(A) Rabi crops or Rabi harvest are agricultural crops that are sown in winter and harvested in the spring in South Asia. The term is derived from the Arabic word for ‘spring’, which is used in the Indian subcontinent,where it is the spring harvest(also known as the ‘winter crop’). The Rabi crops are sown around mid-November,preferably after the monsoon rains are over, and harvesting begins in April/May. The crops are grown either with rain water that has percolated into the ground, or using irrigation. The major Rabi crops in India are wheat, barley, mustard,sesame and peas.