The three agricultural seasons of India, defined by the monsoon and temperature cycle: the monsoon-sown kharif, the winter-sown rabi, and the short summer zaid season.
- Kharif: sown with the onset of the south-west monsoon (roughly June-July) and harvested in autumn (September-October); needs warmth and plenty of water. Main crops: rice, maize, jowar, bajra, cotton, groundnut, soybean, and tur.
- Rabi: sown in winter (October-December) and harvested in spring (March-April); needs cool growing weather and warm ripening, often using stored soil moisture or irrigation. Main crops: wheat, barley, gram, peas, mustard, and linseed.
- Zaid: a short season between rabi and kharif (roughly March-June), grown with irrigation in the hot dry months. Crops: watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, fodder, and some vegetables.
- The success of the kharif crop depends heavily on the timing and quantity of monsoon rain; a weak monsoon hits kharif output and food prices.
- Wheat (rabi) and rice (kharif) are the two main food grains; the green revolution chiefly boosted wheat and then rice yields.
The crop-to-season mapping (rice and cotton kharif; wheat and gram rabi), the monsoon dependence of kharif, and the zaid summer season are recurring agriculture facts and matching items.
Kharif is monsoon-sown (rice, cotton); rabi is winter-sown (wheat, gram); zaid is the short hot-weather irrigated season. Do not place wheat in kharif or rice in rabi as the staple cases.
Kharif (monsoon, rice and cotton), rabi (winter, wheat and gram), zaid (short summer, melons and fodder).