RAS question
Rabi crops are sown in which season?
Correct answer: (A) October-November (post monsoon).
Rabi crops are sown in the post-monsoon winter season, mainly around October-November.
Explanation
Rabi is India's winter cropping season: NCERT describes rabi crops as sown in winter from October to December and harvested in summer from April to June. That makes October-November, the post-monsoon period, the matching option for sowing, because the crop is put in the field after the monsoon and grows through the cool season. The given exam cycle states sowing in October-November and harvesting in March-April. Wheat, barley, gram, mustard and peas fit this pattern. Their success depends on winter rainfall and irrigation; NCERT also notes that winter precipitation helps these crops.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) June-July marks the onset of the monsoon, the sowing context for kharif crops rather than the rabi season.
- (C) January-February falls within the winter growth phase after rabi sowing, not the sowing window given as October-November.
- (D) March-April is associated with rabi harvesting in the given crop cycle, so it is too late to be the sowing season.
Concept
This tests India's agricultural seasons, especially the distinction between rabi and kharif sowing windows. It recurs in RAS because crop calendars link climate, monsoon timing and major Indian crops.