14. What are the major reasons for declining rice and wheat yield in the cropping system? How crop diversification is helpful to stabilise the yield of the crop in the system? (250 words) 15m
Ans. Wheat and rice were the crops which got most benefited from Green Revolution. The yield of rice and wheat increased by three to five times in a span of few years. This transformation could be possible because of the use of HYV (High Yielding Variety) seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides, tubewell irrigation etc.
However what proved to be a gain once is now becoming a pain for the cultivators of wheat and rice. Now the yield of both these crops is
decreasing because of worsening soil health due to
unscientific and excessive use of fertilisers. This has resulted in declining soil fertility and
increasing input cost for farmers along with these, declining water table in the regions which indiscriminately used groundwater for growing rice in the water deficient regions are affecting the yield of these crops.
During that time, the farmers ignored the use of crop rotation and cultivation of pulses which proved disastrous for rice and wheat. Now the research and development in the field of improving rice and wheat varieties is also shrinking.
The state of the Indian agriculture report points out that in the last 50 years the size of the land holdings has reduced significantly, this has also led to the decrease in the yield.
Various solutions have been suggested by experts to stabilise the yield of crops in the system. One of the solutions is crop diversification. It has many benefits like
• It has the ability to correct the skewed cropping pattern in the regions like Marathwada, Vidarbha, Bundelkhand or other rainfed regions which grow water intensive crops like rice and sugarcane which mostly led to crop failures. This anomaly can be corrected with crop diversification as the correct crop for the correct region will be cultivated.
• It will also stabilise the yield in the same region as the same crop grown again and again on the same soil depletes minerals and organic content out of the soil.
• If crop diversification is used, it will result in crop rotation and multiple cropping. Crop rotation with pulses will stabilise the yield of pulses as well as of other crops like rice, wheat and sugarcane.
• Crop diversification will give importance to crops according to the region like the climate, soil, industries, skills etc. It will also provide good economic benefits to the farmers and their risks will also get reduced.
So, in overall it can be said that crop diversification is one of the most suitable ways of stabilising the crop yield in India.
Ans. Wheat and rice were the crops which got most benefited from Green Revolution. The yield of rice and wheat increased by three to five times in a span of few years. This transformation could be possible because of the use of HYV (High Yielding Variety) seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides, tubewell irrigation etc.
However what proved to be a gain once is now becoming a pain for the cultivators of wheat and rice. Now the yield of both these crops is
decreasing because of worsening soil health due to
unscientific and excessive use of fertilisers. This has resulted in declining soil fertility and
increasing input cost for farmers along with these, declining water table in the regions which indiscriminately used groundwater for growing rice in the water deficient regions are affecting the yield of these crops.
During that time, the farmers ignored the use of crop rotation and cultivation of pulses which proved disastrous for rice and wheat. Now the research and development in the field of improving rice and wheat varieties is also shrinking.
The state of the Indian agriculture report points out that in the last 50 years the size of the land holdings has reduced significantly, this has also led to the decrease in the yield.
Various solutions have been suggested by experts to stabilise the yield of crops in the system. One of the solutions is crop diversification. It has many benefits like
• It has the ability to correct the skewed cropping pattern in the regions like Marathwada, Vidarbha, Bundelkhand or other rainfed regions which grow water intensive crops like rice and sugarcane which mostly led to crop failures. This anomaly can be corrected with crop diversification as the correct crop for the correct region will be cultivated.
• It will also stabilise the yield in the same region as the same crop grown again and again on the same soil depletes minerals and organic content out of the soil.
• If crop diversification is used, it will result in crop rotation and multiple cropping. Crop rotation with pulses will stabilise the yield of pulses as well as of other crops like rice, wheat and sugarcane.
• Crop diversification will give importance to crops according to the region like the climate, soil, industries, skills etc. It will also provide good economic benefits to the farmers and their risks will also get reduced.
So, in overall it can be said that crop diversification is one of the most suitable ways of stabilising the crop yield in India.