RAS question
Wheat cultivation in Rajasthan is mainly done in which season?
Correct answer: (B) Rabi (winter).
In Rajasthan, wheat is mainly cultivated as a Rabi winter crop.
Explanation
Wheat belongs to the Rabi season in Rajasthan because it is grown in the winter cropping cycle, not in the monsoon or summer cycle. Its sowing is in October-November and harvesting is in March-April, with winter rain, locally called Mawat, helping the crop. The Watershed Development and Soil Conservation Department, Government of Rajasthan DPR separates Kharif crops such as maize, bajra and jowar from Rabi cultivation, and states that wheat is the main cereal crop grown during Rabi. The defining basis is the cropping season, rather than the district name or irrigation source.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Year-round is wrong because wheat is a seasonal crop; it belongs to the winter Rabi cycle.
- (C) Zaid is wrong because Zaid crops belong to the summer cycle, whereas wheat is grown in the winter Rabi cycle.
- (D) Kharif is wrong because the DPR lists other cereals under Kharif and specifically places wheat as the main cereal crop grown during Rabi.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan agriculture by cropping season, a recurring RAS theme because many crop questions hinge on matching crops with Rabi, Kharif or Zaid. Wheat is a standard Rabi marker in such classification questions.