Major crops of India

Temperature required to grow rice

High temperature (above 25°C)

Rainfall required to grow rice

High humidity, rainfall above 100cm

Soil required to grow rice

Alluvial

Regions where rice is grown

Plains of north and north-east, coastal and deltaic regions of India

States where rice is grown

Punjab, Haryana, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan with the help of irrigation.

Other features of rice

• 2nd largest producer in the world after China.
• Areas of low rainfall with irrigation can produce rice.
• Needs standing water.

Temperature required to grow wheat

Cool growing season with bright sunshine at the time of ripening

Rainfall required to grow wheat

50–75cm annual rainfall

Soil required to grow wheat

Heavy textured soil with lime. Clayey, loamy, and black soil

Regions where wheat is grown

• Ganga–Satluj plain

• Black soil region of the Deccan

States where wheat is grown

Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, MP

Other features of wheat

• 2nd most important cereal crop.

• Main food crop in north and north-western part of the country

Temperature required to grow jowar

High temp

Rainfall required to grow jowar

Rain-fed crop mostly grown in the moist areas which hardly need irrigation

States where jowar is grown

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh

Other features of jowar

3rd important food crop in India with respect to area and production.

Rainfall required to grow bajra

Rain-fed

Soil required to grow bajra

Grow well on sandy and shallow black soil

Regions where bajra is grown

Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and Gujarat

Temperature required to grow ragi

Dry regions

Soil required to grow ragi

Grows in red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soils.

Regions where ragi is grown

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh.

Other features of ragi

• Very high nutritive value.
• Rich in iron, calcium and micro nutrients and roughage.

Temperature required to grow maize

21–27°C

Soil required to grow maize

Old alluvial soil

Regions where maize is grown

Bihar (Rabi), Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh

Other features of maize

• Used as fodder and food.
• Use of modern inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation have contributed to the increasing production of maize.

Temperature required to grow sugarcane

Hot and humid 21–27°C

Rainfall required to grow sugarcane

75cm–100cm

Soil required to grow sugarcane

Variety of soils like black, alluvial, loamy and red. Best in alluvial soil in northern plains.

Regions where sugarcane is grown

Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Haryana

Other features of sugarcane

• India largest producer of sugar and gur.
• Sugarcane is a tropical crop of short gestation.
• India is the second largest producer after Brazil.
• Labour intensive from sowing to harvesting.

Climate required to grow oilseeds

Tropical climate, 20–30°C

Rainfall required to grow oilseeds

50–70cm

Soil required to grow oilseeds

Loamy red, yellow soil, black soil

Regions where oilseeds are grown

groundnut – largest producer in Gujarat followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu

Other features of oilseeds

• Second largest producer of groundnut after China.
• Third largest in rape seed production after Canada and China in 2015.
• 12% of total cropped area of the country.
• Major oil seeds produced in India: groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesame, soyabean, castor, linseed, sunflower (all edible).

Climate required to grow tea

Tropical and subtropical climate, warm and moist, frost free climate throughout the year.

Rainfall required to grow tea

Frequent showers evenly distributed throughout the year

Soil required to grow tea

Deep fertile well drained rich in humus and organic matter.

Regions where tea is grown

Assam, hills of Darjeeling (district of West Bengal), Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura.

Other features of tea

• Plantation crop.
• Introduced in India by the British.
• Labour intensive industry.
• Processing units near tea garden to restore its freshness.
• India 2nd largest after China and Turkey in 2014.

Temperature required to grow coffee

14–26°C, bright sunlight and warm weather, frost free

Rainfall required to grow coffee

125–250cm well distributed, stagnant water harmful

Soil required to grow coffee

deep, porous high humus, red and laterite soil

Regions where coffee is grown

Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala

Other features of coffee

• Indian coffee famous for good quality.
• Arabica quality grown in India – brought from Yemen.
• Oldest plantation crop in India.
• Cultivation initially introduced in Baba Budan hills. Today confined to Nilgiri hills.
• 3.5% of world coffee in India.

Temperature required to grow cotton

High temp, 210 free days and bright sunshine for growth.

Rainfall required to grow cotton

Light rainfall or irrigation. Requires 6 to 8 months to mature.

Soil required to grow cotton

Black cotton soil.

Regions where cotton is grown

Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh

Other features of cotton

• Indian cotton is known as short staple cotton.
• Raw material for cotton textile industry.
• Important fibre crop.
• India is second largest cotton producer and consumer.

Temperature required to grow jute

High temperature during growth

Rainfall required to grow jute

High Rainfall.

Soil required to grow jute

Well drained, fertile soil in the flood plains where soil are renewed every year

Regions where jute is grown

West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Meghalaya.

Other features of jute

• Known as golden fibre.
• Raw material for making gunny bags, mats, ropes, carpets, bags, mats, paper and other artistic articles.
• Decline in jute production due to introduction of synthetic fibre.

Important features of horticulture crops

• India was the second largest producer of fruits and vegetable in the world after China.
• India is the producer of tropical as well as sub-tropical fruits.
• India produces about 13% of the world’s total vegetables.
• It is an important producer of pea, onion, cabbage and tomato.

Major horticulture crops and states

• Mangoes of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Telangana.
• Oranges of Nagpur and Cherrapunji.
• Bananas of Kerala, Mizoram, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
• Litchi and guava of Uttar Pradesh & Bihar.
• Pineapples of Meghalaya.
• Grapes of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Maharashtra.
• Apples, pears, apricots and walnuts of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.