamy soil with humus and minerals is ideal for coffee cultivation. Major coffee-producing states in India are Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Rubber

Rubber is a coherent elastic solid obtained from the latex of a number of tropical trees. It requires a humid and hot climate with a temperature of 25-35°C and annual rainfall of over 200 cm. Rubber production is mostly concentrated in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.

Cotton

Cotton is the most important fiber crop and cotton seed is used as vegetable oil and part of fodder. Cotton is a Kharif crop and grows in tropical and subtropical areas. Cotton requires modest rainfall and in India, is one of the predominant rainfed crops. Cotton requires uniform high temperatures. Soil for cotton is the black soil of the Deccan and Malwa plateaus. The main cotton-producing states are Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.

Jute

Jute is an important natural fiber crop in India. Jute cultivation is mostly concentrated in eastern and northeastern India. The temperature required for its growth is between 25-35°C and rainfall is around 150-250 cm and the soil type is mostly well-drained alluvial soil.

India is geographically very extensive, because of which it has many major crops. India can be described as the hub of various agricultural activities which has both food and non-food crops, restoring the country’s heritage and economy.