SATARA

Satara, a scenic district in Maharashtra, India, is well-known for its extensive agricultural legacy and diversified farming traditions. Satara, located in the Western Ghats, has fertile terrain and a pleasant climate, making it a good location for growing a wide range of crops. Moreover, places such as Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar are quite famous for their strawberries.

The district has a distinct agricultural environment created by its diverse terrain and soil features. The region's environment is a mix of mountainous terrain, foothills, and coastal plains, which influences the farming practices in the area. It is noted in the Satara District Gazetteer (1963) that the district's soil is divided into three types: medium black soil, malran or muram mal (light soil), and tambad mati(laterite soil).

The black cotton soil in the district's east is ideal for growing sugarcane, cotton, and wheat. Crops such as rice, jowar, and bajra grow well in the western region's red loamy soil. The lateritic soil in the hilly regions is good for crops like ragi, vari, and sava. Further, Satara is known for its production of jaggery, as it creates rural employment and income diversification.

Satara's agricultural landscape has mostly remained traditional, with rice, jowar, bajra, and wheat being the primary crops grown in the province. According to the Gazetteer of Satara, the district is also a major producer of pulses such as tur (pigeon pea), gram (harbhara), urad (black gram), matki (moth beans), katana (sword bean), etc. The region's diverse topography and soil qualities support a variety of fruits and vegetables, including mangoes, grapes, and vegetables such as potatoes (batata) and carrots (gajar).

The district's horticulture is likewise diverse, with primary crops including mangoes, grapes, sugarcane, and sweet oranges. According to the Gazetteer, Satara is also a major producer of spices such as chilies (mirchi), coriander (kothimbir), and turmeric (halad).

The district's environment is ideal for growing horticultural and plantation crops such as strawberries, mangos, and pomegranates. Sugarcane is the top crop in the district for farmers in well-irrigated areas, including Satara, Wai, Karad, Khandala, Koregaon, and Phaltan.

Paddy is the primary crop due to heavy rainfall in areas like Jaoli, Mahabaleshwar, and Patan. Phaltan, Mann, and Khatav are referred to as rabbi blocks instead of Kharif blocks due to their little rainfall.

Locals in Satara emphasized that the farming tradition was deeply rooted in their heritage, with life revolving around agricultural practices passed down through generations.

Dhumalwadi, often known as the 'Fruit Village' of Maharashtra, is a village in the Satara district noted for its fruit plantations. The inhabitants here specialize in fruit farming, particularly grapes, pomegranates, mangoes, and custard apples.

The majority of Satara landowners are Maratha Kunbis. The Jains of the district's south and southwest, however, are the best class of husbandmen. In 1851, Mr. Ogilvy described the Satara Kunbis as hard-working, skilled husbandmen who understood crop rotation, the value of manure, and the importance of rejuvenating the soil via fallow periods. The prevailing view is less favorable towards those who are believed to be lacking in enterprise and unwilling to progress. Landholders in the district's east are believed to be just moderately hard-working, while the richer soils in the west are claimed to have suffered from being cropped for several years in a row without plowing. At the same time, certain portions of the district display outstanding examples of skill and enterprise. In areas of Khandala and Wai, poor circumstances have been successfully remedied.

Bendur or Pola is a festival observed by farmers in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh that involves the worship of bulls. Farmers decorate their bulls and worship them on this day so that they can perform in the festival. It is often a traditional village festival in which they pay tribute to the bulls that assist them in their plowing efforts. On this important day, farmers first give their bulls a clean bath before decorating them with lovely trinkets. The farmers then pray for the bulls and feed them special food. It is a way for farmers to express their gratitude to bulls for their aid in their farming activities. Plowing activities begin on the day of the event, and seeds are sown in the field. It is a unique Maharashtra festival in which an animal is the event's focal point. During the month of Sravana, the Pola festival is celebrated on a new moon day known as Pithori Amavasya. It is a one-day celebration honoring the village's bulls.

India's gastronomical plates are jam-packed with products from all over the world, including potatoes and tomatoes, which originated in South America. During their reign, the British cultivated strawberries in India, motivated by nostalgia for the fruit and the fact that the delicate strawberry could not weather the mid-nineteenth-century sea voyage.

Panchgani-Mahabaleshwar's climate, as well as the gently sloping, terraced land, were suitable for growing European summer fruit. However, strawberries had to wait another century before becoming a lucrative crop in India. The wait proved to be rewarded.

Strawberry cultivation in India changed dramatically in 1992 when Balasaheb Bhilare of Bhilar village in Maharashtra's Satara district received Chandler variety seedlings from California. Bhilar quickly established itself as a strawberry agricultural hub. In 2010, Mahabaleshwar strawberries received the geographical indicator marking, which is regarded as a guarantee of authenticity.

By the time Bhilare died in November 2021, around 5,000 households in Mahabaleshwar were cultivating the fruit across 4,000 hectares. Total annual production had increased to 35,000 tonnes.

It is a winter fruit in India. Every June, three large grower organizations import mother saplings from California, Italy, Spain, and Egypt and plant them in nurseries in Wai, about 32 km from Mahabaleshwar. The runners produced by each of these seedlings are replanted on the farm in September. The harvest begins in November and lasts through the second week of April.

Waghya ghevda is one of Western Maharashtra's most famous cash crops. This rajma is widely grown in Satara district's North Koregaon taluka. It was first developed in 1950 by the late Kashinath Mahajan, who purchased seeds from a dealer in Pune. This variety quickly grew popular among the villagers, and it was given the name Waghya, which means tiger in Marathi, because the rajma has red stripes that resemble those of a tiger.

This crop, also known as 'Koregaon Rajma' or 'King Rajma,' is grown by around 20,000 farmers across more than 12,000 hectares of land in Satara district. Waghya rajma thrives in agro-climatic conditions that are medium black, well-drained, and fertile, with little rainfall and perennial droughts.

Tilling the land begins in May, followed by harrowing and leveling. Seed drilling is done in Koregaon in mid-June when the weather turns chilly and gloomy. It is sown during the Kharif season, and usually, seeds from the previous year's supply are used.

Flowering usually begins between 30 and 45 days after seeding. Green pods mature in 70 days, greyish-striped pods appear at 80 days, and beans turn yellow with red stripes when mature. Harvesting occurs only when the pods turn brown in hue. The harvested crop is sun-dried for 2–3 days before being threshed by machine. Clean and good beans are stored for the following year.

Waghya Nevada beans are sweeter than other types of rajma and have a higher nutritional value. The beans, known as 'Bamani Pik', are aight pink with red lines. There is another hybrid cultivar known as 'Varun' that does not have red stripes but is equally popular.

Fresh beans are typically taken throughout the cold season to increase body temperature. This leguminous crop enhances soil quality by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. This crop's straws, as well as the skin cover of the dry pods, are used to feed domestic animals. Dry leaves and roots are used as organic matter to boost soil fertility.

Several indigenous communities in Satara practice agriculture, each with its own set of traditions and cultural significance. The Katkari are classified as a Scheduled Tribe and a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). Historically, the Katkari were forest dwellers who subsisted on a combination of forest resources and upland cultivation. Traditionally, they used shifting agriculture, planting millets (such as nachni and vari) and pulses (such as tur and moong) on the Western Ghats' mountainous terrain. Their farming practices are inextricably linked to their understanding of local ecosystems, allowing them to use a vast range of plant species for food and medicine.

In addition to the Katkari, other indigenous communities in Satara, such as the Kolam and Madia Gond, engage in agriculture, typically using traditional methods that emphasize sustainability. Rice, jowar, and other pulses are typical crops grown by these communities in their respective surroundings. Many tribal farmers use organic farming techniques, relying on natural fertilizers such as cow dung and crop wastes to keep the soil fertile. Livestock are commonly integrated into farming systems, with cattle supplying milk and manure, both of which are vital for nutrition and soil health.

However, these tribal groups face a variety of obstacles, including land encroachment, the effects of climate change, and limited access to markets and modern agricultural inputs. Despite these challenges, their traditional knowledge and practices are critical for preserving biodiversity and sustainable agricultural systems in Satara.

Farmers in the Satara district are increasingly using agricultural technologies. Many farmers in the region have begun to use innovative machinery and equipment to improve their farming operations and increase yields. For example, mechanization has been implemented in farming activities such as sowing, harvesting, and irrigation. Many farmers in Satara have begun to utilize precision farming techniques, which involve the use of advanced technologies like GPS, drones, and satellite imaging to collect data on soil health, crop development, and meteorological conditions. This data is then utilized to make informed decisions about irrigation, fertilization, and pest management, leading to higher agricultural yields and less waste.

Farmers in Satara have begun to adopt innovative irrigation management systems, which include sensors and automation to optimize water usage and reduce waste. These systems assist farmers in irrigating their crops at the appropriate time and quantity, resulting in higher agricultural yields and lower water use.

The construction of industrial zones, such as the Satara Industrial Area, has resulted in a departure from traditional farming practices in the Satara district. This industrialization has caused contamination in nearby water bodies and forced species, such as monkeys and deer, into agricultural regions.

The loss of agricultural land owing to infrastructural development is a major problem in the Satara area. The region is recognized for its rich black soil, particularly around the Krishna and Koyana rivers, which makes it ideal for agriculture. However, rising demand for infrastructure development, such as the construction of the Karad Airport, has resulted in the acquisition of fertile land, causing agricultural land to be lost.

The concept of Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) is well-established in the district, with various APMC marketplaces in Satara, Koregaon, and Wai. These markets act as centralized distribution points for a diverse range of agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, and other commodities.

The primary APMC market in Satara was founded in the 1960s and has served as an important venue for farmers to sell their produce directly to traders and consumers. The market provides a variety of facilities, such as auction halls, godowns, and other amenities, to help farmers market their produce. Some of the important commodities are Ghevda seed, ginger, potato, and green chilies.

Climate change is altering agricultural landscapes around the world, and Satara, in western Maharashtra, is especially vulnerable to these changes.

Climate change has a significant impact on agriculture in Satara, with rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns. According to recent studies, Singh (2021) mentions that the average annual temperature across Maharashtra, including Satara, is anticipated to climb by about 2.5 degrees Celsius by 2050, which might have a substantial impact on crop production, particularly for traditional rain-fed crops such as jowar, bajra, and pulses. Furthermore, while some predictions suggest a rise in annual rainfall by 18% to 22%, this may lead to more catastrophic weather events, such as flooding, that have already damaged crops in the region.

Furthermore, the region has suffered a decreasing trend in annual rainfall, with average annual precipitation ranging from 123.87 mm to 762.50 mm in recent years, resulting in greater fluctuation and uncertainty in water supply for agriculture.

The average rainfall from 2000 to 2022 shows changes that correlate with lower agricultural production; any major decline in rainfall has a direct influence on crop performance due to the prevalence of rainfed farming methods.

Furthermore, while some predictions suggest a rise in annual rainfall by 18% to 22%, this may lead to more catastrophic weather events, such as flooding, that have already damaged crops in the region.

In addition to these concerns, Satara faces water scarcity and soil salinity issues. The district's water resources are under strain due to rising demand from agriculture, industry, and urbanization. Soil salinity is another factor that influences agricultural productivity, especially in places with inadequate drainage.

Climate change has a far-reaching impact on agriculture in Satara, and solutions to reduce its impacts are urgently needed. This can be accomplished by climate-resilient agricultural methods such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry, and crop diversification. Furthermore, improving irrigation infrastructure and promoting water harvesting and conservation measures can help farmers adapt to changing climates.