Important Field Crops of India
Crop Name Scientific Name Chromosome Family Special Notes
No. (2n=)
Rice (Asian) Oryza sativa 24 Poaceae Main rice
Rice (African) Oryza 24 Poaceae African rice
glaberrima
Bread Wheat Triticum 42 Poaceae Hexaploid
aestivum wheat
Durum Wheat Triticum durum 28 Poaceae Pasta wheat
Indian Dwarf Triticum 42 Poaceae Indigenous
Wheat sphaerococcum dwarf wheat
Emmer Wheat Triticum 28 Poaceae Cultivated in
dicoccum South India
Barley Hordeum 14 Poaceae Six-row barley
vulgare
Maize Zea mays 20 Poaceae Major cereal
Sorghum Sorghum 20 Poaceae Dryland cereal
(Jowar) bicolor
Pearl Millet Pennisetum 14 Poaceae Arid zone
(Bajra) glaucum cereal
Finger Millet Eleusine 36 Poaceae Calcium-rich
(Ragi) coracana
Foxtail Millet Setaria italica 18 Poaceae Short season
(Kakun) millet
Proso Millet Panicum 36 Poaceae Drought hardy
(Cheena) miliaceum
Barnyard Millet Echinochloa 36 Poaceae Grows fast
(Sanwa) frumentacea
Little Millet Panicum 36 Poaceae Smallest grain
(Kutki) sumatrense millet
Kodo Millet Paspalum 40 Poaceae Drought
(Kodon) scrobiculatum tolerant
Browntop Brachiaria 18 Poaceae Minor millet
Millet ramosa
Teff Eragrostis tef 40 Poaceae Ethiopian
origin
Chickpea Cicer arietinum 16 Fabaceae Desi + Kabuli
(Gram) types
Pigeonpea Cajanus cajan 22 Fabaceae Important
(Arhar) pulse
Green Gram Vigna radiata 22 Fabaceae Kharif pulse
(Moong)
Black Gram Vigna mungo 22 Fabaceae High protein
(Urad)
Lentil (Masoor) Lens culinaris 14 Fabaceae Winter crop
Pea (Matar) Pisum sativum 14 Fabaceae Garden and
field pea
Cowpea (Lobia) Vigna 22 Fabaceae Drought hardy
unguiculata
Horsegram Macrotyloma 20 Fabaceae Very drought
uniflorum resistant
Mothbean Vigna 22 Fabaceae Hot dry areas
aconitifolia
Soybean Glycine max 40 Fabaceae Rich in oil
Groundnut Arachis 40 Fabaceae Oil + pulse
(Peanut) hypogaea
Indian Mustard Brassica juncea 36 Brassicaceae Major oilseed
Black Mustard Brassica nigra 16 Brassicaceae Sharp
pungency
Turnip Mustard Brassica rapa 20 Brassicaceae Toria group
(Toria)
Sunflower Helianthus 34 Asteraceae High oil yield
annuus
Sesame (Til) Sesamum 26 Pedaliaceae Ancient oil crop
indicum
Linseed (Flax) Linum 30 Linaceae Oil + fibre
usitatissimum
Castor Ricinus 20 Euphorbiaceae Pharmaceutical
communis oil
Safflower Carthamus 24 Asteraceae Dye + oil
tinctorius
Niger Guizotia 30 Asteraceae Minor oilseed
abyssinica
Cotton Gossypium 52 Malvaceae Upland cotton
(American) hirsutum
Cotton (Desi) Gossypium 26 Malvaceae Desi cotton
arboreum
Cotton Gossypium 52 Malvaceae Extra long
(Egyptian) barbadense staple
Jute (White) Corchorus 14 Malvaceae Finer jute
capsularis
Jute (Tossa) Corchorus 14 Malvaceae Coarser fibre
olitorius
Sunnhemp Crotalaria 16 Fabaceae Fibre + green
juncea manure
Tobacco Nicotiana 48 Solanaceae Commercial
tabacum tobacco
Wild Tobacco Nicotiana 24 Solanaceae Strong nicotine
rustica
Opium Poppy Papaver 22 Papaveraceae Source of
somniferum morphine
Tea Camellia 30 Theaceae Beverage crop
sinensis
Coffee Coffea arabica 44 Rubiaceae High quality
(Arabica) coffee
Coffee Coffea 22 Rubiaceae Hardy coffee
(Robusta) canephora
Cocoa Theobroma 20 Malvaceae Chocolate crop
cacao
Potato Solanum 48 Solanaceae Major tuber
tuberosum crop
Sweet Potato Ipomoea 90 Convolvulaceae Root tuber
batatas
Cassava Manihot 36 Euphorbiaceae Root starch
(Tapioca) esculenta source
Beetroot / Beta vulgaris 18 Amaranthaceae Root + sugar
Sugar beet crop
Sugarcane Saccharum 80 Poaceae High sucrose
officinarum
