Rice grows best in areas of warm, humid climate; rice requires temperatures between 20°C and 35°C and a well-distributed rainfall of about 100 cm or irrigation facilities.
Fertile soil. Delta and valley soils are the most suitable. Soils with higher clay content are preferred for its cultivation due to their better moisture retention capacity.
Important Producing Areas:
West Bengal (highest producer), Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab (highest per hectare yield), Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Haryana.
About 25% of the arable land is used for the cultivation of rice.
On the basis of climatic conditions, three varieties of rice are found in India:
Winter/ Agahani/ Aman – Planted in July-August and harvested in October-December. 86% of the total rice cultivation comes under this variety.
Autumnal/ Kuari/Aus – Sown in May-June and harvested in September – October.
Summer/Boro – It is sown in November – December and harvested in March-April. It is grown on 1% of the total rice area.
Note: All the above mentioned 3 varieties (aman, aus, boro) are grown in West Bengal and Assam.
Important varieties: IR-8, Jaya, Padma, Hamsa, Krishna, Sabarmati, and IET 1039.
India is the 2nd largest producer in the world after China.
2. Wheat
Geographical Conditions of Growth:
It is a crop of temperate climate. The ideal temperature for its cultivation is about 15°-20°C and requires a moderate amount of rainfall of 25-75 cms. It can be grown in the drier areas with the help of irrigation.
Well drained loamy and clayey soils are ideal.
Important Producing Areas:
Wheat is cultivated on about 14% of the total arable area of the country.
There are two important wheat producing zones in the country – the Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-west and the black soil region in the Deccan.
In north India, wheat is sown in October – November and harvested in March – April. In south India, it is sown in September-October and harvested in December – January. Wheat takes lesser time in ripening in south India than that in the north because of hotter climatic conditions in the south.
Uttar Pradesh (highest producer), Punjab (highest yield per hectare), Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttarakhand.
It is a crop of semi-arid climate and is used both as food and fodder.
A temperature of 21°C- 27°C and 50-100cm rainfall is suitable for its cultivation.
Alternate spells of rains and sunny weather are ideal for maize.
It is a Kharif Crop but in some states like Bihar, it is grown in the rabi season also.
It grows well in alluvial and red soils with good drainage. It can also be grown in mountainous soils.
Important Producing Areas:
It is grown on 3.6% of the total sown area in the country.
Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh are important maize producing states.
Important Varieties: Sartaz, Ganga, Deccan-103, Deccan-105, Dhawal, Prabhat, Arun, Kiran etc.
4. Millets:
Jowar, Bajra and Ragi are the important millets grown in India. Though these are known as coarse grains, these have high nutritional value. These are grown on 16.5% of the total sown area in the country.
Bajra
Geographical Conditions of Growth:
It thrives in areas of warm, dry climate.
It requires an annual rainfall of 45cm and temperature ranging between 25 to 30°C.
It grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil.
Important Producing Areas:
Rajasthan is the largest producer of bajra followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
Jowar
Geographical Conditions of Growth:
It is a rainfed crop mostly grown in moist areas which hardly needs irrigation.
This crop requires moderate rainfall of 30-100cms and high temperatures ranging from 20 to 32°C.
Both excessive moisture and prolonged drought are harmful.
Well drained light soils are ideal.
Important Producing Areas:
It is the third most important food crop with respect to area and production.
It is cultivated as the major food crop in semi-arid areas of the central and south India.
In north India, Jowar is mainly a Kharif crop whereas it is sown as both Kharif and Rabi in the southern states.
Maharashtra is the largest producer of jowar followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
India is the largest producer of jowar in the world.
Ragi
Ragi is very rich in iron, calcium, other micro-nutrients and roughage.
Geographical Conditions of Growth: It is a crop of dry regions and grows well on red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soils.
Important Producing Areas: Karnataka is the largest producer of Ragi followed by Tamil Nadu. Other states important for the production of ragi are Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh.
Answers & Comments
Answer:
1. Rice:
Geographical Conditions of Growth:
Rice grows best in areas of warm, humid climate; rice requires temperatures between 20°C and 35°C and a well-distributed rainfall of about 100 cm or irrigation facilities.
Fertile soil. Delta and valley soils are the most suitable. Soils with higher clay content are preferred for its cultivation due to their better moisture retention capacity.
Important Producing Areas:
West Bengal (highest producer), Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab (highest per hectare yield), Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Haryana.
About 25% of the arable land is used for the cultivation of rice.
On the basis of climatic conditions, three varieties of rice are found in India:
Winter/ Agahani/ Aman – Planted in July-August and harvested in October-December. 86% of the total rice cultivation comes under this variety.
Autumnal/ Kuari/Aus – Sown in May-June and harvested in September – October.
Summer/Boro – It is sown in November – December and harvested in March-April. It is grown on 1% of the total rice area.
Note: All the above mentioned 3 varieties (aman, aus, boro) are grown in West Bengal and Assam.
Important varieties: IR-8, Jaya, Padma, Hamsa, Krishna, Sabarmati, and IET 1039.
India is the 2nd largest producer in the world after China.
2. Wheat
Geographical Conditions of Growth:
It is a crop of temperate climate. The ideal temperature for its cultivation is about 15°-20°C and requires a moderate amount of rainfall of 25-75 cms. It can be grown in the drier areas with the help of irrigation.
Well drained loamy and clayey soils are ideal.
Important Producing Areas:
Wheat is cultivated on about 14% of the total arable area of the country.
There are two important wheat producing zones in the country – the Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-west and the black soil region in the Deccan.
In north India, wheat is sown in October – November and harvested in March – April. In south India, it is sown in September-October and harvested in December – January. Wheat takes lesser time in ripening in south India than that in the north because of hotter climatic conditions in the south.
Uttar Pradesh (highest producer), Punjab (highest yield per hectare), Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttarakhand.
Important varieties: Sonalika, Kalyan, Sona, Sabarmati, Lerma, Roso, Heera, Shera, Sonara-64.
3. Maize
Geographical Conditions of Growth:
It is a crop of semi-arid climate and is used both as food and fodder.
A temperature of 21°C- 27°C and 50-100cm rainfall is suitable for its cultivation.
Alternate spells of rains and sunny weather are ideal for maize.
It is a Kharif Crop but in some states like Bihar, it is grown in the rabi season also.
It grows well in alluvial and red soils with good drainage. It can also be grown in mountainous soils.
Important Producing Areas:
It is grown on 3.6% of the total sown area in the country.
Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh are important maize producing states.
Important Varieties: Sartaz, Ganga, Deccan-103, Deccan-105, Dhawal, Prabhat, Arun, Kiran etc.
4. Millets:
Jowar, Bajra and Ragi are the important millets grown in India. Though these are known as coarse grains, these have high nutritional value. These are grown on 16.5% of the total sown area in the country.
Bajra
Geographical Conditions of Growth:
It thrives in areas of warm, dry climate.
It requires an annual rainfall of 45cm and temperature ranging between 25 to 30°C.
It grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil.
Important Producing Areas:
Rajasthan is the largest producer of bajra followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Haryana.
Jowar
Geographical Conditions of Growth:
It is a rainfed crop mostly grown in moist areas which hardly needs irrigation.
This crop requires moderate rainfall of 30-100cms and high temperatures ranging from 20 to 32°C.
Both excessive moisture and prolonged drought are harmful.
Well drained light soils are ideal.
Important Producing Areas:
It is the third most important food crop with respect to area and production.
It is cultivated as the major food crop in semi-arid areas of the central and south India.
In north India, Jowar is mainly a Kharif crop whereas it is sown as both Kharif and Rabi in the southern states.
Maharashtra is the largest producer of jowar followed by Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
India is the largest producer of jowar in the world.
Ragi
Ragi is very rich in iron, calcium, other micro-nutrients and roughage.
Geographical Conditions of Growth: It is a crop of dry regions and grows well on red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soils.
Important Producing Areas: Karnataka is the largest producer of Ragi followed by Tamil Nadu. Other states important for the production of ragi are Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh.