AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

CEREALS

The table No. 9 shows tahsilwise acrease under cereals in Buldhana district for some year from 1956-57 to 1971-72.

TABLE No. 9

AREA UNDER CEREALS TAHSILWISE IN BULDHANA DISTRICT

(In Acres*)

*Figures for 1968-69 and 1971-72 are in hectares

The net area sown in Buldhana district amounted to 6,88,599 hectares in 1971-72 as compared to 16,55,015 acres in 1956-57. Of this cereals accounted for 2,94,273 hectares or 42.70 per cent in 1971-72. The important cereals cultivated in the district comprise jowar, wheat, bajra and rice. Other cereal crops such as maize, barley, etc., are grown on a very small scale. The following table gives the outturn of important cereals in each tahsil of the district for some years from 1956-57 to 1971-72.
[Tahsilwise figures are not available.]

TABLE No. 10

OUTTURN OF CEREALS (TAHSILWISE) IN BULDHANA DISTRICT

[In Tons*]

*Figures for 1968-69 and 1971-72 are in metric tonnes.

A brief account of the important cereals such as jowar, wheat, bajra and rice grown in this district is given in the following paragraphs, while a detailed account of common pests and diseases of these cereals and their controlling measures is given separately under the section ' pests and diseases'.

Jowar.—Jowar is the most important food crop of the district covering slightly more than ¹/₃rd of the gross cropped area. Jowar is grown on the different classes of soils in the district. The later and heavier yielding varieties are usually grown on the deeper soils which are more retentive of moisture, while the earlier varieties except in years of short rainfall do fairly well on the lighter soils.

Jowar (juari), an Indian millet, forms the staple food of the cultivators while the fodder known as kadbi serves as the best cattle fodder. It covered an area of 2,47,356 hectares in 1971-72. Jowar is grown in all the five tahsils of district. However, Chikhli, Mehkar and Malkapur accounted for the largest area under Jowar, viz., 73,505, 64,528 and 52,287 hectares, respectively, in 1971-72.

Jowar is grown in kharif as well as in rabi season. However, kharif jowar is grown on a large scale in the district. A very small area is under rabi jowar in Chikhli and Mehkar tahsils.

The land is harrowed twice before the rains, and another harrowing is given to kill the weeds, before the seed is sown, which is generally in the middle of July. In case of hybrid jowar it is sown from the third week of June up to first week of July depending upon the season. Sowing is done by three coultered seed drill, which is locally known as tiffan. The seed rate for hybrid jowar is three kg. per acre and for local jowar 1 to 1½ kg. per acre.

Generally jowar is grown after cotton and hence derives the benefit from manures applied to the previous crop; very often, therefore, it does not require special manuring. If found necessary five to ten cart-loads of farm-yard manure or 10 kg. of N₂ and 5 kg. of P₂O₅ is applied to local jowar, which increases its outturn. In case of hybrid jowar cultivators apply 10 kg. of N₂ and 5 kg. of P₂O₅ at the time of sowing if the crop is unirrigated.

Hoeing with the dawara (daura) is commenced about three weeks after sowing and is repeated three or four times at intervals of a fortnight or so. The crop is hand weeded, and 2 or 3 weedings are given.

The crop is harvested in the months of December and January. The outturn of local jowar is 400 kg. per acre and in case of hybrid jowar the average yield is 800 kg. per acre.

The local varieties of jowar viz., amner, lahi amner, saoner and khondi are cultivated in the district. The Agriculture department has also introduced many improved selections like NJ-164, NJ-156, Hybrid Commercial Jowar CSH-I, and Hybrid Jowar CSH-I in the district.

Wheat.—Wheat (gahu) is the second important cereal crop in the district which covered an area of 32,029 hectares in 1971-72. Wheat is chiefly grown in Chikhli and Mehkar tahsils which together accounted for 25,821 hectares of the total acreage under wheat in 1971-72. It was grown on a smaller scale in Khamgaon, Malkapur and Jalgaon tahsils.

Wheat is produced as a cold weather crop and is sown when the October rains are completely over. It is generally grown on heavy and medium soils as an irrigated as well as an unirrigated crop. When wheat is to be produced land is generally kept fallow during kharif season and is prepared by giving one ploughing and 3 to 4 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-tiffan or dusa. About 25 kg. of seed is required for sowing an acre of land. No interculturing is done in this district for wheat. Three to four irrigations are given to the crop. Occasionally safflower is sown along the borders of the wheat crop just to protect the main crop. Generally manuring at the rate of 20 kg. of N₂ and 10 kg. of P₂O₅ per acre is given for unirrigated crop at the time of sowing. In case of irrigated crops 40 kg. of N₂ and 20 kg. of P₂O₅ are applied. Wheat generally requires three to four months to ripen and is harvested in the months of February and March.

The chief varieties grown in the district are Hy-65-4 and Vijaya and the other high yielding varieties such as NJ-917, NI-146, wheat 747-19, wheat S-227, wheat N-59, 64-Kalyan Sonora Sonalika, etc. Hy-65 wheat variety has been introduced by the Department of Agriculture under the " Pilot Wheat Seed Scheme". It is a rust resistant variety which yields higher when grown under irrigation. The yield of unirrigated crop is low. Vijaya variety fetches a better price than Hy-65 variety. The average yield of the crop in the district is 350 kg. to 400 kg. per acre depending upon the kind of soil and the method of cultivation.

Bajri.—Bajri is the next important food crop in the district. It is mostly grown on the poor barad soils of the plateau in rotation with cotton, math, kutki and cold season til. It requires less water and plenty of sunshine. Bajri, spiked millet, occupied an area of 12,591 acres in the district in 1964-65. Chikhli and Malkapur are the main bajri growing tahsils which together accounted for 7,950 hectares of the total acreage under bajri in 1971-72, in the district. It is the staple food of the poor next to jowar and wheat. Its straw is used as a cattle fodder.

Bajri is sown in July along with jowar and is harvested in the months of November-December. It is sown with a three coulter-ed drill. One or two hand weedings and two bullock intercultur-ings are given to the crop. It is taken as a dry crop only and is manured only by a few progressive cultivators. The Agriculture department has introduced an improved variety, viz., H.B.I, for hybrid bajri cultivation.

Rice.— Paddy (dhan) is not an important crop in Buldhana district. It is cultivated in scattered patches throughout the district. It is sown with a drill in July just like other crops and generally the low-lying lands are put under rice cultivation. This crop is solely a rainfed crop and no water from wells is given to it. The local late variety is used on a very small area. Generally, coarse or early maturing varieties of paddy are grown in the district. The improved variety of rice, viz., chatri is recommended for cultivation in the district. Paddy is harvested in the month of October, so that a second crop such as gram, etc., can be taken in the same soil.

Paddy occupied an area of 2,566 hectares in the district in 1971-72. Mehkar and Chikhli tahsils accounted for the largest area under paddy, viz., 2,343 hectares in 1971-72. Area under paddy in Malkapur and Khamgaon tahsils in the same year was 414 hectares, while that in Jalgaon tahsil was negligible.

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