Kharif Rabi And Zaid Crops Months [best] -

October–November rainfall (formerly dry for Rabi sowing) has increased by 40% in some zones, causing waterlogging and seedling rot in wheat and chickpea.

| Crop | Sowing Month | Harvest Month | Water Source | |------|--------------|---------------|---------------| | Wheat | Oct–Nov | March–April | 3–4 irrigations; residual moisture | | Barley | Oct–Nov | March | More drought-tolerant than wheat | | Chickpea (Gram) | Oct | Feb–March | Rainfed; no irrigation preferred | | Mustard | Oct | Feb–March | Oilseed; needs cool nights | | Linseed | Oct–Nov | Feb–March | Fiber/oil; grows on poor soils | | Peas | Oct–Nov | Jan–Feb | Short-duration legume | | Oats (Fodder) | Nov | March | For livestock | kharif rabi and zaid crops months

Rabi’s grain-filling period (February–March) is now experiencing 2°C–3°C above long-term averages, leading to forced maturity and shriveled grains. Farmers are shifting to earlier sowing (late October) to escape terminal heat. | Crop | Sowing Month | Harvest Month

| Crop | Sowing Month | Harvest Month | Key Trait | |------|--------------|---------------|------------| | Paddy (Rice) | June–July | Sept–Oct | Requires 100–200 cm water; staple cereal | | Cotton | June–July | Oct–Dec (long duration) | Frost-sensitive; needs 20°C+ | | Sugarcane | Feb–March (planting), but main growth Kharif | Dec–March | Perennial; peak monsoon growth | | Maize | June–July | Sept–Oct | High temperature; 50–100 cm rain | | Groundnut | June–July | Oct–Nov | Legume; fixes nitrogen | | Soybean | Late June | Oct | Oilseed; sensitive to waterlogging | | Pearl Millet (Bajra) | July | Oct | Drought-tolerant; arid zones | tolerates heat |

Agro-Ecological Zoning and Seasonal Dynamics of Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid Crops: A Comprehensive Analysis of South Asia’s Cropping Calendar

| Crop | Sowing Month | Harvest Month | Remarks | |------|--------------|---------------|---------| | Watermelon | April | June | Requires 30°C+; 70 days | | Muskmelon | April | June | High water need | | Cucumber | April | June | Trellis or ground spread | | Bitter Gourd (Karela) | April | June–July | Perennial growth into Kharif | | Sunhemp (Fodder) | April | June | Green manure crop | | Summer Moong (Green gram) | April | June | Short-duration pulse (60 days) | | Sesame | April | June | Oilseed; tolerates heat |