Improvement in Food Resources Notes

About two-thirds of India's population depends on agriculture. As the population grows, food production must rise, but the area of cultivable land cannot be increased much. So the yield per hectare (productivity) has to be raised.

The Green Revolution greatly increased grain production, and the White Revolution (Operation Flood) increased milk production. Both showed what improved methods can achieve, but relying only on more fertiliser, pesticide, and irrigation harms the soil, water, and useful organisms.

Sustainable agriculture and efficient use of resources (mixed farming, intercropping, integrated management) is needed so that production stays high without degrading the land.

New crop varieties are developed by hybridisation (crossing genetically different plants — inter-varietal, inter-specific, or inter-generic) and by introducing a desired gene to get a genetically modified crop.

Useful features breeders select for: higher yield; improved quality (e.g. better protein in pulses, better oil in oilseeds); biotic resistance (to diseases, insects, nematodes) and abiotic resistance (to drought, salinity, water-logging, heat, cold, frost).

Shorter duration varieties are economical because they allow more crops to be grown in a year. Varieties suited to wider adaptability give stable production across different regions and climates. Changes in agronomic traits (e.g. dwarf cereals that do not fall over) allow better response to fertilisers.

Plants need 16 nutrients. Air supplies carbon and oxygen; water supplies hydrogen and oxygen; the soil supplies the other 13. Of these, six are needed in large amounts (macronutrients: N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S) and seven in small amounts (micronutrients).

Manure is decomposed animal dung and plant waste; it adds nutrients and, importantly, organic matter (humus) that improves soil structure, water-holding capacity, and drainage. Compost and vermicompost are made by decomposing farm and household waste (using earthworms in vermicompost); green manure is a quick-growing crop ploughed back into the soil.

Fertilisers are commercially made and supply nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in concentrated form, giving quick, large yield increases. But continuous heavy use without organic matter destroys soil structure and kills soil organisms, and run-off pollutes water bodies. A balance of organic manure and fertiliser is best.

Most Indian farms depend on the monsoon, which is unreliable, so irrigation systems (wells and tube wells, canals, river-lift systems, tanks, and rainwater harvesting structures) are used to give a dependable water supply.

Cropping patterns: mixed cropping grows two or more crops together on the same field (e.g. wheat + gram) to reduce the risk of total crop failure. Intercropping grows two or more crops in a definite row pattern (e.g. soybean + maize) so that the crops use nutrients differently and pests spread less. Crop rotation grows different crops in a planned sequence on the same field so that soil fertility is maintained (e.g. following a cereal with a legume that fixes nitrogen).

Crops are damaged by weeds (unwanted plants that compete for nutrients), insect pests (that cut, bore, or suck the plant), and diseases (caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses). Control includes resistant varieties, correct sowing time and spacing, clean cultivation, biological control, and careful use of weedicides, insecticides, and fungicides. Losses also occur after harvest due to moisture, heat, insects, rodents, and fungi, so proper drying and storage are essential.

Animal husbandry is the scientific management of livestock — feeding, breeding, housing, and disease control. Cattle husbandry is for milk (milch/dairy animals) and for farm labour (draught animals). Milk yield depends partly on the length of the lactation period. Cross-breeding Indian breeds (like Sahiwal, Red Sindhi) with exotic breeds (like Jersey, Brown Swiss) aims to combine disease resistance and heat tolerance with high milk yield. Animals need a balanced ration of roughage (fibre) and concentrates (proteins and other nutrients), clean well-ventilated shelter, and vaccination and care against parasites and infectious diseases.

Poultry farming is for egg production (layers) and chicken meat (broilers). Improved breeds are produced by crossing Indian (desi, e.g. Aseel) and exotic (e.g. Leghorn) birds for number and quality of chicks, dwarf mothers (low maintenance), heat tolerance, and low-fibre feed use. Broilers need protein- and fat-rich feed with vitamins A and K.

Fisheries provide fish from the sea (marine) and from inland fresh and brackish water. In composite fish culture, five or six species with different feeding habits are grown together in one pond so that all zones of the pond are used and there is no competition for food. Bee-keeping (apiculture) produces honey and wax; the Italian bee Apis mellifera is commonly kept for its high honey yield and gentle nature. The value of the honey depends on the pasturage (flowers available to the bees).