Notes on Classification of Crops

Notes on Classification of Crops

References: www.eagri.org or https://ecourses.icar.gov.in/ 

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Crops:

• A crop is an organism grown and harvested for yield.
• Crops are plants cultivated for economic purposes.

Classification of Crops:

• Classification groups similar crop plants together.
• It helps in understanding crops better.

Types of Classification:

• Classification based on ontogeny (life cycle).
• Classification based on economic use (agronomic).
• Classification based on botany (scientific).
• Classification based on seasons.
• Classification based on climate.

Based on Ontogeny (Life Cycle):

Annual Crops:

• Annual crops complete their life cycle in a season or year.
• They produce seeds and die within the season.
• Examples include wheat, rice, maize, and mustard.

Biennial Crops:

• Biennial crops have a life span of two consecutive seasons or years.
• In the first year, they show vegetative growth mainly as a rosette of leaves.
• The tap root in biennials is often fleshy and stores food.
• In the second year, they produce flower stocks and seeds, then die.
• Examples include sugar beet and beetroot.

Perennial Crops:

• Perennial crops live for three or more years.
• They can be seed-bearing or non-seed-bearing.
• Examples include Napier fodder grass and coconut.

Based on Economic Use (Agronomic):

Cereals:

• The term "cereal" comes from "Ceres," the Roman Goddess of grains.
• Cereals are cultivated grasses grown for edible starchy grains.
• Major cereals include rice, wheat, maize, barley, and oats.
• Cereal grains are 60 to 70% starch and provide energy.
• Cereals are staple foods in almost every country.
• Only 5% of starchy staple food globally comes from root crops.
• The rest of the staple food is from cereals.
• Cereals are rich in vitamin E, an essential antioxidant.
• Whole cereal grains contain minerals like selenium, calcium, zinc, and copper.

Millets:

• Millets are small-grained cereals.
• They are staple foods in drier regions of developing countries.
• Millets are annual grasses in the cereal group.
• They are less important in terms of area, productivity, and economics.
• In poor countries, millets are a staple food.
• In India, pearl millet is a staple food in Rajasthan.

Classification of Millets:

Major Millets:

• Sorghum (Jowar/Cholam) - Scientific name: Sorghum bicolor.
• Pearl millet (Bajra/Cumbu) - Scientific name: Pennisetum glaucum.
• Finger millet (Ragi) - Scientific name: Eleusine coracona.

Minor Millets:

• Foxtail millet (Thenai) - Scientific name: Setaria italica.
• Little millet (Samai) - Scientific name: Panicum miliare.
• Common millet (Panivaraugu) - Scientific name: Panicum miliaceum.
• Barnyard millet (Kudiraivali) - Scientific name: Echinchloa colona var frumentaceae.
• Kodo millet (Varagu) - Scientific name: Paspalum scrobiculatum.

Pulses:

• Pulses are seeds of leguminous plants used for food.
• Rich in protein, they are known as "Dhal."
• The pod containing grain is the economic part of pulses.
• Pulses are valued for protein and economic importance in cropping.
• Wastes or stalks of pulses are called "haulm" or "stover."
• Haulm is used as green manure and cattle feed.
• Green pods of some pulses are used as vegetables, e.g., cowpea, lablab.
• The seed coat of pulses is nutritious cattle feed.

Types of Pulses:

• Red gram - Cajanus cajan.
• Black gram - Vigna mungo.
• Green gram - V. radiata.
• Cowpea - V. unguiculata.
• Bengal gram - Cicer arietinum.
• Horse gram - Macrotyloma uniflorum.
• Lentil - Lens esculentus.
• Soybean - Glycine max.
• Peas or garden pea - Pisum sativum.
• Garden bean - Lablab purpureus.
• Lathyrus/Kesari - Lathyrus sativus.

Oil Seeds:

• Crops rich in fatty acids cultivated for vegetable oil.
• Used for edible, industrial, or medicinal purposes.

Types of Oil Seeds:

• Groundnut or peanut - Arachis hypogeae.
• Sesame or gingelly - Sesamum indicum.
• Sunflower - Helianthus annuus.
• Castor - Ricinus communis.
• Linseed or flax - Linum usitatissimum.
• Niger - Guizotia abyssinia.
• Safflower - Carthamus tinctorius.
• Brown or Indian Mustard - Brassica juncea.
• Sarson - Brassica sp.

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