Consider the following crops of India:
- Groundnut
- Sesamum
- Pearl millet
Which of the above is / are predominantly rainfed crop/s?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
All are predominantly rainfed crops
- Groundnut:
- Groundnut is the most important oilseed of India.
- It accounts for nearly half of the major oilseeds produced in India.
- Groundnut kernels are rich in proteins and vitamins and have high calorific value.
- It contains 40-50% oil which is used as edible oil or hydrogenated vanaspati.
- It is often a rotation crop because of its atmospheric nitrogen fixing abilities.
- Conditions for Growth:
- It is a tropical crop that requires 20°-30°C temperature and 50-75 cm rainfall.
- Isohyet of 100 cm marks the upper limit for groundnut cultivation.
- It is largely a rainfed kharif crop of drylands.
- But in southern India, it is cultivated during rabi season as well.
- It is highly susceptible to frost, prolonged drought,
- Sesamum:
- India accounts for around one-third of the world production and is the largest producer.
- Since it is a rainfed kharif crop the production fluctuates greatly with time.
- Sesamum is a kharif crop in north and rabi crop in south India.
- Sesamum is produced in almost all parts of the country.
- West Bengal is the largest producing state (one-third of the total production of India).
- The other major producers are Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, etc.
- Pearl millet:
- Bajra is the second most important millet. Just like jowar, it is also used as food and fodder in drier parts of the country.
- It is a rainfed Kharif crop of dry and warm north-western and western parts of the country. It is a hardy crop which resists frequent dry spells and drought in this region.
- Bajra can be grown on poor light sandy soils, black and red soils. It requires 40-50 cm of annual rainfall. The upper limit is 100 cm. It is sown either as a pure or mixed crop with cotton, jowar and ragi.
