Classification of Crops

A.)Taxonomic Classification of Crops :

1. Poaceae (Graminae) or Grass family: Cereals, Sugarcane, Napier,
Paragrass.
2. Papilionaceae (Leguminosae) or Pea family: Pulses, Legumes, Groundnut,
Sunnhemp.
3. Cruciferae/Mustard Family Mustard, Radish, Cabbage, 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. Tiliacea: Jute, Phalsa.
8. Asteraceae (Compositeae): Sunflower, Safflower, Niger

9.Chenopodiaceae: Spinach, Beet. Sugarbeet.

10. Pedaliaceae: Seasame(Sesamum)

11. Euphorbiaceae : Castor,tapioca.

12. Convolvulaceae :Sweet potato

13. Umbelliferae: Coriander, Cumin, Carrot

14. Aliaceae: Onion, Garlic

15. Zingiberaceae: Ginger, turmeric.

(B) Special Classification

Arable Crops : Which require preparatory tillage e.g. potato, tobacco, rice,

sugarcane, maize etc.

Alley Crops : Such arable crops which are grown in alleys /Passages formed

by trees or shrubs, established mainly to hasten, soil fertility restoration,

enhance soil productivity and reduce soil erosion.Slight shade tolerance and non-trailing habit are the Prequesite of Alley crops

e.g. Arable crops like sweet potato, urd, turmeric & ginger are grown in the

passages formed by the row Eucalyptus, subabool and cassia.

3. Augmenting Crops : Such crops are sown to supplement the yield of the

main crops e.g. Japanese mustard with Berseen, chineese 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 etc.

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 (thomy oilseed crops) is planted around the

field of chickpea.

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 radish etc.

9. Cleaning crop : Whose agronomical practices makes the field clean e.g.

potato,maize etc.

10. Cole crops: ‘Cole’ is derived from colewart Colewart is the ancestor of

wild cabbage. Therefore, Cole crops are essentially cold weather crops

belonging to the cruciferae capable for withstanding considerable frost e.g

cabbage.cauliflower and Brsprouts.

11. Contour Crops :Grown on or along the contour lines to protect the land

from erosion e.g. marvel grass etc.

12. Commercial crops :Such crops are grown to earn money eg. Jute, Cotton,

tobacco, Sugarcane etc Cash crops are certainly commercial crops.

13. Cover crops: Able to protect the soil surface from erosion through their

ground covering foliage and/or root mats e.g. lobia. Groundnut, urd, paragrass,

sweet potato.

14. Complementary crops : Each other crop is benefited in inter- cropping

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 are not suitable

for intercropping e.g.two cereals.

16. Supplementary crops: Such crops are neither competitive nor

complementary e.g.maize+cucurbits

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

intensively e.g. direct seeded upland rice.

20. Ley crops: Any crop of 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 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, paira cropping in

succession may constitute relay cropping.

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 channels 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 skip cropping.

28. Silage crops: Such crops are grown to preserve in pits in a succulent

condition by a process of natural fermentation or accidi fication for feeding

livestock during lean months or offseason e.g. cowpca, jowar etc.

29. Smother crops: Able to smother (suppress)the population and growth of

weeds by providing dense foliage and quick growing ability e.g.cowpea,

mustard.

30. Soiling crops: Grown to harvest while they are still green and fed fresh to

livestock in stalls e.g. barseem, napier etc.

31. Trap/Decoy Crops : Grown to trap insect-pests and soil-borne harmful

biotic agents such as parasitic weeds e.g. cotton red bug is trapped by growing

Bhindi around the cotton and orobanche (weed) is trapped by solanaceousPlants and striga by sorghum.

32. Truck crops: Grown to market fresh e.g. Bhindi,spinach.

33. Ware Crops: Such crops are grown for temporary storing as intact in

warehouse for future use or sale e.g. potato.