AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

MANURES

The most essential requirement in stepping up agricultural production is the use of adequate manures and fertilizers. The application of fertilizers and manures among other factors has become essential to make agronomy more profitable and to meet the increasing demand for food-grains. The farm-yard manure which is prepared out of dung, urine of cattle, ash and other refuse is not enough to meet the local requirements. The cultivators, therefore, with Government aid and propaganda have started applying the chemical fertilizers extensively to crops grown in the district. The Sholapur Zilla Parishad undertook many efforts towards increasing the use of synthetic fertilizers and improving the quality of farm-yard manure and compost prepared by the farmers from rural waste.

Green manuring is practised by sowing the satin seed. The seed is broadcast on the on-set of the monsoon. When it attains maximum vegetative growth in about two to two and a half months, it is ploughed and allowed to rot. It helps to improve the fertility and texture of the soils. An acre of land so manured with sann seed is supposed to have received organic manure sufficient for a period of two to three years. The efforts in the production of organic manure were supplemented by subsidised distribution of sann seed for green manuring in the district by Zilla Parishad.

Manure is also prepared in the compost-pits. The Agriculture Department gives subsidies in various forms to encourage the preparation of compost. The town compost scheme, rural compost scheme and farm-yard manure scheme have been introduced in the district. The quantity of the manure to be applied varies from field to field and from crop to crop. The method of sheep folding is also observed in the district.

The application of chemical fertilizers requires abundant supply of water. Heavy doses of fertilizers are applied to the fruit-crops and other garden-crops wherever irrigation facilities are available. They are also used for food-crops and non-food crops and also for commercial crops. The cultivators have realised the value of chemical fertilizers due to the fact that they have obtained higher yield through their application.

TOP