Here is an essay on the ‘Rabi Crops of India’ for class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on the ‘Rabi Crops of India’ especially written for school and college students.
Essay on Rabi Crops of India
Essay # 1. Cereals:
Wheat and barley are two major cereals in rabi season. Wheat, being a major constituent of human diet, is the major contributor to food security of our country.
A. Wheat:
China is the top most producer of wheat in the world. Uttar Pradesh leads in its production in India. In Punjab, wheat is sown on area of about 35 lakh ha and its average grain yield is about 18-20 quintals per acre.
Climate and Soil:
It needs cool climate during the early stage of its growth. Warm temperature at this stage is unfavourable to tillering and also promotes several diseases. It can be grown on all kinds of soil, except the highly deteriorated alkaline and water-logged soils. But medium loamy soils, in which water does not stagnate, are best suited for its cultivation. Durum wheat should preferably be sown on medium to fine textured soils.
Crop Rotations:
Crop rotation is the sequence of crops grown on a field in a year. Rice-wheat, Cotton-wheat, Maize-wheat, Maize/rice-potato-wheat, Moong/arhar/mash-wheat, Groundnut-wheat, Soybean-wheat are some major crop rotations.
Improved Varieties:
HD 2967, PBW 621, DBW17 and PBW 343 are improved varieties of common wheat and WHD 943, PDW 291 and PDW 233 are improved varieties of durum wheat. Durum wheat flour is used in pasta making.
Field Preparation:
After paddy (rice) harvest, if the field has enough soil moisture, undertake tillage straight way, otherwise apply first irrigation (rauni). At idealistic moisture (water) condition use disc harrow once for ploughing but if straw of combine harvested paddy is to be incorporated into the soil then give at least two ploughings with disc harrow followed by planking. Then give one cultivation in normal soils and two cultivations in heavy soils with cultivator followed by planking. Incorporation of rice straw into soil improves soil health.
For field preparation after other kharif crops give rauni irrigation and at water condition give two cultivations/ploughings followed by planking. Wheat can also be sown with zero-till drill without any preparatory tillage. If there is problem of weeds then before sowing spray Gramoxone herbicide to control weeds.
Zero tillage has many benefits such as saving in diesel and time, less environmental pollution, saving in water during first irrigation; lower weed infestation particularly of gullidanda, no yellowing of leaves after first irrigation, timely sowing, improved input use efficiency and less lodging. In combine harvested paddy fields, Happy Seeder machine can be used for sowing of wheat in standing stubbles without its burning or removal.
Sowing:
Good quality 40 kg seed treated with recommended insecticides and fungicides should be used for one acre. 4th week of October – 4th week of November is the optimum time of its sowing. Its timely sowing is very important as delay in sowing reduces grain yield by 150 kg per acre per week. Sow the crop with a seed-cum-fertilizer drill at a depth of 4-6 cm and at a row to row spacing of 20-22 cm.
Bi-directional sowing of wheat (Half fertilizer and seed in one direction and remaining half in other direction at right angle to the 1st one) gives about 2 q per acre additional yield with the same seed rate and other inputs. Wheat can also be sown on beds with bed planter. It needs only 30 kg seed/acre and also saves irrigation water.
Fertilizers:
Apply 50 kg nitrogen, 25 kg phosphorus and 12 kg potassium per acre. Use potassium on soil test basis as Punjab soils generally have its high content. Drill 1/2 nitrogen, whole phosphorus and whole potassium at sowing and broadcast the remaining nitrogen with the first irrigation. Apply 25% less nitrogen to wheat sown after leguminous crops as these crops are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil.
Manganese Deficiency:
It generally appears in light soils and its symptoms appear on lower 2/3rd portion of middle leaves as interveinal chlorosis with buff coloured specks which later on coalesce to form bands in between the veins which remain green. It can be managed by spraying manganese sulphate solution.
Zinc Deficiency:
It generally appears in light soils and its deficiency symptoms are stunted and bushy plants with leaves chloratic in the middle, which later break and keep hanging. It can be managed by applying zinc sulphate.
Weed Control:
Infestation of weeds in wheat can be reduced by its early sowing from last week of October to first week of November. Infestation of gullidanda can also be reduced by rotating wheat with other crops viz. berseem, potato and raya. To control emerged weeds give one hand weeding before 1st irrigation and 2nd at water condition after the irrigation.
Alternatively, broadleaf weeds (Bathu, kandiali palak, button booti, maina, maini, senji) can be controlled by herbicides like Algrip or Aim. Grass weeds like gullidanda can be controlled by herbicides like Stomp, Leader, Topik, Total, Atlantis, Treflan etc. Do not use Leader, Atlantis or Total for control of weeds if raya or gobhi sarson is sown in wheat.
Irrigation:
The first irrigation should be given after three weeks to October-sown crop and after four weeks to the crop sown later as at this particular stage wheat plants form crown roots. Crop needs 4-5 irrigations.
Harvesting and Threshing:
Harvest the crop by sickle or tractor-operated reaper and thresh by power thresher. Combine harvester combines both these operations. Grains should not contain more than 10% moisture at the time of storage otherwise it would be spoiled by moulds and excessive heat that develops during storage.
Insect-Pests and Diseases:
The major insect-pests of wheat are termite, aphid, and army worm and gram pod borer. The major diseases are yellow or stripe rust, brown or leaf rust, loose smut, ear cockle (Mamni), yellow ear rot (Tundu) and Karnal bunt.
B. Barley:
Russian Federation is the top most producer of barley in the world. Rajasthan leads in its production in India. In Punjab, it is cultivated on an area of about 12,000 ha and its average grain yield is about 15-16 quintals per acre. Its cultivation is generally done in low rainfall areas.
Climate and Soil:
Barley requires cool weather during early growth and warm and dry weather at maturity. Being drought resistant, barley suits to areas with scanty rainfall. It can do well even in salt affected soils during the early phases of the reclamation of these soils.
Crop Rotations:
Paddy-barley, Cotton-barley and Bajra-barley.
Improved Varieties:
PL 807, VJM 201, PL 426
Sowing:
A seed rate of 35 kg per acre under irrigated and 45 kg per acre under rainfed and late-sown conditions is required. Seed should be treated with recommended fungicides. Its optimum sowing time is October 15 – November 15. Row to row spacing of 22.5 cm for the normal sown crop and 18-20 cm for the late-sown and rainfed crop is recommended. Barley can also be grown without any preparatory tillage with zero till drill.
Fertilizers:
Apply 25 kg nitrogen, 12 kg phosphorus and 6 kg potassium per acre. Use potassium on soil test basis. Drill all the fertilizers at sowing.
Weed Control:
Give one weeding after the first irrigation. For chemical control of broadleaf weeds (bathu etc.) use 2, 4-D or Algrip. Control Jaundhar (Jangli javi) with Isoproturon or Avadex BW and gullidanda with Puma Power or Topik.
Irrigation:
Only 1-2 irrigations are required.
Insect-Pests and Diseases:
The major insect-pest is aphid and major diseases are stripe disease, covered smut, loose smut and yellow rust.
Essay # 2. Pulses and Oilseeds:
Gram and Lentil are major pulse crops and mustard, toria, taramira, linseed (Alsi) and sunflower are major oilseed crops in rabi season.
A. Pulses:
India ranks first in production of pulses in the world but still we have to import pulses as India is also the largest consumer of pulses. Rajasthan tops in pulses production in India. In Punjab, a small acreage is under gram, lentil and field pea during the rabi season.
I. Gram (Chickpea):
In Punjab, it is cultivated on an area of about 2,000 ha and its average grain yield is about 5.0 quintals per acre.
Climate and Soil:
It is a winter season crop but severe cold and frost are injurious to it. It is primarily a crop of low-rainfall areas. Early onset of summer reduces its growing period, hastens maturity and reduces the yield. It grows best on well drained light to medium textured soils but its cultivation is also possible on light soils where other crops are unable to grow. Saline, alkaline or waterlogged soils are not suitable for its cultivation.
Crop Rotations:
Bajra-gram, Rice/maize-gram
Improved Varieties:
GPF 2 and PBG 1 are desi gram varieties for irrigated conditions and PDG 4 and PDG 3 for rainfed conditions. L 552 and BG 1053 are improved varieties of Kabuli gram.
Field Preparation:
It does not require fine tilth. Deep tillage reduces the wilt attack and increases the seed yield.
Sowing:
The optimum seed rates for desi and kabuli gram are 15-18 kg and 37 kg per acre, respectively. Treat the seed with insecticide followed by fungicide and microbial culture as per the recommendations. Microbial culture promotes formation of root nodules which fix the atmospheric nitrogen into soil.
The optimum sowing time for desi gram under rainfed conditions is from October 10 – October 25. Under irrigated conditions both desi and Kabuli gram should be sown from October 25 – November 10. The crop should be sown by pora or drill in rows 30 cm apart. The seed should be placed 10-12.5 cm deep as the shallow-sown crop is more liable to be damaged by wilt and lowers its yield.
Weed Control:
One or two hand-hoeings at 30 and 60 days after sowing help to keep the weeds under check. Alternately, use Treflan or Stomp herbicides.
Fertilizers:
Gram being a legume crop needs less nitrogen as it is capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen into its roots. Apply 6 kg nitrogen to both desi and kabuli gram. Phosphorus requirement of desi gram is 8 kg and kabuli gram is 16 kg per acre. Drill all the fertilizers at sowing.
Irrigation:
Crop generally needs one irrigation between mid-December and end- January depending upon the rainfall. But this should not be given earlier than 4 weeks after sowing.
Harvesting:
Harvest the crop when pods mature and plants dry up.
Insect-Pests and Diseases:
Termite and gram caterpillar are major insect-pests and blight, wilt and stem rot are major diseases.
II. Lentil:
In Punjab, Lentil (Masar) is cultivated on an area of about 1100 ha and its average grain yield is about 2-3 quintals per acre.
Climate and Soil:
It requires cool climate and being hardy can tolerate frost and severe winter. All soils, except saline, alkaline or waterlogged soils are suitable for growing this crop.
Crop Rotations:
Rice-lentil, Cotton-lentil and Groundnut-lentil.
Improved Varieties:
LL 931, LL 699
Field Preparation:
The land should be ploughed two or three times and each ploughing should be followed by planking.
Sowing:
The optimum seed rate is 12-15 kg per acre and the seed must be treated with recommended fungicides and microbial culture. The crop should be sown in the 2nd fortnight of October at a row to row spacing of 22.5 cm.
Weed Control:
One or two weeding at 30 and 60 days after sowing are enough. Alternatively, weeds can be controlled with Stomp or Treflan herbicides.
Fertilizers:
Being a leguminous crop it needs only 5 kg nitrogen per acre. If seed is inoculated with microbial culture then apply 8 kg phosphorus and if not inoculated then apply 16 kg phosphorus. Apply both the fertilizers at the time of sowing.
Irrigation:
It requires one or two irrigations depending upon the rains during the growing season. In case of one irrigation, apply it at 6 weeks after sowing and in case of two irrigations, apply one at 4 weeks after sowing and second at flowering or pod formation stage.
Harvesting:
The crop should be harvested when the plants dry up and pods mature.
Insect-Pests and Diseases:
Lentil pod-borer is the major insect-pest and blight and rust are the major diseases.
B. Oilseeds:
These are the crops from the seeds of which oil is extracted. USA is the top oilseed producing country in the world and Rajasthan leads in its production in India. In Punjab, raya, gobhi sarson, toria, taramira, alsi, safflower and sunflower are grown as rabi oilseeds.
I. Raya:
Climate and Soil:
It is grown in medium and high-rainfall areas and can be grown on all soil types.
Crop Rotations:
Maize/bajra-raya-summer moong, Cotton-raya.
Improved Varieties:
RLC 1, PBR 210, PBR 91
Field Preparation:
Give 2-4 ploughings each followed by planking. Raya can also be sown with zero till drill without any preparatory tillage.
Sowing:
A seed rate of 1.5 kg per acre is required. The optimum time of its sowing is mid-October – mid November. Sowing should be done in 30 cm apart rows at a depth of 4-5 cm. Thinning should be done at three weeks after sowing to maintain a plant to plant distance of 10-15 cm.
Fertilizers:
Apply 40 kg nitrogen and 12 kg phosphorus per acre. Apply potassium on soil test basis. Drill 1/2 nitrogen and full phosphorus and potassium before sowing and the remaining 1/2 nitrogen with first irrigation. For oilseed crops, Single Super Phosphate should be used to supply phosphorus as it contains sulphur which is essential for these crops. If this fertilizer is not available, then apply 50 kg Gypsum per acre as a source of sulphur.
Weed Control:
Give one or two hoeings. Weeds can also be controlled with application of Treflan before sowing the crop or Isoproturon after sowing the crop.
Irrigation:
First irrigation should be given 3-4 weeks after sowing to promote deeper rooting and for better utilization of applied fertilizers. If necessary, second irrigation may be given at flowering stage. The third and the last irrigation should be given during second fortnight of February.
Harvesting and Threshing:
The crop is ready for harvest when pods turn yellow. The harvested crop should be stacked for 7-10 days before threshing.
Insect-Pests and Diseases:
The major insect-pests are painted bug, mustard sawfly, mustard aphid and leaf miner. The major diseases are Alternaria blight, downy mildew and white rust.
II. Gobhi Sarson:
In trade, gobhi sarson is included in rapeseed group. A type of gobhi sarson called Canola has less erucic acid in oil and less glucosinolates in defatted meal. The oil from canola type varieties is healthy for human consumption and then- defatted meal is good as animal feed.
Climate and Soil:
It is grown in medium and high-rainfall areas. It can be grown on all soil types.
Crop Rotations:
Rice/maize-gobhi sarson-summer moong, Cotton-gobhi sarson.
Improved Varieties:
PGSH 51, GSL 2, GSL 1. Canola type varieties are GSC 6 and GSC 5.
Field Preparation:
Give 2-4 ploughings each followed by planking.
Sowing:
A seed rate of 1.5 kg per acre is required for sowing in rows 45 cm apart. The optimum time of its sowing is 10 October – 30 October. Thinning should be done at three weeks after sowing to maintain a plant to plant distance of 10 cm.
Fertilizers:
Apply 40 kg nitrogen and 12 kg phosphorus per acre. Apply potassium on soil test basis. Drill 1/2 nitrogen and full phosphorus and potassium before sowing and the remaining 1/2 nitrogen with first irrigation. For oilseed crops, Single Super Phosphate should be used to supply phosphorus as it contains sulphur which is essential for these crops. If this fertilizer is not available, then apply 50 kg Gypsum per acre as a source of sulphur.
Weed Control:
Give one or two hoeing. Weeds can also be controlled with application of Basalin before sowing the crop or Isoproturon after sowing the crop.
Irrigation:
First irrigation should be given 3-4 weeks after sowing to promote deeper rooting and for better utilization of applied fertilizers. If necessary, second irrigation may be given at flowering stage. The third and the last irrigation should be given during second fortnight of February.
Harvesting and Threshing:
The crop is ready for harvest when pods turn yellow. The harvested crop should be stacked for 7-10 days before threshing.
Insect-Pests and Diseases:
The major insect-pests are painted bug, mustard sawfly, mustard aphid and leaf miner. The major diseases are Alternaria blight, downy mildew and white rust.
III. Sunflower:
Sunflower seeds contain 40-43% high quality oil which is very well suited for the manufacture of edible refined oil and vanaspati. Its oil can also be used for soap making and a number of allied products. Ukraine is the top most sunflower producing country in the world. In Punjab, it is cultivated on an area of about 20-21 thousand ha and its average seed yield is about 6.5 quintals per acre.
Climate and Soil:
It requires relatively cold climate and performs well on well drained and medium texture soil. Salt affected soils are not suitable for its cultivation.
Crop Rotations:
Rice/maize-potato-sunflower, Rice-toria-sunflower, Cotton- sunflower, Basmati-sunflower.
Improved Varieties:
PSH 996, PSH 569, Jawalamukhi.
Field Preparation:
Give two or three ploughings each followed by planking.
Sowing:
Two kg seed per acre is required which should be treated with recommended fungicides. The sowing of sunflower should be done by end of January. Sow the seeds in rows 60 cm apart with a plant-to-plant spacing of 30 cm.
Early sown crop performs better if planted on southern side of East-West ridges. The higher temperature on this side of ridge in winters helps in early germination of seeds and faster growth of crop. Place the seed about 6-8 cm below the ridge top. The crop sown on ridges does not lodge and also saves irrigation water.
Fertilizers:
Apply 24 kg nitrogen and 12 kg phosphorus per acre at the time of sowing. If potassium is deficient, then apply 12 kg potassium per acre. Single Super Phosphate should be preferred as a source of phosphorus.
Irrigation:
It generally requires 6-9 irrigations. Apply first irrigation about a month after sowing followed by irrigations at 2-3 week interval. During hot summer months of April – May irrigate the crop at 8-10 days interval. Irrigations at flowering and grain formation are very critical.
Weed Control:
The first hoeing should be done at 2-3 weeks after the weed emergence followed by second hoeing at three weeks thereafter. Weeds can also be controlled with Stomp.
Harvesting and Threshing:
The crop is ready for harvesting when sunflower heads turn yellowish brown at lower surface near the stalk and the discs start drying up. The harvested sunflower heads should be threshed immediately after harvesting with sunflower thresher.
Insect-Pests and Diseases:
The major insect-pests are cutworms, tobacco caterpillar, Bihar hair caterpillar and American bollworm. The major diseases are stem rot, root rot and head rot.
Essay # 3. Fodders:
Green fodder is a major component of animal diet. An adult animal requires about 40 kg green fodder per day and its availability is far less than this. Rabi fodders include berseem, shaftal, lucerne, oats, rye grass and senji.
A. Berseem:
Berseem is known as king of fodders. It gives a highly nutritious and palatable fodder in repeated cuttings from November to mid-June.
Improved Varieties:
BL 42, BL 10, BL 1.
Field Preparation:
Give three ploughings each followed by planking.
Sowing:
Use 8-10 kg seed per acre and it must be inoculated with microbial culture. To make the seed free from seeds of chicory (Kashni) and other weeds, put the berseem seed into water and sieve the floating weed seeds. The optimum time of its sowing is last week of September to first week of October. Sowing should be done by broadcasting the seed in standing water. In case of high wind, the seed should be broadcasted evenly in dry land followed immediately by raking and irrigation.
Fertilizers:
Apply 6 tonne farmyard manure and 20 kg phosphorus per acre at sowing time. If farmyard manure is not available then apply 10 kg nitrogen and 30 kg phosphorus per acre.
Weed Control:
Basalin herbicide can be used to control Bueen weed in berseem. If itsit is a problem, then sow berseem mixed with raya. Raya, being a fast growing crop, smothers this weed. In fields where itsit is a serious problem, delay the sowing of crop to the second week of October, as during this period, the incidence of the weed is drastically reduced due to decrease in temperature.
Irrigation:
The first irrigation should be given 6-8 days after sowing. Afterwards, it may be applied within 8-10 days during summer and 10-15 days during winter.
Harvesting:
First cutting is ready in about 50 days after sowing and subsequent cuttings at 40 day intervals during winter and 30 day intervals in spring.
Insect-Pests and Diseases:
The major insect-pests are Bihar hairy caterpillar (Bhabu kuta), grasshopper, gram caterpillar and cabbage semilooper. Its major disease is stem rot.
B. Oats:
Oats is next to berseem in nutritive value. It can be grown on all types of soils, except the alkaline or water logged soils.
Improved Varieties:
OL 9, Kent
Sowing:
Use 25 kg seed per acre and it should be treated with recommended fungicides. The optimum time of sowing is from second week to last week of October. It should be sown in rows 20 cm apart. It can also be sown with zero till drill after the harvesting of rice.
Fertilizers:
Apply 15 kg nitrogen and 8 kg phosphorus per acre at the time of sowing. Apply 15 kg nitrogen at 30-40 days after sowing.
Weed Control:
Weeding is generally not required but if required then give one weeding.
Irrigation:
Three to four irrigations including the pre-sowing irrigation are sufficient.
Harvesting:
The harvesting should be done from boot to milk stage.
Insect-Pests and Diseases:
The major insect-pest is aphid and major diseases are loose smut and covered smut.
Note:
For the control of insect-pests, diseases and weeds, use pesticides (insecticides, fungicides and herbicides) recommended by the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Use these pesticides at recommended doses and at recommended times as their over-use is harmful to human health and environment.