Food Crops Other Than Grains

Coffee

Following are some of the most important food crops other than grains, which are grown in India and have tremendous presence and scope:

Sugarcane

It is a tall, perennial grass species and is the main source of sugar, jaggery, khandsari and molasses. It’s a both tropical and a subtropical crop. In North, India sugarcane is of the sub-tropical variety which has low sugar content. South India, is of the tropical variety and has high sugar content and high yield. After Brazil, India is the second largest producer in the world. Some of the important sugarcane growing conditions:

Climatic Conditions: Hot and humid climate with a temperature of 21°C to 27 °C and annual rainfall between 75cm – 100 cm.
Soil: can be grown on a variety of soils ranging from sandy loam to clay loam. However, the soil needed to be well drained.
Major sugarcane-producing states: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana.

Oil Seeds

The varied geographical conditions in India are favourable for growing 9 annual oilseed crops (groundnut, mustard, coconut, sesamum, soybean, castor seeds, cotton seeds, linseed and sunflower). India is one of the major oilseeds cultivators in the world. Most of these crops are edible and used for cooking purposes and some of these are also used as raw materials in the manufacturing of products such as soap, cosmetics and ointments. Some of the important oil seeds are:

Groundnuts

It is the most important oilseed in India and almost half of the oilseed grown in the country is groundnut.
It is an important rotation crop which helps in increasing the fertility of the soil.
It is a Kharif crop.
It requires a tropical climate and 20°-30°C temperature and 50-75 cm rainfall.
Well-drained light sandy loams, loams, red, yellow and black cotton soils are well suited for its cultivation.
major producing states are Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Sesamum

It is a rainfed crop which requires 45-50 cm of rainfall.
It develops well in areas having temperatures ranging from 21° – 23°C.
It grows in well-drained light loamy soil.
It is a rabi crop in the south a Kharif crop in north India.
major producing states are West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Mustard

It thrives only in a cool climate.
It is a rabi crop.
It is majorly produced in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Linseed

It requires a cool, moist climate with around 20°C temperature and 75 cm rainfall.
deep black soils and alluvial soils and clay loams are best suited for its cultivation.
It is a rabi-crop.
Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh are the main producers.

Castor seeds

It grows best in temperatures ranging from 20°C to 25°C and 50 to 75 cm rainfall.
It is a rabi crop in south India and a Kharif crop in north India.
The main producing states are Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Tea

The second largest tea producer in the world is India. Apart from being one of the top consumers of tea, India is also one of the top tea exporters in the world. Tea cultivation is an example of plantation agriculture. It is labour-intensive, as it requires cheap skilled labour in abundance. To maintain the freshness of tea, it is processed within the tea garden.

Climatic conditions: tropical and sub-tropical climates. Tea bushes require a warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year. The ideal temperature for its growth is 20°-30°C. It requires 150-300 cm annual rainfall, well distributed throughout the year.
Soil: deep and fertile well-drained soil, which should be rich in humus and organic matter.
Major producing states: Assam(Assam valley and Cachar) followed by West Bengal(Dooars, Terai and Darjeeling). Other states are Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura.