Crops of south Asia

A crop is any cultivated plant that is harvested for food, clothing livestock, medicine of for other
uses. A crop is a plant that is cultivated or grown on a large scale. In general, crops are grown so
they can be commercially traded. In other words, a crop is any plant that is grown
and harvested extensively for-profit purposes. Most crops are foods such as, grain, vegetables, or
fruit. Some crops are used for fibers such as cotton, or other materials such as rubber or wood. It
is the major occupation in the rural areas. The cultivation of crops depends primarily on the
weather and soil conditions.

A crop is a plant or plant product that can be grown and harvested for profit or subsistence.
By use, crops fall into six categories: food crops, feed crops, fiber crops, oil crops,
ornamental crops, and industrial crops.

Classification of Crops:

Crops are grouped in several ways namely, according to the range of cultivation,

o place of origin and distribution,

o different characteristics,

o uses,

o cultivation requirements and other common behavior.

classification of crops has been done on the basis of their family:

o Life cycle

o Seasonal and,

o Specific uses.

Classification on the basis of life cycle:

On the basis of life cycle crops are divided into three groups:
1. Annual

2. Biennial

3. Perennial

Annual plants:

Annual plants are plant with a life cycle that lasts only one year. They grow from seed,
bloom, produced seeds, and die in one growing seasons. Only the dormant seed bridges the
gap between one generation and the next generation. They then need to be replanted each
season e.g. zinnias, marigolds, radish, tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumber, mustards,
sunflowers, grains of all sort, and peanuts etc.

Biennial plants:

Biennial plants are flowering plants those take two years to complete their biological cycle.
In 1st year plant grows leaves, stems, and roots in the form of a small rosette of leaves near
the soil surface. Then it enters a period of dormancy over the cold period. During the second
season, growth stem elongation, flowering, and seed formation occurs followed by the entire
plants death e.g. onions, cabbage, carrots, beets, turnips, rutabagas, and poppies etc.

Perennial plants:

Plants that persists for many growing seasons ( more than two). Generally the top portion of
the plant dies, back each winter and regrows the following seasons from the same roots. For
example: apple, pears, peaches, almonds etc.

Classification bases of season:

The crops are of the following types depending upon the season in which they are grown:

Rabi crops

Kharif crops

Zaid crops

Kharif Crops:

The crops which are grown in the monsoon season in the month of June-September are
known as Kharif crops. For eg., maize, millet, and cotton. The seeds are sown at the
beginning of monsoon season and harvested at the end of the monsoon season, usually in the
month of October-November. Such crops require a lot of water and hot weather for proper
growth.
Rabi Crops:

The name “Rabi” means “spring” – a word derived from Arabic. The crops that are grown in
the winter season and harvested in the spring, i.e., from the month of October to March are
called Rabi crops. Wheat, gram, and mustard are some of the Rabi crops. Various agricultural
practices are carried out to produce new crop varieties. Such crops require a warm climate for
the germination and maturation of seeds. They, however, require a cold climate for their
growth.

Zaid Crops:

Such crops are grown between the Kharif and Rabi seasons, i.e., between March and June.
These crops mature early. Cucumber, pumpkin, bitter gourd, and watermelon are zaid crops.

Factors Affecting Crop Production:

The factors affecting the production of crops include:

Internal or Genetic Factors:

The genetic makeup decides crop growth and production. Breeders incorporate maximum
desirable characters in the crops to obtain a new hybrid variety. The desirable characters
include:

 Early maturity
 High yielding ability
 Resistance to drought, flood, and salinity
 Tolerance to insect and diseases
 Resistance to lodging
 The chemical composition of grains
 Quality of grains and straw
These characters are transmitted from one generation to another.
External or Environmental Factors:
The external factors include:
 Climatic
 Edaphic
 Biotic
 Socio-economic
Climatic Factors:
The climatic factors that affect crop production include:
 Precipitation
 Temperature
 Atmospheric Humidity
 Solar radiation
 Wind Velocity
 Atmospheric Gases
Edaphic Factors:
The growth of the plants depends upon the type of soil on which they are grown. These are
known as edaphic factors and include the following:
 Soil Moisture
 Soil Air
 Soil Temperature
 Soil Mineral Matter
 Soil Organic Matter
 Soil Organisms
 Soil Reactions
Biotic Factors:
Plants and animals are biotic factors that affect crop production. Even pests impact crop
production, often with negative implications.
Socio-economic Factors:
 The number of human resources available for cultivation.
 The inclination of society towards cultivation.
 Appropriate choice of crops.
 Breeding varieties for increased yield or pest resistance by human inventions.
Classification based on specific use:
On the basis of specific use , crops have been classified as:
1. Food crops
2. Cash crops
3. Industrial crops.
Cash Crops:
A cash crop is the one that is cultivated to be sold in the market to earn profits from the sale.
Most of the crops grown today worldwide are cash crops cultivated for selling in the national
and international markets. Most of the cash crops grown in the developing nations are sold to
the developed nations for a better price. Several cash crops such as opium, cannabis, poppies,
coca are sold in the black market.
Food Crops:
The crops that are grown to feed the human population are known as food crops. There are a
number of food crops grown in the country.
Rice: It is the staple food crop in a majority of regions in the country. Rice is a Kharif crop
that requires high temperature, heavy rainfall and high humidity for proper growth. The areas
with less rainfall use irrigation for rice cultivation.
Wheat: It is the most important cereal crop in the north and north-western parts of the
country. It is a rabi crop that requires 50-75 cm of annual rainfall.
Millets: The important millets grown in the country include jowar, bajra and ragi. They are
highly nutritious and are known as coarse grains. It grows in the regions which experience
rainfall throughout the year.
Maize: This Kharif crop is used as both food and fodder. It grows well in alluvial soil. It is
grown in the rabi season in the Bihar state.
Pulses: India is the largest consumer and producer of pulses in the world. Pulses can survive
even in dry conditions. These are leguminous crops and help in improving soil fertility by
fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
The human population depends upon crops for their food production. Therefore, the crops
should be cultivated using proper production techniques and agriculture implements.
Industrial crops:
An industrial crop is a crop grown to produce goods to be used in the production sector,
rather than food for consumption. Industrial crops impact the economy by providing a
product which lessens the need for imports. Industrial crops also attempt to provide products
that can be used as substitutes for imports from other nations.
Crops of South Asia:
This region has a large seasonal variation of temperature and land forms contributing to
diversified agriculture. In most of the areas there are two or three main cropping seasons.
Pakistan
There is only 30% of the land which is potentially productive. The agriculture depends upon
irrigation and 65% of the cultivated land is irrigated. The agricultural growth rate has
increased and is progressing towards the objective of self-sufficiency in food grains. This
advancement in agricultural production has resulted from several inter-related efforts.
Wheat is the chief crop of Pakistan. So high yielding varieties of wheat for example Maxi-
Pak was brought from Mexico and was introduced in the irrigated areas of the country with
great success. In the non-irrigated areas, the old varieties of wheat were grown without much
success. The total production increased after making more and more efforts and changes in
the agricultural system.
Rice is also an important crop of the country but only in the irrigated areas. The area under
rice cultivation has been increasing for the last many years. Basmati rice, which has a very
good fragrance, is in great demand in the world market. Many changes have been brought in
the agriculture of Pakistan such as introduction of artificial or chemical fertilizers;
mechanizations; all types of agricultural machinery such as tractors, harvesters, threshers etc.
Cotton is the greatest source of earning foreign exchange, long, staple American cotton is
grown which has a great demand in the world as well as in the country’s textile industry.
Sugarcane, a very important crop is grown in almost all regions. Pakistan is self-sufficient in
its production. Gur and desi sugar is also made from it.
A very fine quality of tobacco is grown in the country, which makes an important item of
export.
Different kinds of oil seeds, such as cotton seeds, mustard, ground nuts linseed etc, are
produced in the country in which the vegetables ghee industry depends.
INDIA
About 66% of the land is cultivable, but the climate imposes limits on aridity. A great variety
of land is present in the country as it is very large in size. Desert (Rajhastan), semi-
desert(Punjab, Haryana, tamil nadu and Andhra pardesh), rainy lands (north-eastern hills and
Kerala), deltaic lands, good fertile land with irrigation facilities and barren lands etc. are
present here. Half of the cultivated land is irrigated. Agriculture provides about half of
India’s national income. So after gaining independence, Indian agriculture transformed from
the traditional practices to modern practices.
Wheat is very important and is grown mostly in the western and northern states with the help
of irrigation rice production has shot up and India leads in the production of rice under the
special rice production Programme by the government in the eastern regions, and jute, sugar,
peanuts, pepper and tqea in the world. The total agricultural area of Indian ranks fifth among
the world’s agricultural countries, and other south Asian countries are not so well endowed
with agricultural land as India. 90% of the exports of India come from arable and pastoral
farming.
BANGLADESH
Agriculture is by far the most important activity in Bangladesh. It accounts for 60% of the
gross national products and provides employment to about 80% of the labour force. Efforts
are being made to accelerate the agricultural production with great speed, to feed the rapidly
growing population. Though the farming methods are still old, the irrigation system of the
country has played a great part in increasing areas of the agricultural lands and the
agricultural production.
Wheat is also grown in Bangladesh to meet the fast increasing needs for food grains. The
new variety of wheat is giving higher yields. So the areas under this crop have grown four
times and its production has grown about twelve times. Sugarcane, tea and tobacco are also
important crops of the country.
The most important cash crop of Bangladesh is jute, which is also its chief export, yielding
the highest level of production In the world.
BHUTAN
Bhutan is the highly mountainous area, and only 9% of its land is available for agricultural
use. Fields are generally terraced and irrigation facilities are provided by stone aqueducts.
Barley, rice, and wheat are the chief crops of the country. Pulses, vegetables and fruit are also
grown here. Bhutan is self-sufficient in its food requirements.
NEPAL
It is highly mountainous region and most of its surface is under forests, or has an extremely
cold climate. So only 14% of the land is under cultivation and 90% of people earn their living
through farming. 20% of the cultivable land is irrigated.
Barley is the main crop, rice, maize, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes and millets are food crops
while jute is also grown in the country
SRILANKA
Topographically or climatically, only 22% of the area of this island is cultivable. Agriculture
occupies an important position in the economy of the country. 54% of the labour force is
engaged in agricultural production is different to that of the other south Asian countries.
MALDIVES ISLAND
The agriculture is of the shift type. The people have been engaged in agricultural activities
from ancient times on the many islands. The islands are covered with coconut trees. They
also grow millets, fruit, sweet potatoes, papaya, pomegranates and yams are other important
crops of these islands.
Rice:
South Asia yields one-fourth of the total rice production of the world. Rice requires a
particular type of climate and soil, which limits its distribution in the area. Rice requires
considerable heat from the sun and a very heavy rainfall approx 50” to 100” or an equivalent
amount of water by irrigation. All the deltas and the coastal areas of south Asia produce rice.
Rice is the second most important economic crop in Pakistan. Pakistan is the 11th largest
producer and 5th largest exporter of rice. The whole of the Indo-Gangetic plain produce rice.
The western sides of the Indo-Gangetic plain, which has semi desert conditions, is cultivate
with the help of irrigation.
On the eastern side of the Ganges valley, particularly in western Bengal and Bengladesh,
two crops of rice are produced. India is the 2nd largest producer of rice in the world. Nepal
and Bhutan also produced rice, but they have to make terraces for this crop, with the help of
irrigation. Bangladesh was the fourth largest rice producer in the world. Rice is also
important crop in Srilanka and the Maldives island. There it is also grwon with the great
effort and by irrigation. The yield per acre is quite low because the methods of cultivation of
rice are old. There is little use of fertilizers.
New steps are being taken to increase the yield and areas of rice in all the countries of south
asia. Pakistan has made progress in this field because its fragrant basmati rice is famous
throughout the world for its flavor and quality. So it is used as a cash crop for Pakistan.
Wheat:
Wheat found in the drier parts of south Asia. Wheat plants need high humidity and high
temperature. The entire Indus plain, Baluchistan, and Potohar plateau, all the northern and
western mountainous areas of pakistan grow this crop. As it is a semi-desert area, irrigation is
necessary. In India, all the northern and the central areas of high altitude, the western part of
the Ganges valley and all parts of punjab which recieves less than 40” of rain are wheat
growing areas.
Enough quantities of wheat are grown according to the needs of the people of Nepal, Bhutan,
and Srilanka. All the countries of South Asia are trying their best to adopt new method to
increase the production of wheat.
Sugarcane:
It is grown in good soils and needs quantities of water. In addition to this rainfall is required
for getting a good crop. It needs fertile and fine soil. That is why it is grown in river valleys
full of fine alluvium, volcanic soils. Use of suitable fertilizers increases its production.
India is the largest producer of Sugarcane in the world. The most productive areas of
Sugarcane are the irrigated lands of the upper Ganges valley, punjab and the eastern side of
South India. In Pakistan, it is grown in the entire Indus Plain with the help of irrigation.
Peshawar and Multan divisions are also famous for its production.
In Bangladesh, conditions for its cultivation are favourable but it is moslty cultivated in small
quantities. Nepal, Bhutan and Srilanka also produce small quantities of sugarcane.The
production of sugarcane is increasing day by day and these countries are becoming self-
sufficient in its production.
Tea:
This plant is shrub which requires very heavy rainfall. It must be grown on hill slopes.
Brahamputra valley in Assam, Bangladesh, himalyan slopes near Darjeeling and Deradun,
the northern Hazara district of pakistan, the island of Srilanka and the slopes of Nilgiri Hills
are the main center tea cultivation.
Cotton:
It is an important cash crop. Cotton needs a good alluvium or desert soil which is able to
retain the moisture. Cotton seeds are sown in very warm summers. In south Asia there,
plucking cotton is done by hand, there is no use of machines for this labour. Cotton is
cultivated in most of the Indua basin but here the rainfall is not enough for its nourishment,
so irrigation is necessary. The second area of cotton growth is upper Ganges plain and the
Punjab. The third area is northern part of Deccan. In these areas of India the physical
conditions are suitable for cotton grwoth. Cotton grown in the eastern part of Bangladesh.
Jute:
It is a different type of crop. It is grown in only one part of the world i.e, Bangladesh and
west bengal. It is so because this plant needs a special type of physical conditions i.e, a
special type of soil and climate condition for its nourishment. Both these countries grow 79%
of the total production of jute.
It is a cash crop and is very cheap. It is sown from the mid of feb to the month of April and is
harvested from august to september. It needs rain from the time of sowing to harvest. The
summer monsoon fulfills these conditions. There are two kinds of jute, the dasi pat and
youngi pat.
Fruits:
Different kinds of fruits are grown in different parts of South Asia, having different climate,
different soils, and different altitudes. In wet climates, tropical and subtropical fruits such as
bananas, coconuts, pineapples and mandarins are grown. Peaches, plums, apples, almonds,
apricots, pear and grapes are usually grown higher altitudes. Melons, water melons, cherries
and pomegranates are also grown in these areas.
In south asia other crops are also grown like coffee, rubber, coconuts, oilseeds, grains, barely
and maize etc.
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