Field Crops

Cotton is an important fibre crop and has gained global significance as the ‘king of fibre’ or ‘white gold’. It is still the backbone of India’s economy, especially in the dry hinterland. In India, cotton is grown over an area of 13 million hectares. India produces around 35 million bales of cotton with a productivity of 462 kg per hectare.

Green gram, popularly known as ‘moong’ or ‘mung bean’, is a short-duration crop that requires low input and is tolerant to drought. The crop is consumed as a whole and features in the Indian diet as dal or sprouts. Farmers also use green gram for green manuring and livestock feeding. While farmers grow it as a pure crop, it also works well in mixed cropping, intercropping, and sequential cropping. In India, green gram takes up an area of 42.4 lakh hectares with a production of 30.9 lakh tonnes annually. 

Groundnut is one of the most prominent oilseed crops in India. It is primarily consumed as a roasted whole nut, in cooking oil, peanut butter, protein-based products, flour, etc. As of now, farmers cultivate the crop across 4.83 million hectares of area, with an approximate production of 9.95 million tonnes. Farmers also cultivate groundnuts under rainfed conditions in the kharif season. However, farmers also harvest a small portion of the produce during the Rabi, spring, and summer seasons if irrigated well. 

Black gram is known as ‘urad’ or ‘urd bean’ in India and is consumed as a dal or as a part of various dishes. Farmers also use it as green manure and a fodder crop on farms. Black gram occupies an area of 46.7 lakh hectares, with a production of 23.4 lakh tonnes in India. 

Pearl millet, commonly known as Bajra, is also referred to as the poor man’s staple food. It is suitable for cultivation in the drylands. In India, the area used for the cultivation of pearl millet is 7.57 million hectares having a production of 10.86 million tonnes with a productivity of 1.5 tonnes per hectare.

Pigeon pea is also known as red gram, ‘tur’ and ‘arhar’ in India. It is the second-most important pulse crop grown in India and is mainly consumed as dal and a part of various culinary dishes all over the country. When it is fresh, it can also be used as a vegetable. Red gram is rich in protein, iron, and iodine. Red gram occupies an area of 48.24 lakh hectares, with a production of 38.8 lakh tonnes in India.

Sorghum is popularly known as a staple food crop and a valuable resource for the poverty-stricken sections of India, especially in semi-arid regions. While sorghum cultivated during the rainy (Kharif) season is used for human and livestock consumption, the grain grown in the post-rainy (rabi) season is used only for human consumption. The crop is cultivated in states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. In India, the total area used for sorghum cultivation is 4.38 million ha with a total production of 4.81 million tonnes. 

Also known as the ‘golden bean’ or ‘miracle crop. Soybean is a rich source of protein and edible oil. It is renowned as a major rainy-season crop cultivated in rainfed ecosystems of the central plains. In India, the area used for soybean production is 1.21 million hectares having a production of 1.31 million tonnes with a productivity of 1.08 tonnes per hectare.

Sugarcane is cultivated in tropical and subtropical countries around the world. It is grown to help produce sugar, ethanol, and other products. Almost 70% of the sugar produced globally comes from Saccharum officinarum. In India, sugarcane is grown over an area of 4,86 million hectares with a production of 399 million tonnes and productivity of 82 tonnes per hectare. 

Wheat is known as the second-most important cereal crop of India and occupies 31.61 million hectares with a production of 109.52 million tonnes and a productivity of 3464 kg per hectare. The crop is instrumental to food security since 55% of the world’s population depends on wheat for around 20% of their caloric intake. In a similar vein, it is also a main food source for most of the country, especially North India. Since India is home to diverse environmental conditions and food habits, farmers cultivate three types of wheat in the country: bread, durum, and dicoccum. While bread wheat contributes approximately 95% to the total production of wheat, durum and dicoccum wheat contribute 4% and 1%, respectively.