What are the cropping seasons in India?

The agricultural crop year in India is from July to June. The Indian cropping season is classified into two main seasons-

(i) Kharif

(ii) Rabi

based on the monsoon.            

There’s another cropping season called Zaid.

Pakistan and Bangladesh are two other countries that are using the term ‘kharif’ and ‘rabi’ to describe about their cropping patterns. The terms ‘kharif’ and ‘rabi’ originate from Arabic language where Kharif means autumn and Rabi means spring.

When is the Kharif season in India? What are the major Kharif crops in India?

The Kharif cropping season is from July –October during the south-west monsoon.

The Kharif crops include rice, maize, sorghum, pearl millet/bajra, finger millet/ragi (cereals), arhar (pulses), soyabean, groundnut (oilseeds), cotton etc.

When is the Rabi season in India? What are the major Rabi crops in India?

The Rabi cropping season is from October-March (winter). The crops grown between March and June are summer crops.

The Rabi crops include wheat, barley, oats (cereals), chickpea/gram (pulses), linseed, mustard (oilseeds) etc.

When is the Zaid season in India?

The crops grown on irrigated lands which do not have to wait for monsoons, in the short duration between Rabi and Kharif crop season, mainly from March to June, are called Zaid crops (also written as Zayad crops).

The main Zaid crops include – Melons, Gourds, Pumpkins

Source: Arthapedia & Wikipedia