Agriculture in India
Subsistence Farming: It is in two forms .They are simple subsistence Farming and Intensive subsistence Farming.
1) simple subsistence Farming: Agriculture is practiced on small patches of land with the help of primitive tools like how, Dao and digging sticks ,and family community labor .This type of farming depends upon monsoon ,natural fertility of the soil and suitability of other environmental conditions to the crops grown. It is a slash and burn agriculture it is also know as shifting agriculture .
2)Intensive subsistence Farming :It is practiced in the areas of high population density of land .It is labor intensive farming ,where high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining higher production .
Commercial farming :The main characteristic of this type of farming is the use of higher doses of modern inputs ,for example High yielding variety (HYV) seeds, chemical fertilizer's ,insectoids' and pesticides in order to obtain higher productivity. The degree of commercialization of agriculture varies from one .
Modern Agriculture
Modern agriculture is an ever-changing approach to agricultural innovations and farming practices that helps farmers increase efficiency and reduce the amount of natural resources needed to meet the world’s food, fuel and fiber demands. Modern farming practices allow farmers to increase productivity while decreasing environmental impact. Modern agriculture is driven by continuous improvement, using technology, digital tools and data to do so Precision agriculture allows farmers to use technology to create management systems based on site-specific data on soils, crops, nutrients, pests moisture or yield.
Reduced tillage
Reduced tillage provides important benefits to the soil including reduced soil erosion, improved water infiltration, increased organic matter and improved overall soil health. In the U.S., 70 percent of soybean acres use reduced tillage, including no-till.
Tile drainage
Many Minnesota soybean farmers use tile drainage to help improve water quality and reduce soil erosion. Other advantages include more consistent yield, less plant stress, fewer plant diseases and less soil compaction. Another large benefit is the decrease of total surface runoff, protecting water quality.
Crop rotation
Eighty percent of soybean acres are used in crop rotation, improving soil health and reducing pest and weed issues. Many Minnesota farmers use a corn-soybean crop rotation.
Cover crops
A cover crop is a crop grown for the protection and enrichment of the soil. Today’s soybean farmers may use cover crops to reduce nutrient loss by taking up nutrients left over from the previous crop. The benefits are endless – including increased soil organic matter, reduced soil erosion and compaction, improved soil health and increased biological activity.
Today’s farming practices to protect water quality
Farmers today use a number of conservation methods to protect water quality. These conservation methods are used to slow water runoff and trap sediment and nutrients. One example that farmers use are buffer strips. Buffer strips remove 50 percent of nutrients and pesticides and 75 percent of sediment. They also allow more time for infiltration within the buffer. Buffers also serve as a food source, nesting cover and shelter for many wildlife specifies. Other examples are terraces and grass waterways
Digital technology tools
Technology is an important part of farming today. Farmers use interactive, online tools and services to continue improving their productivity and efficiency. Examples of this include: UAV Imagery – Farmers are utilizing UAV imagery to monitor crop health the entire growing season, as well as gaining a better understanding of the hydrology of soil, nutrients within the soil, yield loss and gain, and soil temperature.
Data and Technology Services – Data and technology services map and apply crop nutrients precisely where needed and continually change based on soil type and location in the field. Technology platforms are utilized to overlap multiple field informational maps so farmers can make the best possible decisions on items like seed selection, crop nutrients, chemical application and more.
Biotechnology and GMOs
Scientists have been using plant breeding techniques to improve our crop production for thousands of years. In the 1980s, scientists began using biotechnology, or the method of transferring desired genes directly into a plant, to create plants with beneficial characteristics. These products are called genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Each new GMO undergoes years of testing to ensure it is as safe as the non-GMO counterpart. On average, it takes 13 years and costs $130 million to bring a GMO
Top reasons farmers use biotechnology:
1. Limited resources (water-limited conditions – drought resistant)
2. Pest and weed management
3. Optimizing existing farmland (allows farmers to farm existing arable land and preserve nearby habitats)
Horticulture crops : India is one of the leading producer of fruits and vegetables in the world . Tropical and temperate fruits like mangoes of Maharashtra, ap, up and Bihar pineapples of Meghalaya , grapes of ap, Telangana and Maharashtra ;apples ,pears ,apricots ,walnuts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are in great demand the world over.
India produces 1/6 of the world's vegetables.
The First phase -increasing irrigation and Building dam
Between 1950 and 1965 the Indian Government invested heavily on irrigation and power projects .It was hoped that this would raise crop production and solve the problem of food shortage .Big dams for irrigation and electricity generation like Bhakra Nangal (Himachal Pradesh) ,Damodar valley (west Bengal ),Hirakud (Odisha),Nagarjuna Sagar (Andhra Pradesh ),Gandhi Sagar (Madhya Pradesh ) were constructed. The area under cultivation and the irrigated area both went up ,and crop production increased. During this phase , government promoted the formation of farmers cooperatives and also appointed agricultural extension officers to provide technical support to farmers .A variety of initiatives especially for small farmers were taken at the Mandal or block level through community development programs. Despite these developments food shortages continued .In 1962 ,65,India faced two wars and the government spent a lot of money on the war .Also 1965 1966 were met with little rain and were declared as drought years .This led to decline in the production of food grains and forced the government to import food grains .
This situation of depending of other countries for food requirements worried the Indian leaders .The Indian government began to change the policy towards agriculture was called an Green revolution.
Second phase (1966-1990)- Green revolution and its spread
The Government introduced new kind of seeds to the Indian soil which is invented ok various agricultural research institutions on India and from other countries .This marked the second phase of agriculture development. These new seeds are known as High yielding verities. It was also accompanied by use of chemical fertilizer's machinery such as tractors and other beside irrigation facilities. A variety of cooperative banks were setup in rural areas to provide credit to farmers so that vtjru buy raw materials such as seeds, fertilizer's and pesticides ,machinery required for modern farming .
Third phase
The third phase means post reform forming from 1990 to the present .During 1967 to 1991 Indian farmers sold their produce to markets within the country and to the government through the FCI .Also people were dependent for their food purchases on market within the country .Foreign Trade in farm products was not allowed . Export of most products ,especially food grains ,was banned .Imports were also not allowed only the government had the right to import in case of scarcity, Thus The Indian farmers , produced for markets within the country ,required government support to earn a reasonable income from farming .
- by Pooja vadavelli .
Comments
Post a Comment