3.3       Agricultural data
Agricultural data of the Taluka wise crop pattern, crop calendar, crop combination, and soil type was collected from NBSS & LUP, Nagpur & Agricultural Department of Maharashtra Govt. Major Crops grown in Kharif and Rabi season in Nagpur District include: Kharif Crop: Cotton, Jowar and Rice Rabi Crop: Wheat, Barley and Groundnut and other oilseed. Talukawise geographical area in each of the 13 Talukas and area of land under agriculture is presented Table 3.

The major crops of Nagpur District are Wheat, Barley, Oilseeds (Groundnut and Linseed) for Rabi season and Jowar, Rice and Cotton for Kharif. These are represented in the form of cropping pattern in Nagpur District in Table 4.

The major groups, comprising Jowar, cotton, oilseed and wheat occupy largest area of the district and cover almost entire area of Nagpur, Hingna, katol, Narkher, Saoner and Kalmeshwar tehsils. Jowar ranks first and covers the largest area particularly in Narkher and Katol taluka. Clay loam and clayey soils are highly suitable for the growth of Jowar and it can survive moistures stress. Cotton and wheat crops are grown in valley areas where soil moisture is available throughout growing period or where irrigation is ensured. Oilseeds, mainly comprising of groundnut and linseed are commonly grown over clay loam and clayey soils associated with lower plateau surfaces and the valleys. Considerable areas under oilseeds are covered in Narkher and Katol Talukas. Jowar, rice, wheat and oilseeds from the combination of crops largely occupy areas of Kuhhi and adjacent Maunda talukas. Parseoni and umrer talukas have a common cropping pattern consisting of Jowar, wheat, Cotton and Oilseeds. Wheat, oilseeds, Jowar and barley are dominantly grown along the Kanhan River in Kamptee taluka. Jowar and Rice form an important combination in Ramtek Taluka. Bhiwapur contains a separate and distinct group of crops consisting of Jowar, Wheat and Oilseeds. Thus, among the six zones of crops, Jowar ranks first except in Kamptee Taluka where wheat is the leading crop. Wheat finds second place in three Talukas – Parseoni, Umrer and Bhiwapur. Rice rank second in Kuhi, Maunda and Ramtek Talukas but is replaced by Oilseeds in Kamptee taluka. However, Cotton finds second place in the combination in six Talukas namely Nagpur, Hingna, Katol, Narkher, Saoner and Kalmeshwar. Broad classification of cropping pattern in Nagpur District reveals that following crops are grown in Kharif and Rabi season.
Kharif Crop: Cotton, Jowar and Rice
Rabi Crop: Wheat, Barley and Groundnut and other oilseed.

Nutrient requirement of each crop is different and hence amount of fertilizer applied depends upon the crop grown and agricultural area under that crop. Considering the N: P: K requirement of different crops as presented in Table 5 and Taluka wise area of land under agricultural crops as given in Table 3, fertilizer application rates in Nagpur District in Kharif and Rabi Season are presented in Tables 6 and 7, respectively.

Ref: Handbook of Agriculture, ICAR, NEW DELHI,