International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124

Crop Diversification in Akole Tahsil ( District, M.S, India) Dr. Darade Jalindar Uttamrao Head and Associate Professor at Jamkhed Mahavidyalaya, Tal. Jamkhed, Dist. Ahmednagar, Department of Geography, University of Pune, M.S, India.

Abstract is famous for sugar industries. In 1958, district milk union was establishes in the district. Horticulture and floriculture is well develop in the tahsil and it is mainly use of the agricultural land and converted into residential and other uses for the growth and development of the facilities. Farmers have adopt modern technology i.e. fruits and vegetables drip irrigation facility, variety seeds material, increasing use by composting biomass, improved planting technology and micro irrigation systems, crop loans, good network of transports and markets, agricultural advisory centers and also available facilities in the study area. Therefore, recently cropping pattern is change and day-by-day positive increased but eastern part of the study area is concentrate in the rice crop because of these areas situated in the hilly and heavy rainfall. It is observe that rice is the leading crops as is grown irrigated land. The next important crop is sugarcane another cereals, vegetable, fruit crops etc. grown by the irrigated land. It is quite interesting to note that almost all the farmers used high yielding varieties seeds of cereals and pulses. It is cultivated in 15,925 hectares of land, which accounts for 21.88% of gross cropped area. Vegetable is the next crop that is cultivated in 11,283 hectares recurring 15.50 % of total cropped area.

Keywords : Well surrounded mountainous Areas, Crop diversification, Modern Techniques, heavily rainfall and Crop Pattern. Objectives: 1. To study in Crop diversification in the study area (2010-11). 2. To study causes of Crop diversification in the study area.

1. Introduction: Akole Tahsil is located at western part of Ahmednagar District, in the state of . It’s well surrounded with the mountainous of Sahyadries. In these tahsil , Nilwande and Adhala reservoir, large number of Small tanks, minor irrigation projects or peculation tanks, Pravara, Mula, Adhala and Mahalungi are important four rivers and also covered by co-operative sugar factory, dairy milk, rice mills, banks and various co- operatives thrive here. The economy of the tahsil is driven mainly by agriculture of sugarcane, rice, horticulture, floriculture and various major cash crop of the study area.

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Factory making sugar from sugarcane is located at Agastinagar (Agasti S.S.K Ltd. Jamgaon Akole tahsil).

2. Geographical Study Area: Akole is a Tahsil place in Ahmednagar district and well surrounded with the mountains of Sahyadri. Extends between 19 0 15 ’ 14 ’’ and 19 0 44 ’ 59 ’’ North Latitude and 73 0 37 ’ 00 ’’ to 74 0 07 ’ 24 ’’ East Longitudes (Map no.1), covering an area of 1, 50,508 hector. The Highest Peak of (5427 ft.) in the Sahyadris with a mean annual rainfall of about 508.9 mm. lies in the study area. Area under forest in 41,698 hectors. agriculture land 98,712 hect.. Total 191 Villages and 4 Revenue Circles (Rajur , Akole , Samsherpur and Kotul). Total population is 2, 91,950 Census 2011 (No. of Male 1, 47,880 and No. of Female 1, 44,070), literacy 1, 92,461 persons and one of which 1, 39,730 (ST) Tribal people in this area. The climate of the tahsil is hot and dry. It is characterized by a hot summer and general dryness except during the south-west monsoon season in India. Index Map

Map No. 1

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3. Methodology: The present study with the help of Secondary Sources. Circle wise crop diversification was prepare Arc View 3.32 and Ilwis 3.3 software packages and thematic maps related to study area was prepared by using SOI Toposheet of 1: 50000 scale as the raster maps.

4. Crop diversification: The method used by Bhatia (1965) is employed for present investigation and about 13 crops grown in the tahsil have been considered. The village level data are further aggregate for akole tahsil an aerial unit for present investigation.

% of Sown area under ‘x’ crops Index of Crop Diversification = ------Number of ‘x’ crops Where, ‘X’ crops are those crops that individually occupied 10% or more of the cultivated area in Akloe tahsil.

Fig.1: Crop Diversification in Study Area 2010-11 :

5. Conclusion: In conclusion it can be said that cropping pattern and agricultural land use in the Akole tahsil, has been developed to meet the demands of food supply for increasing population. The

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cropped area has been expanded over the land where the physical conditions of cultivation might be suitable. It is well surrounded with the mountainous of Sahyadries. Pravara, Mula, Adhala and Mahalungi are important rivers, rises in different places of the study area. It’s also covered by co-operative sugar factory, dairy milk, rice mills, banks and various co- operatives thrive here. The cropping pattern of a region is closely influenced by the geo- climatic, socio-cultural, economic, historical and political factors. Moreover the land tendency ownership of land, size of holdings and size of fields also impose restrictions on the cropping pattern of a region in the study area of small holdings, the farmers tend to be subsistent despite innovation diffusion. The total geographical area of the tahsil is 1, 49,942.43 hectares, out of which about 92,922.63 hectares area is under cultivation. Wilson (Bhandardara dam), Nilwande (Upper Pravara project II) dam situated on pravara river, Adhala dam (medium) situated in Adhala river, another small and medium size surfaces reservoirs are very important role in agricultural activities. However in this area the land is prone to degrade its productivity and the distribution of cropped area may change temporarily. In the study area farmers have adopt modern technology i.e. fruits and vegetables drip irrigation facility, variety seeds material, sugarcane, increasing use by composting biomass in crop cultivation, improved planting technology, machineries and micro irrigation systems, available for nearby village inputs, agricultural labour, bullock power, crop loans, electricity, irrigation, dairy centers and processing units, nearby sugar factory, agricultural advisory centers and also available facilities in the study area. The major portion of the land is under cultivation is positive changed. Significant change is noted that in cropping pattern. The shift from rice, cereals, pulses, groundnut and sugarcane coincides with the irrigation developments in all villages. From the above discussion, it can be concluded and various causes effect crop diversification that the tahsil in: 1. Increase in Population Recently. 2. Rice is currently the Most Popular Kharip Crop (Especially western part of tahsil). 3. Good network of transports and markets (Especially eastern part of tahsil). 4. Good communication facilities (all over circle). 5. Increasing irrigation requirements. 6. Availability of markets demand and farmers accepted modern techniques. 7. Changing crop pattern. 8. Improving drainage systems etc. The increasing need for economic development of this particular region is expected to be met through the extension and intensification of the agricultural activities. It is observed

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from the study area, there is a grater variation in the changes land use and cropping pattern, during the study period i.e. 1990-91 to 2010-11. 6. References: 1. Chandrakant T. Pawar (1989): Impact of Irrigation (A Regional Perspective), Himalaya Publishing House, Bombay. 2. Dept. of Agricultural and Revenue circle information in Talathi Office, akole Tahsil . 3. Dr. Mhaske P.H and Tupe B.K (2014): International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), ‘Demands of Changes in Cropping Pattern: A Case Study of Akole Tahsil (M.S, India)’, Volume 3 and Issue 5. 4. Dr. Wagh S. R. and Tupe B.K (2014): ‘Changes in Agricultural land of Rahata

Tahsil (A.nagar Dist )’, University recognized Conference, ASC Col. , ISBNNo. 978-81-129754-8-0 (P.p174to 77) 5. Handbook of Agricultural (2011): Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Sixth Edition Revised), Directorate of Knowledge Management in Agriculture ICAR, New Delhi.Jasbir 6. Jainendra Kumar (1986): ‘Landuse Analysis-A Case Study of Nalanda Distict’, Bihar-Inter-India, Publication, New Delhi. 7. Rajkumar Moharkar and Dr. J.P.Jagtap (Dec. 2009): ‘Agricultural Landuse Pattern in South Solapur Tahsil of Solapur District, Maharashtra’, Deccan Geographer, Vol. 48. 8. Tupe B.K (2009): Unpublished M.Phil Dissertation, ‘The Changing Cropping Pattern - A Case Study of Rahata Taluka in Ahmednagar district’. 9. Gadekar D.J (2019) Level of Human Resources Development in the Akole Tahsil, District - Ahmednagar, Maharashtra . Unpublished Ph.D Theses SPPU Pune.

Author Profile:

Dr. Darade Jalindar Uttamrao is Head and Associate Professor at Jamkhed Mahavidyalaya, Tal. Jamkhed, Dist. Ahmednagar, Department of Geography, University of Pune, M.S, India. He received the Master Degree of Science in Geography, L. L. B and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree, in Geography from Savitribai Phule Pune University State of Maharashtra, India. He is experienced Lecturer with over 32 years. ( Mob. No. 8275201621/9158118338)

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