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Zaid crops, examples of Zaid crops, requirements, Zaid Vs cash crops

Zaid crops are most unfamiliar among people as a type of crop(Kharif and Rabi). These crops are not harvested globally but its production in some particular countries is enough to recognise them.

Zaid crops production does not last for a long time that's why most of the Zaid crops are not part of cash crops.

Zaid crops

Before getting the examples of Zaid crops,  it is better to understand first what are Zaid crops?

What are zaid crops?

Zaid crops harvesting starts to practice just after the winter season till the starting of the rainy season. It starts in March and ends in mid-July. 

Zaid crops examples

Zaid crops are part of integrated farming systems, especially in plain region.

The vines like watermelon, bitter gourd, and few other vines required lesser moisture with high humidity to grow. 

Examples of Zaid crops

There are no heavy names as Zaid crops examples but still, these are more necessary and cover the main diet in the summer season. These examples are bitter gourd, cucumber, brinjal, watermelon, musk melon, pumpkin, etc. 

It's an important term that zaid crops can use in mixed cropping.

The land portion not required even average moisture but minimum moisture is necessary. Zaid crops can't be grown in deserts.  

Zaid crops are different from seasonal crops because of it's harvesting time. These are summer season crops. 

Zaid crop season 

In some of the South Asian countries, the Zaid crops sowing season starts from the first week of March to the ending of the same month. Because of short period crops, Zaid crops sowing period is shorter than Rabi and Kharif. 

In this sowing period, Monsoon almost returns totally from the country. 

Requirements to grow Zaid crops

Soil type for Zaid crops

Because most of the crops of Zaid crop season are vine plants, so they require the least moist conditions. 

Generally, alluvial and loamy soils are best known for Zaid crops but they can grow in black and red soil too. Only, dessert soil is not ideal for Zaid crops. 

Temperature and humidity 

Zaid crops grow after the return of the monsoon. So the temperature during the Zaid season increases up to 40 degrees Celcius. At the time of sowing, this temperature carries 25 degrees Celcius and at the time of harvesting, it increases up to 35 to 40 degrees Celcius. 

Irrigation water

Because Zaid crops grow in the least moist conditions, they don't require extra irrigation water even in dry weather conditions. But for food making process and better growth, they need small showering of water from time to time(on the period of 10 to 15 days). 

Fertilizers and Pesticides for Zaid crops

These crops don't need much moisture but need fertility in the soil. For Zaid crops mostly elements like Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium must be present in the soil. 

Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium elements are the most important portion to grow Zaid crops in low moisture. 

Weeding of spontaneous plants

Even after least moist conditions in the soil, Zaid crops can affect by spontaneous plants. These spontaneous plants absorb the minerals and bigger size elements.

To stop such unwanted spontaneous plants, weeding is necessary from time to time. 

Why Zaid crops can't grow in winter season

Although we have methods like polyhouse to grow any kind of crop and vegetables but still without polyhouse this is trouble to grow Zaid crops in winter because they can't survive in winter.

 This is like the same fundamental problem as other crops which can't be grown in all seasons of harvesting. 

Scientific reason

The presence of sunlight is a major key when plants make particular food for themselves, but its extra or lesser presence can affect the growth of the plant. 

In this case plants, either plant pushes extra efforts in extra sunlight or lesser efforts in lesser sunlight. It directly affects the growth as you see the leaves of the plant started to be yellowish, dry, and then plant die at last. 

The second factor is moisture for Zaid crops. Percentage of moisture is fixed in the soil at peak of the summer season. 

Extra or lesser (than average) moisture puts pressure on phloem and xylem, it causes the indeterminacy in the natural growth of a plant which becomes responsible for zero output from such plants.

For the above elements, you can use natural organic compost which you can make at home step by step without any concern.

Zaid crops and contract farming

Zaid crops are not familiar with commercial or cash crops like Kharif and Rabi.

Most of the Zaid crops are purposed to fulfill the need of the local area or a small particular locality. Cucumber is a possible crop that can be a supply to other states but it is not easy to push cucumber in contract farming because it grows fast and does not last for a long period than 4 months. 

So other Zaid crops are not part of contract farming or other commercial businesses.

Actually, contract farming agreement practice on a larger profit rather than just commercial use. Zaid crops are not so profitable as contract farming.  

So the conclusion is each crop  can't hold contract farming. Such crops are just for the full filling of the local need. It can be done on a large scale but still there is no scope for contract farming in zaid crops. 

Zaid crops in India

As mentioned above that Zaid crops are grown in mid-season between Kharif and rabi crops, in India, it is most usual to see such a season. At the starting of month march to mid-July, Zaid crop harvesting takes its place. 

Indian soil has a variation with a diversity of regions. For example in middle and South India has red soil, the Northern part has loam soil and alluvial soil, the Eastern region has alluvial soil and the Western region has black soil, alluvial and desert soil mostly. 

So, there are possibilities of Zaid crops harvesting in India in most regions, however, it is not as popular as traditional rabi and Kharif crops. Uttar Pradesh has most percentage of Zaid crops in overall India. 


Zaid crops vs cash crops 

  • Commercialization of Zaid crops becomes cash crops when comes to the market. 
  • All Zaid crops are not cash crops. 
  • Zaid crops consume in certain regions or locality but cash crops can transport from one region to a far region. 
  • Zaid crop season is fixed and shorter but cash crops circulate in the market for the whole year.
  • All Zaid crops are food crops but cash crops contain both food and non-food crops.
  • Zaid crops demand specific weather conditions and temperature but cash crops can be store for a longer period.
  • Zaid crops can grow at home without any commercial purpose but all the cash crops are commercial. 

Conclusion on Zaid crops

Zaid crops are totally different than ordinary seasonal crops but still in countries like India, these crops are recognised at the local level. It is a hard thing for a whole community to survive just on Zaid crops. These crops are not guaranteed for every element of food, instead, these provide some unique and essential nutrients. 

Zaid crops can't be store for a long time. In a comparison of Rabi and Kharif crops, Zaid crops are not for storage purposes for a long time. 

          Zaid crops have some drawbacks like you can't start cultivation in opposite weather conditions in different tropical and subtropical regions. The temperature and humidity will not help them to survive in such regions. 

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