The Gazetteers Department

The Central Sugar-cane Research Station, Padegaon is one of the pioneering sugar-cane research stations in the Indian Union and enjoys international reputation. It is situated about two miles from Nira railway station on Poona-Miraj section of the Southern Railway. The first sugar-cane research station was started in 1892, at Manjri near Poona where the popular ' Manjri Standard Method ' of sugarcane cultivation was evolved. It could not cope with the vast expanse of canal area under sugar-cane cultivation and had to be shifted to Padegaon, in 1932. Research is carried on by experts under the control of the Sugar-cane Specialist, Department of Agriculture Maharashtra State. It pertains to chemical and physical soil fertility, biochemistry (water requirements of sugar-cane at different phases, intake of nutrients, germination tillering, root-development, enzymitic activities, etc.), agronomy (new varieties, cultural and manurial practices, etc.) and lastly, to the control of pests and diseases of sugar-cane. Besides, it conducts a number of developmental activities. These include supply of improved sugar-cane seed, manurial demonstrations, inception of zonal centres, compost drive, crop protection service, and lastly, award of prizes for the highest production in cane and gul. Problems such as reducing nitrogen dose, ' crop-log' technique for manuring cane, tracer technique in phosphate manuring, gypsum block and tensiometer equipment in controlling irrigation, rapid chemical test for assessing soil fertility, etc. are being carefully studied. The centre covered 1,05,000 acres or 39 per cent, of the total area under sugar-cane in the State. (2,70,000 acres).

The Agricultural Research Station, Karad.

The Agricultural Research Station, Karad, was established, in 1948, at Mudha on Karad-Chiplun road, three miles from Karad. Improved varieties of jowar, groundnut, bajri, gram and matki arc evolved by botanical selections. Agronomic experiments are also conducted with a view to recommending improved methods and studying cultural and manurial requirements of crops. Improvement of jowar seeds and selection of promising strains from local types, viz., kalbondi, gidgap and tambadbondi constitute the activity in progress. Selection of types resistant to striga, tarfula, a plant parasite, is undertaken and improved strains and types from different parts of the State are scrutinised. Poona method of Jowar cultivation yielded 69 per cent. higher than the local method.

Improvement in groundnut cultivation is sought through selection of individual plants in spreading semi-erect and erect varieties and by evolving the strain 'Karad 4-11 in the spreading group. It yields 10-14 per cent, over the local method. The gram strain 'Yedi-machindra-4' has emerged as promising.

Selection of improved strain in local bajri is still in progress and improvement of local types of matki obtain bigger sized variety and increased yield is being carried on.

Agricultural Research Station, Mahabaleshwar.

There is a Wheat Rust Research Scheme at Mahabaleshwar. Its primary objective is to test the reactions of the wheat varieties and hybrids supplied by the wheat breeders in Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, Mysore and Andhra Pradesh against black-stem-rust which attacks the plants in the seedling stage in the glass-house and or adult stage in the field. With this aim in view, the cultures of wheat 15, 15-c, 21, 24, 34, 40, 42, 42 b, 75, 117, 122 and 194 are maintained on N. P. 4.

As most of the local varieties of Bombay and Madhya Pradesh are susceptible to stem rust, they were hybridised with a view to evolving rust resistant and agronomically promising varieties. Growing resistant varieties is the only practical way of controlling the disease. The progenies of the above crosses tested at Mahabaleshwar have proved very popular amongst the cultivators and are known as Kenphad Wheat in the State and as strains II and 65 in Madhya Pradesh. The varieties N 179 and N 345 developed as rust resistant at this research station are being released for general cultivation. These are expected to replace the Kenphad variety in those areas where it suffers from Alternaria sp. Promising selections are also available from crosses between Gaza, a highly rust resistant foreign wheat and the- improved but highly rust susceptible Durem wheats from Maharashtra, Mysore and Madhya Pradesh. These selections are undergoing yield trials at various wheat breeding stations in these States.

The Agricultural School at Borgaon aims at training agriculturists in the modern improved methods and techniques of farming. It is expected of them that they will adopt these in practice on their lands after the successful completion of the training courses and further help to spread them or popularise them amongst the villagers. The following are the eight subjects taught in the schools: - (1) Agriculture including dairy, poultry, sheep and goat rearing, (2) Horticulture, (3) Co-operation, (4) Revenue and rural finance, (5) Veterinary, (6) Civics and Administration, (7) Hygiene, and (8) Hindi. The school owns a farm extending over an area of 331 acres on which different crops are taken. The students are given practical training and experience in agriculture. A retired Mahalkari and a district co-operative officer give lectures on the subjects of Revenue and co-operation respectively. Two agricultural graduates teach agriculture and allied subjects.

This course extends over a period of two years. Every year nearly 50 students are admitted and an equal number of students is to be found in the second year class. Thus every year there are in all 100 students who receive training in the school. Those who success-fully complete the course are awarded certificates by the Department and most of them are absorbed in the service of the Department itself. There are, however, a few students who take to private farming and advocate as well as practise modern methods of crop-cultivation.

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