AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Fruits: The area under fruits in the district increased from 9,649 acres in 1961-62 to 10,163 acres in 1965-66. Sweet lime, grape, sour lime, banana and guava are the important fruits grown in the district. Table No. 15 gives taluka-wise acreage under various fruits in the district for the period between 1961-62 and 1965-66. Following is the description of a few important fruit-crops grown in the district.

TABLE No. 15—AREA UNDER FRUITS IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT FROM 1961-62 TO 1965-66

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TABLE No. 15—contd.

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N. A. = Not available.

Sweet Lime: Sweet lime, mosambi, occupied 5,732 acres in 1965-66. Pathardi, Ahmadnagar, Kopargaon, Rahuri and Shevgaon talukas account for the major share of the mosambi crop. The crop requires more or less dry and hot climate and loose, loamy and well-drained soil. Seedlings of jamburi are grown for about a year in the nursery-beds and budded in the fair weather after transplanting in rows in the nursery. When the buds are successfully established, the plants are planted in their permanent places, in the pits of 2'x2'x2' at a distance of about 20 feet apart. The pits are filled with good soil and farm-yard manure. The plant starts bearing fruit after about four years. Irrigations are given regularly till harvesting. Some vegetables can be grown as inter-crops during early years. The plant flowers during January-February and fruits are ready for harvest by August or September. Mosambi plants continue to yield for about twenty years.

Grape: Grapes, drakshe, are grown in the best garden-lands in Kopargaon, Sangamner and Shrirampur talukas. The vine is grown from cuttings. The land is well ploughed and harrowed. Pits of the size of about 2'x2'x2' are dug at a distance of about twelve feet. The pits are filled with good soil and farm-yard manure. The sprouting cuttings are planted in these pits in January. Periodical irrigations are given. As the shoots grow four small stakes are placed round each cutting, and the shoots are trained from one to the other, tying them in their places but keeping each vine separate. The vine is also trained on a strong open trellis which is set over the vineyard about six feet from the ground. The grape vines start bearing fruits in full swing after about three years and continue to bear profitably for a generation or so if well-cared. The vines yield a crop of sweet grapes from January to April. Only strong shoots are allowed to grow on each cutting and the others are nipped off. After each crop the vines are pruned and manured. When the vines start bearing fruit, water is not allowed to remain in the bunches. Grapes are plucked when ripe only because they do not ripen after plucking.

Sour Lime: Sour lime, kagadi limbu, was grown over an area of 778 acres in 1965-66. The plants are grown over a wide range of soils including sandy loam, upland, clayey and black cotton soils. It is propagated by seeds or by budding on jamburi or by mount layering. However, the practice of budding is most common. The method of cultivation of the crop is more or less similar to that of the other citrus fruits, e.g., mosambi.

Banana: Banana, kele, occupied an area of 601 acres in 1965-66. The crop does well in deep retentive clayey soils with good drainage. The land is brought to fine tilth by ploughing and harrowing it. Farmyard manure is also applied. Either pits of the size of about one cubic feet are dug or furrows are prepared 5 feet by 5 feet and suckers are planted at each crossing of the furrows in loose surface soil. Spacing of the crop depends on the different varieties. The planting is usually done between June and August. Irrigations are given September onwards. Timely and heavy irrigations are essential. The crop takes about a year and a half to mature. About 3-4 crops can be taken from the succeeding sucker generations. The crop is harvested when the fruits get rounded and the dry petals drop down from the end of fruits. The bunches of bananas are closely packed and kept in specially constructed chambers and are smoked for a while. Later on the entrance through which the fruits are smoked is also packed. After some time the fruits are taken out and piled up in open air. Basrai, Sonkeli and Velchi are the common varieties grown in the district. The kelful or plaintain flower is used as a vegetable and the juice of the inner part of the stem is used in preparing papads. The green leaves are also used as plates.

Guava: In 1965-66, guava occupied an area of 566 acres. Kopargaon, Sangamner and Ahmadnagar talukas produce more guavas. Guava, peru, flourishes on a variety of soils. The crop is propagated from seed but to have good fruits grafts from better varieties are used. Planting is done in pits of the size of about 2 cubic feet. The pits are filled with good soil and farm-yard manure. Guava plants start blossoming from third year onwards. When the plants begin to shed leaves, manure is applied at the stem, beds are formed in April and about the middle of the same month irrigation is given. The surface soil round the stems is loosened. Fruits are plucked when about to ripen. A guava plantation lasts for about 15 to 20 years depending upon the type of soil and care taken.

Vegetables: The total area under vegetables in the district increased from 8,946 acres in 1961-62 to 12,628 acres in 1965-66. Table No. 16 gives the taluka-wise area under different vegetables grown in the district for the period between 1961-62 and 1965-66. Following is the description of some important vegetables grown in the district: —

Potato: Potato, batata, occupied an area of 4,096 acres in 1965-66. It is grown as a kharif crop. The soils suited for the crop are well-drained loams and sandy loams. Soils having good drainage, depth and a uniform smooth grit-free texture, are considered best for potato. The land is brought to fine tilth by ploughing and harrowing it. Farmyard manure is also applied at the rate of 15 cart-loads per acre. Planting is done in the third or fourth week of June after one or two good monsoon showers. It is done in furrows opened by a small wooden plough. The land is laid into beds and irrigated when there is no rain. The crop matures in about three months. Harvesting is done when plants turn yellow, by light pick-axe.

TABLE No. 16—AREA UNDER VEGETABLES IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT FROM 1961-62 TO 1965-66

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TABLE No. 16—could.

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Onion: In 1965-66, onion, kanda, was grown over an area of 2,648 acres. The crop can best be grown in an area having moderate rainfall. Sandy or medium black soils are suitable for this crop. The land is ploughed and harrowed and farm-yard manure is also applied. Seedlings are first raised on seed-beds in October-November. The seedlings get ready for transplanting within four to five weeks. The land is divided into ridges and furrows so as to form beds 10 feet by 10 feet or little more for giving irrigation. The bulbs are ready to lift by a light pick-axe in about three months since transplanting.

Tomato: Tomato occupied an area of 2,226 acres in 1965-66. Well-drained, light brown or black medium soils are very suitable for this crop. The land is ploughed and harrowed well in advance and farm-yard manure is also applied at the rate of about 15 cart-loads per acre. Seedlings are first raised in seed-beds and transplanted after about four weeks. Earthing up is done just before flowering. The crop starts bearing within three months after transplanting and the harvesting continues for about two months.

Brinjal: Brinjal, vange, grows well on medium brown soil and can be raised as rain-fed and irrigated crop. As usual the land is ploughed and harrowed and farm-yard manure is applied at the rate of about 20 cart-loads per acre. In case of brinjal also seedlings are first raised in nursery-beds and transplanted four to five weeks afterwards. The land is laid into beds or ridges and furrows for irrigation. The crop gets ready after about 90 days and the harvesting continues for two to three months.

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