Abstract: Agriculture is the main occupation in Solapur district of Maharashtra and a large part of the rural population dependson it for their livelihood. The district is located in a semi-arid region where rainfall is low and irregular. Because of uncertainrainfall, irrigation is necessary for maintaining agricultural production. In recent years, fruit cultivation has also become animportant activity in the agricultural economy of the district. The present study examines the spatial pattern of irrigation intensity and fruit crop concentration in the talukas of Solapur district. The study is based on secondary data collected from districtwere used in the analysis. Irrigation intensity was calculated to show the share of each taluka in the total irrigated area, while crop concentration was calculated to show the share of fruit farming in the district. The results show clear differences in irrigation development and fruit cultivation among the talukas. Pandharpur, Malshiras and Madha have higher irrigation intensity, while Sangola shows the highest concentration of fruit crops. The Location Quotient analysis shows that fruit farming is concentrated in a few talukas of the district. The correlation value of 0.31 shows a weak positive relationship between irrigation and fruit crop concentration. This means irrigation supports fruit farming in some areas, but factors such as soil conditions, clicropping choices also influence the distribution of fruit cultivation in the district.Keywords: Irrigation Intensity, Fruit Crop Concentration, Location Quotient, Correlation Analysis.
Dr. Vilas Bhanudas Bandgar, Associate Professor, Uma Shikshanshastra Mahavidyalaya, Pandharpur. (Thu,) studied this question.