What is the difference between Kharif, Rabi and Zaid seasons?

Kharif crops are sown with the southwest monsoon in June–July and harvested in October–November. Rabi crops are sown after the monsoon withdraws (October–December) and harvested in spring (March–April), benefiting from cooler winter temperatures and supplemental irrigation. Zaid is the short summer season between Rabi and Kharif (roughly March to June), used for short-duration irrigated crops such as watermelon, summer moong and fodder maize.

What does each operation in the calendar mean?

Sow indicates a sowing or transplanting window. Fertilize marks basal application or top-dressing splits as recommended in package-of-practices documents. Spray flags scouting and integrated pest management activity for the major insect or disease risks of that month. Harvest indicates the typical harvest window. Irrigate marks critical irrigation stages, and Intercultural covers weeding, earthing-up and similar field operations.

Are the dates exact for my district?

No. The calendar windows on this page are indicative ranges for the major Indian agro-climatic regions, drawn from ICAR institutes and state agricultural-university package-of-practices documents. Actual local timing varies with monsoon arrival, altitude, soil type and irrigation availability. Always cross-check with your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) or state agriculture department before committing to a sowing or input decision.

Why don't you list specific fertilizer dosages or pesticide brands?

Recommended NPK rates and pesticide schedules vary substantially by state, soil type, variety and season, and they are revised periodically. We summarise high-level guidance and link to ICAR institute and state-AU package-of-practices pages where farmers can find the current, locally-appropriate dosages and brand-agnostic chemical recommendations.

Which crops are covered?

The current calendar covers 36 major Indian crops across cereals, millets, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, cash and fibre crops, and spices. We will continue to add crops and refine the windows based on user feedback and KVK / state-AU advisories.

Seasonal Crop Calendar — India

Sow, spray, fertilize and harvest — month by month — for 36 major Indian crops across Kharif, Rabi and Zaid seasons.

Canonical reference: https://agri.bot/crop-calendar

A note on these dates

Calendar windows are indicative for the major Indian agro-climatic regions. Always cross-check with your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or state agriculture department for recommendations specific to your district, soil type and variety.

Use this calendar alongside our government schemes for farmers when planning seasonal credit and insurance, pair it with a soil-test based fertiliser plan from our Soil Health Card guide so basal and top-dressing splits match what your field actually needs, browse our knowledge base for crop-specific guides, or explore content from Indian agricultural universities.

Search cropSeasonCategory

SowFertilizeSpray / IPMIrrigateInterculturalHarvest

Twelve-month operations grid

Tap a month to see every crop active that month. Coloured dots show which operations apply.

October — operations by crop

Crops with active operations in October
Crop	Operations	Notes
Rice (paddy)	Harvest	Harvest at 80 – 85% grain ripening.
Wheat	SowFertilize	Timely sowing in central / peninsular India.
Maize	SowFertilizeHarvest	Rabi sowing in Bihar / south.
Sorghum (Jowar)	SowHarvest	Kharif harvest; Rabi sowing continues.
Pearl millet (Bajra)	Harvest
Finger millet (Ragi)	Harvest
Pigeonpea (Tur / Arhar)	Spray / IPM	Pod development — pod borer IPM.
Chickpea (Chana)	SowFertilize	Sow on residual moisture or pre-irrigation.
Urdbean (Urad)	Harvest
Lentil (Masoor)	SowFertilize
Groundnut	Harvest
Soybean	Harvest
Mustard / Rapeseed	SowFertilize
Sunflower	SowFertilize	Rabi sowing.
Sesame (Til)	Harvest
Cotton	Harvest	First picking.
Sugarcane	Sow
Tomato	SowFertilize	Rabi transplanting.
Onion	SowHarvest	Kharif harvest; Rabi nursery.
Potato	SowFertilize
Brinjal (Eggplant)	SowFertilize
Okra (Bhindi)	Harvest
Chilli	FertilizeHarvest
Cabbage / Cauliflower	SowIntercultural
Mango	Intercultural	Withhold irrigation to encourage flower induction.
Cardamom (small)	Harvest
Barley	SowFertilize	Early sowing on marginal / rainfed land; basal NPK + zinc if deficient.
Grapes	FertilizeSpray / IPMIntercultural	Forward (fruit) pruning in Nashik — cut canes to 8 – 12 buds; CPPU / GA₃ scheduling begins at bud break; intensive downy-mildew cover sprays.

Crops in this view(36)

About the three Indian cropping seasons

Indian agriculture is organised around three cropping seasons that follow the country's monsoon cycle. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) tracks the southwest and northeast monsoons, and these rains define when each season begins and ends.

Kharif— sown with the onset of the southwest monsoon in June–July and harvested in October–November. Carries the bulk of India's rice, coarse cereals, pulses and oilseed output and is largely rainfed in the peninsular and central regions.
Rabi — sown after the monsoon withdraws (October–December) and harvested in March–April. Benefits from cooler winter temperatures and depends on residual soil moisture, supplemental irrigation and, in northern India, winter showers from western disturbances.
Zaid — a short irrigated summer season between Rabi harvest and the next Kharif. Dominated by cucurbits (watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber), short-duration pulses (summer moong, urd) and fodder crops. Requires assured irrigation as it grows through the hottest months of the year.

References

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) — national research mandate, crop varieties and seasonal package of practices.
KVK Portal (kvk.icar.gov.in) — district-level Krishi Vigyan Kendras providing local advisories.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) — monsoon onset, withdrawal and Long Range Forecast.
Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare — official acreage, sowing progress and production estimates by season.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Kharif, Rabi and Zaid seasons?: Kharif crops are sown with the southwest monsoon in June–July and harvested in October–November. Rabi crops are sown after the monsoon withdraws (October–December) and harvested in spring (March–April), benefiting from cooler winter temperatures and supplemental irrigation. Zaid is the short summer season between Rabi and Kharif (roughly March to June), used for short-duration irrigated crops such as watermelon, summer moong and fodder maize.
What does each operation in the calendar mean?: Sow indicates a sowing or transplanting window. Fertilize marks basal application or top-dressing splits as recommended in package-of-practices documents. Spray flags scouting and integrated pest management activity for the major insect or disease risks of that month. Harvest indicates the typical harvest window. Irrigate marks critical irrigation stages, and Intercultural covers weeding, earthing-up and similar field operations.
Are the dates exact for my district?: No. The calendar windows on this page are indicative ranges for the major Indian agro-climatic regions, drawn from ICAR institutes and state agricultural-university package-of-practices documents. Actual local timing varies with monsoon arrival, altitude, soil type and irrigation availability. Always cross-check with your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) or state agriculture department before committing to a sowing or input decision.
Why don't you list specific fertilizer dosages or pesticide brands?: Recommended NPK rates and pesticide schedules vary substantially by state, soil type, variety and season, and they are revised periodically. We summarise high-level guidance and link to ICAR institute and state-AU package-of-practices pages where farmers can find the current, locally-appropriate dosages and brand-agnostic chemical recommendations.
Which crops are covered?: The current calendar covers 36 major Indian crops across cereals, millets, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, cash and fibre crops, and spices. We will continue to add crops and refine the windows based on user feedback and KVK / state-AU advisories.

Sowing and harvest windows are indicative ranges drawn from ICAR institute and state agricultural-university package-of-practices documents. Local timing varies with monsoon arrival, altitude, soil type and irrigation availability.