What is a crop?

A crop is a plant product that can be grown and harvested for profit.

When plants of a similar kind are cultivated in one place on large scale, it is known as a crop. For instance, a crop of wheat implies that all the plants grown in a field are that of wheat. Crops are plants developed by the farmers. agriculture plays a vital part in the Indian economy.

Types of crops


Crops can be catagorised in to different catagories on the basis of:

  • On the basis of season            
  • On the basis of life cycle            
  • On the basis of uses

On the basis of season there are three types of crops found in India, which are:

Rubi Crop: The crops which are sown in the month of October November and harvested in March April.

Example, Wheat, Barley, Gram, Mustard, Peas, Patato, Tobacco etc.


Kharif CropThe crops which are sown in the month of June - Jult and harvested in the month of November _ December.

Example, Rice, Millet, Maize, Cotton, Groundnut, Sweet potato, Sugarecane, Soyabeen etc.


Zaid crop: Zaid crops are the crops which are sown in the month of May - June and harvested in the month of July - August.

Example, Pumpkin, Melon, Gourd, Mong, Cucumber, Chilly, Tomato, Sunflower etc.


On the basis of life cycle crops have been classified in to three classes, which are:

Annual Crop: Annual crop is the crop which completes its life cycle from germination of seed to the death of a plant.

Example, Rice, Wheat, Millet, Cotton, Gram, Groundnut, Musterd, Potato etc.

Biennial crops: These are those flowering crops that takes two years to  complet its biological life cycle.

Example, sugar beet, Onion etc.

Perennial crops: These are those plants/ crops which do not need to replant every year after harvesting, these crops automatically grow back.

Example, fruit yealding crops.

On the basis of use, crops are classifies as:

Cereals: A grasswhose starchy grains are  used as food.

Example: Rice, Wheat, Barley, Gram, Millet etc.

Oil Seeds: Tgose crops which contain primary oil in there seeds.

Example: Mustard, Groundnut, Sunflower, Sesame etc.

Pulses: They are high in protein, fibre and some vitamins, pulses are also known as grain lugumes.

Example:Gram, Urad, Mong, Pea, Groundnut, Soyabean etc.

Spicy crops: The crops by which spices are obtained are known as spicy crops.

Example: Ginger, Pappermint, Chilly, Coriander, Turmeric etc.

Fibre crops: These are those crops which are grown for there fibre are known as fibre crops.

Example: Jute, Cotton, Flax etc.

Fodder crop: The crop which is grown for animal feed are known as fodder crop.

Example: Barseem, Jowar, Napier grass etc.

Fruit crops: Any one of the group of wild and cultivated trees, shrubs etc which yeald flashy or heard edible fruits are known as fruit crops.

Example: Mango, Guava, Lemon, Banana, Papaya etc.

Root and Tubers: Root and tuber are plant yealding starchy roots, tubers, rhizomes, corms and stems. they are mainly used as human food.

Example: Potato, Batata, Sweet potato, Carrot, Radish, Turnip etc.

Stimulants: The crops which have capicity to psycho stimulant effect known as stimulant crops.

Example: Tobacco, Cannabis, Tea, Cofee, Poppy etc.

Sugar crops: A crop grown for extraction of sugar are known as sugar crops.

Example: Sugar cane, Reed, Sugar beet etc.

Medicinal crops: Plants which contain alkaloid which are used for manufactring of medicines are known as medicinal crops.

Example: Rauvolfia, Neem, Tulsi etc.