AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

CEREALS

The following table shows the tahsil-wise area under cereals in the district for the period 1961-02, 1965-06, 1970-71 and 1971-72.

TABLE No. 10

Area under Cereals [Statistics of only important cereals are given separately.] in Akola District in 1961-62, 1965-66, 1970-71 and 1971-72

(Area in hectares)

The net area sown in the district was 8,02,420 hectares in 1971-72 out of which cereals occupied 3,14,832 hectares or 39.24 per cent. In 1961 the net area sown in the district was 72.60 per cent of the total geographical area. This was much higher than the average for the Slate which stood at 57.69 per cent mainly because of lower proportions of areas under forests and barren land. The gross sown area in the district has increased by 3.11 per cent during 1971-72 over that in 1961-62. The percentage of gross sown area to that of total geographical area of the district worked out at 77.17 per cent in 1971-72.

Areas under food-crops are little higher than the areas under non-food crops. Among food-crops, jowar occupied 31.37 per cent of the gross cropped area in the year 1971-72. Comparable statistics for the entire district prior to the year 1950-51 are not available and hence it is difficult in study the changes in the crop pattern. The District Gazetteer of Akola published in 1910, however, reports that the normal proportions of areas under different crops were cotton, 46.92 per cent; jowar, 39.05 per cent; wheat 4.52 per cent; other food-crops, 6.84 per cent and other non food crops, 2.62 per cent. The areas under cotton and jowar have decreased, and those under pulses and groundnut appear to have shown a corresponding rise.

As per findings of the Census of 1971, the percentage of gross cropped area under cereals, in the district was 38.63, Washim tahsil having the highest percentage viz., 45.17 as against 33.19 in Akot tahsil. The important cereals cultivated in the district are jowar, wheat, bajri and rice. The following table shows the outturn of cereals in the district for the years 1961-62, 1965-66, and 1970-71, 1971-72.

TABLE No. 11

Outturn of cereals in Akola District for the years 1961-62, 1965-66, 1970-71

and 1971-72

(Figures in M. Tonnes)

A short description of the cereals such as jowar, wheat, etc., is given in what follows:

Jowar: jowar is the most important cereal crop of the district and is grown in different types of soils. The later and heavier yielding varieties are usually grown in the deeper soils which are more retentive of moisture, while the earlier varieties except in years of short rainfall do fairly well in the lighter soils.

Jowar forms the staple food while its stalks kadbi provide a valuable cattle fodder. The crop covered an area of 2,55,696 hectares in 1971-72 as against 2,31,406 in 1961-62. The crop is grown in all the tahsils of the district. However, Akola and Washim tahsils accounted for the largest area of 51,915 and 60,161 hectares  respectively, as against the lowest area of 28,317 in Akot tahsil in 1971-72. The average annual production in hundred tons per year for the years from 1951 to 1956 and 1956 to 1960 stood at 1,671 and 1,370 respectively, as compared with the corresponding figures for food grains, which stood at 2,370 and 2,027 during the said years.

Jowar forms the staple food while its stalks kadbi provide a is invariably a kharif crop. Generally if is grown after cotton and derives benefit from manures applied to the previous crop. Heine very often it does require special manuring. The seed is sown with tiphan though with a light soil or rainfall if may be necessary to sow it deep, when a wakhar would be used. Two wakhars are driven behind or branches are tied to the hack of the tiphan to cover the seed, the process being called rashi in the former case and phasati in the latter. If found necessary five to six cart loads of farm yard manure is applied. Both hybrid and kharif jowar requires for good yielding medium and heavy black clay soils and 25" to 35" of rainfall. Sowing starts from the 3rd week of June and continues up to the 2nd week of July. The harvesting period begins in the months of November-December. Under ideal conditions, the yield of hybrid jowar per acre varies between 3,000 and 4,000 lbs. as against 500 and 600 lbs. of kharif jowar.

Wheat: It is the second important cereal crop in the district which covered an area of 56,163 hectares in 1961-62 as against 43,959 hectares in 1971-72. The main wheat producing tahsils of the district are Washim, Akola and Akot which together accounted for 33,928 hectares in 1971-72.

The percentage of the gross cropped area under wheal in 1961 stood at 6.97 for the district as against 4.68 for the State. This percentage is based upon the average figures of three years from 1957-58 to 1959-60. The Washim tahsil situated on a plateau and having a cooler climate has the largest proportion (10.62 per cent) under wheat. The average annual production in hundred tonnes per year during the period from 1951 to 1956 and from 1956 to 1960 stood at 169 and 212 respectively as compared to the corresponding figures of 2,370 and 2,027 for total food-grains. In 1971-72 the area under wheat accounted for 5.4 per cent of the gross cropped area.

Wheat is a cold weather crop and is sown when the October rains are over. The crop is taken in the heavy and medium soils as an irrigated, as also a non-irrigated crop. When wheat is to be produced, land is generally kept fallow during the kharif season and is prepared by giving one ploughing and three to four harrowings. It is also grown as a second crop immediately after mug and the early variety of groundnut. Wheat is drilled with a heavy rabi tiphan or dusa. About 25 kg. of seed per acre is required for sowing. The crop when irrigated is given water 3 to 4 times till it is harvested. Occasionally safflower is sown along the borders of the wheat crop with a view to protecting the main crop. Manuring is done at the rate of 20 kg. of N₂ and 10 kg. of P₂O₅ per acre for unirrigated crop at the time of sowing. On the other hand, in case of irrigated crop 40 kg. of N₂ and 20 kg. of P₂O₅ are applied. The sowing period starts in the month of October and extends upto November and the crop is harvested during the months of February and March.

Rice: Rice is cultivated in scattered patches. It is sown with a drill in July just like other crops and low-lying lands are used for it. It is harvested in the month of October so that a second crop such as gram, etc., can be taken in the same field. This crop occupied an area of 7,351 hectares as compared to 3,14,832 hectares of the total cereals in 1971-72. The Washim tahsil has the highest acreage of land under rice accounting for 5,293 hectares as against 112 hectares, the lowest figure, in the case of Akot tahsil. The percentage of cropped area in the district in 1971-72 stood at 0.9.

Bajri : In respect of outturn, the crop of bajri stands next to rice. It is mostly grown on the poor barad soils of the plateau. It requires less water and plenty of sunshine. The crop is sown in the month of July alongwith jowar and is harvested in the months of November-December. It is sown with three coultered drill. One or two hand weedings and two bullock inter-culturings are given to the crop. It is taken as a dry crop and is manured only by a few progressive cultivators.

Bajri, spiked millet, occupied an area of 5,180 hectares in 1961-62. In 1971-72, the area increased to 6,834 hectares. Of the total production of 1,041 M. tonnes in 1965-66 the Murtizapur tahsil produced 402 M. tonnes of bajri. The total production in the year 1971-72 stood at 800 M. tonnes. The percentage of gross cropped area in the district stood at 0.71 in 1961-62 as against 0.8 in the year 1971-72.

TOP