A season is a division of the year defined by weather, day length, and the agricultural cycle. Temperate regions have four: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Tropical regions often have two: wet and dry. In both cases, the season shapes what a farmer can do.

Spring is for planting and growth. Summer is for cultivation and the first harvests. Autumn brings the main harvest and field preparation. Winter is a time of rest, repair, and planning, though in mild climates it is a growing season too. In monsoon Asia, the arrival of the rains determines when rice can be transplanted and when the next crop can go in.

How farmers use the seasons

• Planting dates tied to soil temperature and frost risk
• Irrigation scheduled around dry seasons
• Harvest timed to avoid rain damage
• Field work concentrated in windows between storms

Climate change is shifting the calendar. Spring arrives earlier in many regions, autumn lasts longer, and the timing of rainfall has become less predictable. Farmers who once planted by the calendar now watch soil temperature, rainfall forecasts, and growing degree days.