CBSE Class 10 · Agriculture

Major Crops Class 10: Rice, Wheat, Millets, Maize and Pulses

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Rice is a kharif crop needing above 25°C, high humidity and over 100 cm rain; India ranks second after China. Wheat is a rabi crop needing a cool season, bright sunshine at ripening and 50-75 cm rain. Jowar, bajra and ragi are nutritious millets; maize serves as food and fodder, and India is the largest producer of pulses.

Understand Major Crops: Rice, Wheat and Millets

Why crops differ by region. India grows many food and non-food crops depending on soil, climate and cultivation practices. This page covers the food grains: rice, wheat, millets, maize and pulses.

Rice.

The staple food of most Indians. India is the second largest producer of rice after China.
Kharif crop; needs high temperature (above 25°C), high humidity and annual rainfall above 100 cm; grown with irrigation where rain is less.
Areas: plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas and deltaic regions. A dense network of canal irrigation and tubewells allows rice in low-rainfall areas such as Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan.

Wheat.

The second most important cereal; main food crop of the north and north-west.
Rabi crop; needs a cool growing season and bright sunshine at ripening, with 50-75 cm of rain evenly spread over the season.
Two main zones: the Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-west and the black soil region of the Deccan.
Major states: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.

Millets: jowar, bajra and ragi.

Called coarse grains, but of very high nutritional value. Ragi is very rich in iron, calcium, other micronutrients and roughage.
Jowar: the third most important food crop by area and production; rain-fed, grown mostly in moist areas, hardly needs irrigation. States: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh.
Bajra: grows well on sandy soils and shallow black soil. States: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana.
Ragi: a crop of dry regions; grows on red, black, sandy, loamy and shallow black soils. States: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh.

Maize.

Used as both food and fodder. Kharif crop needing 21°C to 27°C; grows well in old alluvial soil. In Bihar it is also grown in the rabi season.
HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation have raised output. States: Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana.

Pulses.

India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world; they are the main source of protein in a vegetarian diet.
Major pulses: tur (arhar), urad, moong, masur, peas and gram. They need less moisture and survive in dry conditions.
Being leguminous, all except arhar restore soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air, so they are grown in rotation with other crops.
States: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka.

Map work (2026-27). 'Identify: Major areas of Rice and Wheat' (NCERT maps 'India: Distribution of Rice' and 'India: Distribution of Wheat'). Rice: the north and north-eastern plains, coasts and deltas, plus irrigated Punjab-Haryana. Wheat: the Ganga-Satluj plains and the black soil region of the Deccan.

Major Crops: Rice, Wheat and Millets: key facts

Rice: Season kharif
Climate > 25°C, high humidity, > 100 cm rain
Rank India 2nd after China
Areas north and NE plains, coasts, deltas
Irrigated Punjab, Haryana, W UP, parts of Rajasthan; Map item.
Wheat: Season rabi
Climate cool season, bright sunshine at ripening, 50-75 cm rain
Regions Ganga-Satluj plains, Deccan black soil
States Punjab, Haryana, UP, MP, Bihar, Rajasthan; Map item.
Jowar: 3rd most important food crop; rain-fed, moist areas; Maharashtra, Karnataka, AP, MP
Bajra: Sandy and shallow black soils; Rajasthan, UP, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana
Ragi: Dry regions; rich in iron, calcium, micronutrients, roughage; Karnataka, TN, HP, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Arunachal
Maize: Food + fodder; kharif; 21-27°C; old alluvial soil; rabi too in Bihar; Karnataka, MP, UP, Bihar, AP, Telangana
Pulses: India largest producer and consumer; tur, urad, moong, masur, peas, gram; nitrogen-fixing (except arhar); MP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, UP, Karnataka; Grown in rotation.

Season	kharif
Climate	> 25°C, high humidity, > 100 cm rain
Rank	India 2nd after China
Areas	north and NE plains, coasts, deltas
Irrigated	Punjab, Haryana, W UP, parts of Rajasthan

Season	rabi
Climate	cool season, bright sunshine at ripening, 50-75 cm rain
Regions	Ganga-Satluj plains, Deccan black soil
States	Punjab, Haryana, UP, MP, Bihar, Rajasthan

How to answer Major Crops: Rice, Wheat and Millets questions

Crop questions ask for growing conditions, producing states, comparisons (rice vs wheat), uses (millets, pulses) and map identification of rice and wheat areas.

1For conditions, give the season, temperature, rainfall and soil where NCERT states them.
2For distribution, name regions first (e.g., Ganga-Satluj plains) and then states.
3For millets, add nutrition (ragi: iron, calcium) and soil (bajra: sandy, shallow black).
4For pulses, give the protein role and nitrogen fixation, with the arhar exception.
5For rice in Punjab and Haryana, always mention canal irrigation and tubewells.
6For maps, picture the NCERT distribution maps: rice in the east, coasts and deltas; wheat in the north-west and central India.

Major Crops: Rice, Wheat and Millets in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Pulses restore soil fertility

Suppose a farmer who grows wheat on the same field every winter notices falling yields. A neighbour suggests growing moong or gram in between.

Explain why the neighbour's advice could help.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Recall that pulses are leguminous.
Leguminous crops fix nitrogen from the air and restore soil fertility (except arhar).
So pulses are grown in rotation with other crops.
They also need less moisture.

Answer: Moong and gram are leguminous pulses that fix nitrogen from the air and restore soil fertility, which is why NCERT says pulses are grown in rotation with other crops. Rotating them with wheat could replenish the soil and improve yields, and pulses need little moisture.

Memory hook: Pulses pay back the soil.

Tricks to remember Major Crops: Rice, Wheat and Millets

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Rice 25-100
Rice wants above 25°C and above 100 cm: 'hot and wet'.
Use it when: Growing conditions.
Wheat 50-75, cool and sunny
Wheat wants cool growing, sunny ripening, 50-75 cm rain.
Use it when: Growing conditions.
J-B-R
Jowar (moist, rain-fed), Bajra (sandy), Ragi (dry, rich in iron and calcium).
Use it when: Millet differences.
Arhar is the odd one
All pulses fix nitrogen except Arhar.
Use it when: Assertion-reason traps.

Major Crops: Rice, Wheat and Millets: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Rice conditions · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Which of the following conditions is required for rice cultivation?
(a) Temperature below 15°C and 50 cm rain
(b) Temperature above 25°C, high humidity and rainfall above 100 cm
(c) Cool growing season and bright sunshine at ripening
(d) Sandy soil and dry climate

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Answer: (b) Temperature above 25°C, high humidity and rainfall above 100 cm

Example 2: Wheat conditions (2 marks) · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level

State the geographical conditions required for the growth of wheat and name its two main growing zones. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

A rabi crop needing a cool growing season, bright sunshine at ripening and 50-75 cm rain evenly distributed (1 mark).
Zones: the Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-west and the black soil region of the Deccan (1 mark).

Answer: Wheat, a rabi crop, needs a cool growing season, bright sunshine at ripening and 50-75 cm of evenly spread rain. Its two main zones are the Ganga-Satluj plains in the north-west and the black soil region of the Deccan.

Example 3: Assertion-reason: rice in Punjab · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level

Assertion (A): Rice is grown in areas of less rainfall such as Punjab and Haryana.
Reason (R): A dense network of canal irrigation and tubewells has made this possible.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false, but R is true.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

NCERT credits canals and tubewells for rice in low-rainfall areas (1 mark).

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.

Example 4: Rice vs wheat (5 marks) · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Compare rice and wheat on the basis of season, temperature, rainfall, growing regions and importance. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Season: rice is kharif; wheat is rabi (1 mark).
Temperature: rice needs above 25°C and high humidity; wheat needs a cool growing season and bright sunshine at ripening (1 mark).
Rainfall: rice needs above 100 cm (or irrigation); wheat needs 50-75 cm evenly distributed (1 mark).
Regions: rice in north and NE plains, coasts, deltas and irrigated Punjab-Haryana; wheat in the Ganga-Satluj plains and Deccan black soil region (1 mark).
Importance: rice is the staple of most Indians and India is second after China; wheat is the second most important cereal and main food crop of the north and north-west (1 mark).

Answer: Rice is a kharif crop, while wheat is a rabi crop. Rice needs temperatures above 25°C with high humidity; wheat needs a cool growing season and bright sunshine at ripening. Rice needs over 100 cm of rain or irrigation, wheat only 50-75 cm spread evenly over the season. Rice grows in the plains of north and north-eastern India, coastal areas and deltas, and with canals and tubewells in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh; wheat grows in the Ganga-Satluj plains and the Deccan's black soil region. Rice is the staple food of most Indians, with India second only to China in output; wheat is the second most important cereal and the main food of the north and north-west.

Example 5: Case: the nutritious millets · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency

Read the case and answer the questions.

Suppose a school nutrition club prepares a chart on millets. It notes that jowar, bajra and ragi are often called coarse grains, yet they are very nutritious. One member writes that ragi is especially rich in iron, calcium, other micronutrients and roughage. Another points out that jowar, the third most important food crop by area and production, is largely rain-fed, and that bajra does well on sandy soils.

(i) Name the millet rich in iron and calcium. (1)
(ii) Why does jowar hardly need irrigation? (1)
(iii) Why are millets well suited to large parts of India? Use their soil and water needs. (2)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) Ragi (1 mark).
(ii) It is a rain-fed crop grown mostly in moist areas (1 mark).
(iii) They need little irrigation: jowar is rain-fed, and ragi is a dry-region crop (1 mark).
(iii) They grow on poorer soils: bajra on sandy and shallow black soils, ragi on red, black, sandy and loamy soils, so they suit dry, less fertile areas while giving high nutrition (1 mark).

Answer: (i) Ragi. (ii) It is rain-fed and grown mostly in moist areas, so it hardly needs irrigation. (iii) Millets need little water: jowar is rain-fed and ragi is a crop of dry regions. They also grow on poorer soils: bajra on sandy and shallow black soils, ragi on red, black, sandy and loamy soils. So they suit India's dry, less fertile areas while still giving high nutrition.

Example 6: Map: identify rice and wheat areas · 3 marks · Map workHarder board level

On an outline map of India, three crop regions are shaded. Region A covers the deltas of the eastern coast, West Bengal and Assam. Region B covers the Ganga-Satluj plains of Punjab and Haryana and extends into Madhya Pradesh. Region C is a narrow strip along the Konkan coast of Maharashtra. Identify the main crop (rice or wheat) of each region. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Region A: eastern deltas, West Bengal and Assam are major rice areas (1 mark).
Region B: Ganga-Satluj plains extending into central India is the main wheat zone (1 mark).
Region C: the Konkan coast of Maharashtra is a rice area, as NCERT notes (1 mark).

Answer: Region A: rice. Region B: wheat. Region C: rice.

Where students lose marks in Major Crops: Rice, Wheat and Millets

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Giving wheat's rainfall as 100 cm
Rice and wheat figures mixed.
Wrong working
Wheat needs over 100 cm of rainfall.
Right working
Wheat needs 50-75 cm; rice needs over 100 cm.
Do this: Rice is hot and wet; wheat is cool and moderate.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Missing the second wheat zone
Only Punjab is remembered.
Wrong working
Wheat grows only in the Ganga-Satluj plains.
Right working
Also in the black soil region of the Deccan.
Do this: Two zones.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Calling millets low in nutrition
'Coarse grain' sounds inferior.
Wrong working
Millets are coarse grains with little food value.
Right working
They have very high nutritional value; ragi is rich in iron and calcium.
Do this: Coarse but nutritious.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Saying all pulses fix nitrogen
The exception is missed.
Wrong working
All pulses including arhar fix nitrogen.
Right working
All except arhar.
Do this: Arhar is the odd one.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Exam tips

For each crop, keep a four-part card: season, conditions, soil or region, states.
Practise the NCERT rice and wheat distribution maps: the 2026-27 map list asks you to identify them.
Use rice in Punjab-Haryana as your example of irrigation changing crop geography.
Geography has no 3-mark answers in 2026-27; prepare crisp 2-mark condition answers.

Practice questions on Major Crops: Rice, Wheat and Millets

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
India is the second largest producer of rice in the world after:
(a) Brazil
(b) China
(c) Indonesia
(d) Bangladesh
Hint
Its eastern neighbour.
Answer
(b) China
Q2 · 1 mark · MCQHarder board level
Which pulse does NOT help restore soil fertility by fixing nitrogen?
(a) Moong
(b) Gram
(c) Arhar
(d) Urad
Hint
NCERT names one exception.
Answer
(c) Arhar
Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
State the growing conditions of maize and name two major maize-producing states. (2 marks)
Hint
Temperature range and soil.
Answer
Maize is a kharif crop needing 21°C to 27°C and grows well in old alluvial soil (in Bihar it is also grown in rabi). Major states include Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder board level
Why are pulses important for India's people and its farms? (2 marks)
Hint
Diet and soil.
Answer
Pulses are the major source of protein in a vegetarian diet, and India is their largest producer and consumer. Being leguminous (except arhar), they fix nitrogen and restore soil fertility, so they are grown in rotation.
Q5 · 2 marks · Very short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a state with sandy soils and low rainfall wants a nutritious food grain that needs little irrigation. Which millet would you recommend, and why? (2 marks)
Hint
Which millet grows well on sandy soils?
Answer
Bajra, because it grows well on sandy and shallow black soils, as in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Millets are coarse grains with very high nutritional value, so it would feed people well with little water.
Q6 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
'Irrigation has changed where rice is grown in India.' Examine the statement, and explain the conditions and areas of rice cultivation. (5 marks)
Hint
Natural conditions, natural regions, then irrigated regions.
Answer
Rice, the staple food of most Indians, is a kharif crop that needs temperatures above 25°C, high humidity and over 100 cm of rain. So it naturally grows in the plains of north and north-eastern India, along the coasts and in deltaic regions such as those of the eastern coast. India is the world's second largest producer after China. Where rainfall is less, rice grows with irrigation: a dense network of canals and tubewells has made it possible in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Rajasthan, and paddy has recently become an important crop of Punjab and Haryana. So irrigation has extended rice beyond its natural high-rainfall zones.
Q7 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): Jowar is the third most important food crop in India with respect to area and production.
Reason (R): Jowar requires heavy irrigation throughout its growth.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true, but R is false.
(d) A is false, but R is true.
Hint
Is jowar rain-fed?
Answer
(c) A is true, but R is false. Jowar is rain-fed and hardly needs irrigation.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.What temperature does maize need?Show answer
21°C to 27°C.
2.Name the three important millets.Show answer
Jowar, bajra and ragi.
3.Which state grows maize in the rabi season too?Show answer
Bihar.
4.Name two major pulse-producing states.Show answer
Any two of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka.
5.What is the second most important cereal in India?Show answer
Wheat.

Major Crops: Rice, Wheat and Millets: frequently asked questions

What are the conditions for growing rice?

Rice is a kharif crop needing temperatures above 25°C, high humidity and annual rainfall above 100 cm; irrigation is used where rain is less.

What are the conditions for growing wheat?

Wheat is a rabi crop needing a cool growing season, bright sunshine at ripening and 50-75 cm of evenly distributed rainfall.

Why are millets important?

They have very high nutritional value; ragi is rich in iron, calcium and micronutrients, and millets grow in dry areas with little irrigation.

Is the rice and wheat map in the 2026-27 syllabus?

Yes. Students must identify the major areas of rice and wheat on an outline map of India.