AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

PULSES

Pulses are grown all over the district. The important among them are horse-gram, tur, gram, mug, math and udid. The tables Nos. 6 and 7 give taluka-wise area and out-turn of pulses between 1961-62 and 1971-72. Given below is the description of some important pulse-crops:—

Horse-gram: Horse-gram, kulith or hulga, occupied a tillage area of 38,153 acres in 1881-82. The figures in the table No. 6 show that the area under this crop has increased considerably. The crop is grown all over the district. However, its cultivation is concentrated in Karjat, Shrigonda, Parner, Pathardi, Ahmadnagar and Jamkhed talukas. The crop is usually sown with bajri in June and ripens in November. It requires the same cultivation as given to the crop with which it is sown. It can be grown on a variety of soils ranging from deep red loams to black cotton soils, clayey rice soils, stony and gravelly upland soils and poor sandy loams. It requires a very moderate rainfall. When ripe in November, its foliage dries up and falls off. The plants are

TABLE No. 6—AREA UNDER PULSES IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT IN 1961-62, 1965-66 AND 1971-72

(In acres)

[ Figures for 1971-72 are in hectares.]

continued..

TABLE No. 7—TOTAL OUT-TURN OF PULSES IN AHMADNAGAR DISTRICT
FROM 1961-62 TO 1965-66

(In tons)

TABLE No. 7—contd.

(In tons)*

*Figures for 1971-72 for district total are in metric tonnes.

N. A.=Not available.

pulled out and are removed to the threshing floor, dried and threshed by being trampled under the feet of oxen. It is eaten boiled whole or split as dal and in soup and porridge, and is also given to horses. The green crop is sometimes used as a fodder for cattle and sheep. The bhusa or chaff obtained from kulith by trampling under the feet of oxen is served as a fodder to cattle.

Tor: Pigeon pea, tur, is also grown all over the district. The tillage area under this pulse-crop has increased considerably since 1880-81. This can be seen from the following figures:—

N. A. = Not available.

The crop is generally sown with bajri in June and ripens in January or February. One of the four tubes of the drill is closed and a separate tube is fastened to the drill by a rope. This tube is held by a man who walks behind and drops the seed through it into the furrows made by the coulter. It yields a superior yellow split pulse or dal, only a little less valuable than gram. The green pods are also eaten as a vegetable. The leaves and pod-shells are an excellent fodder. The stalks are generally used for wattling house walls and roofs and for making baskets.

Gram : Gram is grown mostly in Nevasa, Akola, Rahuri, Kopar-gaon, Ahmadnagar and Shevgaon talukas. The table No. 6 gives taluka-wise acreage under gram during 1961-62, 1965-66 and 1971-72. However, the area under this crop has considerably reduced since 1880-81. This can be observed from the following figures:—

Gram is mostly a rabi crop and is grown after the rains have ceased, the sowing season being from October to December. Cold, frost and cloudy weather are very harmful to the crop. The crop is sown on a variety of soils including heaviest clay to the lightest loam. The land is prepared in the same way as for jowar, but, owing to the spreading growth of the plant, bullock-hoeing is not possible. Hand-weeding may be done. When ripe, the crop is pulled up by hand or cut by the sickle, and piled in the field in small heaps each about a head-load called peta or bundle. When convenient the crop is stacked in the field in hudis or tapas. It is then brought to the threshing floor where the seeds are separated from pods by beating stalks with sticks and then trodden by cattle and lastly winnowed. The pea is eaten green as a vegetable, either boiled or parched when it is called hola. When ripe like other pulses it is split into dal and eaten in a variety of ways. The ripe grain is also given to horses.

Mug : Green gram, mug, had in 1881-82 a tillage area of 5,455 acres. The area under this crop has increased considerably. This can be seen from the table No. 6. The crop is sown in June in shallow black or light stony soils without water or manure and is harvested in September. The green pods are eaten as a vegetable, and the ripe dark-green pea is eaten boiled either whole or split into dal. It is parched, ground to flour, and made into spice balls. It is also made into porridge. The leaves and stalks serve as a good fodder.

Math : Math occupied an area of 45,478 acres in 1965-66 in the district. It is essentially a kharif crop. Math could be grown on light sandy soil and requires the same cultivation as bajri along with which it is grown. It is sown in June-July and is harvested in November. When ripe the plants are uprooted and brought to the threshing floor, where, when sufficiently dried they are trampled under the feet of oxen or may be beaten with sticks. Math or matki is used as a split pulse. It is also eaten parched or boiled whole with condiments. The leaves and stalks also form a good fodder for cattle.

Black gram : Black gram, udid, was grown over an area of 1,922 acres in 1881-82. The area under it in 1965-66 was 4,266 acres. Usually the crop is sown with bajri in June and harvested in September. Its dal is highly esteemed and is the chief element in the thin wafer-biscuits called papad. The grain is considered the most fattening food for horned cattle and bears about the same value as gram.

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