RAS question
Rabi crops are sown in:
Correct answer: (A) October-November (winter season).
Rabi crops are sown in October-November, after the monsoon withdraws, and are harvested in March-April.
Explanation
Rabi is the winter cropping season, so the sowing window falls after the monsoon has withdrawn, around October-November. The crop is harvested in March-April, so the season runs as a sowing-to-harvest cycle rather than as a single month. TNAU Agritech Portal defines Rabi crops as crops raised between November and April and states that the sowing period determines the season category. Standard Rabi examples include wheat, barley, gram, mustard, peas and linseed; TNAU Agritech Portal also lists wheat, mustard, gram and barley under Rabi crops. These crops depend on winter rainfall from western disturbances and irrigation.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) March-April is the harvest period for Rabi crops, not their sowing window; it is also associated with Zaid.
- (C) August-September falls within the Kharif cycle, so it does not match the post-monsoon Rabi sowing window.
- (D) June-July is the Kharif sowing period, whereas Rabi sowing starts after the monsoon withdraws in October-November.
Concept
Indian agricultural seasons are a basic topic in Geography of India. In RAS, crop calendars, monsoon withdrawal, winter rainfall and irrigation are often linked in agriculture questions.