Classification of Crops

February 21, 2024

A) Taxonomic Classification of Crops:

1. Poaceae(Graminae) or Grass family:

Cereals , Sugarcane, Napier , Paragrass

2. Papilionaceae( Leguminosae) or pea family:

Pulses, Legumes , Groundnut , Sunhemp

3) Cruciferae/ Mustard Family: Mustard, Radish , Cauliflower, Knolkhol

4) Cucurbitaceae /Gourd family:

All gourds (e.g. Bottle gourd , Bitter gourd , cucumber , pumpkin)

5) Malvaceae /cotton Family: Cotton , Bhindi , Roselle

6) Solanaceae/ Brinjal family:

Brinjal , potato , Tomato , Tobacco , chillies

7) Tiliaceae : Jute , Phalsa

8) Asteraceae ( Compositae) : Sunflower, Safflower, Niger

9) Chenopodiaceae : : Spinach , Beet , Sugarbeet

10) Pedaliaceae: Sesame (Sesamum)

11) Euphorbiaceae: Castor , Tapioca

12) Convolvulaceae: Sweet potato

13) Umbelliferae: Coriander , Cumin , Carrot

14) Aliaceae : Aliaceae

15) Zingiberaceae: Ginger , Turmeric

B) SPECIAL CLASSIFICATION:

1) Arable Crops :

Which require preparatory tillage

e.g. potato , tobacco , rice , sugarcane and maize

2) Alley Cropping:

Such arable crops which are grown in alleys / passages forme by trees or shrubs , established mainly to hasten soil fertility restoration, enhance soil productivity and reduce soil erosion

e.g Arable crops like sweet potato , urd , turmeric & ginger are grown in the passages formed by the rows of Eucalyptus, Subabool and cassia

3) Augmenting cropping:

Such crops are sown to supplement the yield of the main crops

e.g. Japanese mustard with Berseem

Chinese cabbage with mustard

Here Japanese mustard and Chinese cabbage help in getting higher yield in the first cutting

4) Avenue crops:

Such crops are grown along farm road and fences

e.g. Arhar , Glyricidia , Sisal

5) Border crops /Barrier / Guard Crops:

Such crops help to protect another crops from trespassing of animals or restrict the speed of wind and are mainly grown as border

e.g. Safflower (Thorny oilseed crops ) is planted around the field of chickpea

6) Brake Crops:

✓To break the continuity of agro ecological situation of the field under multiple cropping systems

✓ to reduce the Inoculum of soil borne harmful biotic agents such as weeds , pest and improves soil condition for crop growth

e.g .Legume in rice -wheat system

✓ are also used to designate guard crops - particularly those which help to break the wind speed and protect crops from wind hazards

7) Cash crops :

Such crops are grown for sale to earn hard cash

e. g. Jute , Cotton , Tobacco , Sugarcane

8) Catch /Contingent/ Emergency crops:

Such crops are cultivated to catch the forthcoming season when main crop is failed .

They are of very short duration, quick growing, fast bulking, harvestable or usable at any time

e.g. greengram , urd , cowpea , onion and radish

9) Cleaning Crop:

Whose agronomical practices makes the field clean

e.g.

Potato , maize

10) Cole Crops:

Cole is derived from colewart

Colewart is the ancestor of wild cabbage

e.g. Cabbage , Cauliflower and Brussels sprouts

11) Contour Crops :

Grown on or along the contour lines to protect the land from erosion

e.g.

Marvel grass

12) Commercial crops:

Such crops are grown to earn money

e.g. Jute , Cotton , tobacco , Sugarcane

13) Cover Crops:

Able to protect the soil surface from erosion through their ground covering foliage and root mats

e.g. lobia , groundnut, urd , Paragrass , sweet potato

14) Complementary Crops:

Each other crop is benefited in intercroping

e.g. Jowar+ Lobia

Jowar receives nitrogen from lobia and lobia requires support from jowar

15) Competitive Crops:

Such crops compete to each other and ate not suitable for intercroping

e.g. two cereals

16) Supplementary crops :

Such crops are neither competitive nor complementary

e.g. maize + cucurbits

17) Exhaustive crops-

such crops leave the field exhaustive after growing

e. g. Cereals

18) Energy crops :

To obtain liquid energy such as ethanol and alcohol

e.g . Sugarcane, potato , maize , tapioca

19) Fouling crops :

Whose cultural practices allow the infestation of weeds intensvely

e.g. direct seeded upland rice

20) Ley crops:

Any crop or combination of crops is grown for grazing or harvesting for immediate or future feeding to livestock

e.g. Berseem+ Mustard

Such cropping is called ley cropping

21) Mulch crops:

To. Conserve soil moisture such crops are grown e.g. Cowpea

22) Nurse crops:

Such crops help in the nourishment of other crops by providing shade and acting as a climbing sticks

e.g Rai in peas

Jowar in cowpea

23) Paira / Utera Crops:

Growing of such crops sown a few days or weeks before harvesting of standing mature crops is called paira / Utera cropping and the sown crop is called paira /Utera crop

e .g. Lathyrus in rice

24) Paired row cropping :

Each third row is removed or growing of crops in paired row is called paired row cropping

It is suitable for Dryland and objective is to conserve soil moisture

25) Restorative crops : Such crops provide a good harvest along with enrichment or restoration or amelioration of soil

e.g. Legumes

26) Riparian crops :

Grown along irrigation and drainage chanels or waterbodies

e.g. Waterbind weed (Kalmi sak) ,para grass

They help to protect the soil from erosion

27) Skip Cropping:

A line is left unsown in the regular row series of sowing is called skil cropping

28) Silage Crops:

Such crops are grown to preserve in pits in a succulent condition by a process of natural fermentation or acidification for feeding livestock during lean months or offseason

e.g. Cowpea , jowar