Difference Between Rabi and Kharif Crop

Kharif and Rabi refer to two cropping patterns that a lot of Asian countries adopt in accordance with the monsoon. While the cropping season of Kharif crops begins with the commencement of monsoon and ends when it gets over. Alternatively, Rabi crops grow in winter. In other words, farmers sow them at the end of monsoon and harvest them before the onset of the summer season. Further, we see how the climate they require also differs. For instance, Kharif crops need a hot and wet climate while Rabi crops require a cold and dry climate. Thus, it makes it essential for us to learn the difference between Rabi and Kharif crop. We will learn about these agricultural patterns in detail further.

Definition of Rabi Crop

Rabi crops are also referred to as Winter crops. They grow during the winter season which is between October and March. The term ‘Rabi’ means spring. Thus, as you know, the harvesting time for Rabi crops happens during the Spring season. Unlike Kharif crops, Rabi crops do not need a lot of water. Thus, they make do with routine water irrigation in order to flourish. For instance, they include Wheat, Barley, Pulses, Gram, and more. In addition, farmers also sow seeds of Mustard, Cumin, Sunflower, Rapeseed, and more during this season.

Definition of Kharif Crop

Kharif Crops grow during the rainy season which is between June and October. Thus, we also refer to them as Monsoon crops. Unlike Rabi crops, these crops require water in abundance in order to grow. That is why the farmers sow them during the onset of monsoon. Consequently, they harvest them at the end of September or in October. However, these crops are totally dependant on the rainfall’s pattern and timing. Thus, some states sow them a bit early than other states depending on the arrival of monsoon. For instance, Rice, Sugarcane, Cotton, Pulses, Bajra, and more are examples of these crops.

Difference between Rabi and Kharif Crop

Basis of Comparison	Rabi Crop	Kharif Crop
Meaning	They are crops which are sown at the beginning of winter or end of monsoon	These crops are sown at the beginning of the rainy season
Favourable Season	October-November	June-July
Another Name	Also called spring or winter crops	Also called Monsoon Crops
Harvesting Month	March-April	September-October
Rainfall	Not affected by it	Drastically affected by it
Flowering	Need longer day length	Need shorter day length
Term Origin	It means ‘Spring Season’ in Arabic	It means ‘Autumn Season’ in Arabic
Important Factors	They need a warm climate for seed germination and a cold climate for growth	They require hot weather and lots of water for growth
Example	Barley, Peas, Wheat, Oilseeds, and Gram	Maize, Cotton, Rice, Jowar, and Groundnut

Rabi Crop and Kharif Crop

Rabi Crop

The origin of the term ‘Rabi’ lies in the Arabic language. It translates to ‘Spring’. It is fitting because these crops are sown in winter and then farmers harvest them in Spring. Further, we will see that these crops require a warm climate for the germination of seeds.

Similarly, they require a cold climate for growing. In addition, we see how they do not have any effect on them because of rainfall, unlike Kharif crops. Finally, they include Barley, Wheat, Gram, and more.

Kharif Crop

Kharif crops also have their origin in the Arabic language which means the Autumn season. In addition, these crops are impacted by rainfall a lot.

Moreover, the type of weather they require growing is hot along with loads of water. Further, a few examples of the Kharif crop are rice, millet, pulses, maize, soybean, millet, and groundnuts.

FAQs about Rabi and Kharif Crop

Question 1: State one difference between Rabi and Kharif Crop.

Answer 1: The major difference between Rabi and Kharif crop is their harvesting season. Rabi crops are harvested in March- April whereas Kharif crops are harvested in September- October.

Question 2: Name the other types of crops other than Rabi and Kharif.

Answer 2: The other crops are Zaid crops, Food crops, and Cash crops in addition to Rabi and Kharif crops.

Question 3: Which countries follow these seasons of growing crops?

Answer 3: Most Asian countries follow these patterns like India, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.