AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

OIL SEEDS

Oil-seeds also occupy an important place in the agrarian economy of the district. The important among them are safflower, groundnut, niger seed, sesamum and linseed. They are produced in all the talukas in varying proportion. Tables Nos. 8 and 9 give taluka-wise distribution of acreage and out-turn of oil-seeds in the district from 1961-62 to 1965-66 and 1971-72.

TABLE No. 8—AREA UNDER OIL-SEEDS IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT
IN 1961-62, 1965-66 AND 1971-72

(In acres)*

Figures for 1971-72 are given in hectares. The break-up for the year 1971-72 is not available in case of sesamam, linseed, castor and niger seed.

TABLE No. 9—TOTAL OUT-TURN OF OIL-SEEDS IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT FROM 1961-62 to 1965-66

(In tons)

TABLE No. 9—contd.

(In tons)

Safflower: Safflower is mostly sown in Shrigonda, Ahmadnagar, Parner, Karjat, Nevasa and Jamkhed talukas. In 1971-72 it occupied an area of 92,000 hectares in the district. It is a rabi crop and is sown in October-November mostly as a mixed crop with wheat, gram and late jowar. Sometimes the crop is sown as a border crop to surround the main crops. It is harvested in March-April. The preparations are the same as the ones given to the crops along with which it is grown. The crop gives high yield if it is sown in black cotton soil, loamy, and light alluvial soils. It is the chief oil-seed crop of the district and is highly esteemed for fattening sheep. The young leaves are boiled as a vegetable and the oil is much valued in cookery. Its oil-cake is used as a cattle-food and a concentrated manure.

Groundnut : Groundnut is also an equally important oil-seed crop in the district. The area under this crop increased considerably from 23,100 acres in 1950-51 to 75,095 acres in 1965-66. The crop is grown all over the district. However, its cultivation is concentrated in Sangamner, Akola, Kopargaon, Shrirampur, Ahmadnagar and Jamkhed talukas. It is grown in heavy and medium soils. The varieties sown in the district include K. 2 and the local ghungari. One ploughing and two harrowings are given. Sowing is done after sufficient monsoon rains are received, at a distance of about 12 inches, the seed-rate per acre being 30 kilograms. Where water is available hot-weather groundnut crop is sown in February. Generally five cart-loads of farm-yard manure are applied before sowing for irrigated crop and about 10 kilograms of nitrate and 20 kilograms of P₂O₅ are given at the time of sowing through manure mixtures. Two hoeings and one hand-weeding are given. The yield-rate per acre of dry crop is about 150 to 200 kilograms and that in case of irrigated crop it goes high upto 500 to 700 kilograms.

Niger-seed : Third in importance is the niger-seed (karale) crop in the district. In 1965-66 it was grown over an area of 6,208 acres. Akola, Sangamner, Pathardi and Jamkhed talukas produce more niger-seed. Of these Akola taluka produces the highest quantity of niger-seed. Of the total acreage of 6,208 in 1965-66, Akola taluka alone had 5,232 acres under this crop. Niger-seed (karale) is a kharif crop, mostly sown in June-July and gives high return if it is grown on light red and brownish loams of good depth and texture. It does not require much of ploughing and harrowing. The seed is drilled, the seed-rate being 2-3 kilograms per acre. When ripe, the plants are cut with sickles and dried in the sun in December-January. The seeds are beaten out with sticks. Its oil is used for culinary purposes. The seed is also used in chutnees. Its oil-cake is most favoured for milch cattle.

Sesamum: Sesamum, til, is mostly grown in Nevasa, Shevgaon and Pathardi talukas. In 1965-66 it occupied an area of 4,441 acres in the district. However, the acreage under this crop has decreased considerably. In 1910-11 the area under this crop was as much as 52,021 acres. The following statement gives the acreage under sesamum since 1880-81:—

N. A. = Not available.

It is of two kinds—white, gora or havra and black, kala. Except in colour there seems to be no difference between these two types of til, but the use of the former in various sweetmeat preparations commands for it a higher price. It is sown in June usually with bajri either mixed or in separate furrows, and sometimes alone on land that has long lain fallow. It is cut in November. It yields an oil which is preferred in cookery to all other oils. Its cake or pend is given to cattle. The plant is not used as fodder.

Linseed: Linseed, alshi, had a tillage area of 3,202 acres in 1965-66. The area under this crop has reduced considerably. The following statement shows the area under the crop since 1880-81:—

It is sown in rich black soils often with gram or wheat in separate furrows or singly. It requires less water and manures too. It is harvested in February. The seed is eaten in relishes or chutnees.

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