GREEN REVOLUTION

What is the Green revolution?

• The Green revolution refers to a set of research and development of technology transfer initiatives occurring between the 1930s and the late 1960s that increased agricultural production world wide , particularly in the developing world , beginning markedly in the late 1960s
• The new technologies were :

1. High - yielding varieties (HYVs) of  cereals ( Wheat and rice )
2. Chemical fertilizers (plus agro - chemicals)
3. Controlled water - supply (irrigation)

• New methods of cultivation (including mechanisation)

• All of these are a " package of practices " capable to overtake " traditional " technology and to be adopted as a whole. 

Why was a revolution needed ?

• India promoted heavy industrialization especially after the second five year plan (1956 - 1957 to 1960 - 1961) , leaving the agricultural sector relatively neglected.
• Famine had ripped through parts of India in the past. Severe two years consecutive droughts attacked India in the mid - 1960s.
• Agriculture recorded a large negative growth and India faced serious food problem. India was obliged to import as  much as 10 million tons of food (mainly wheat ) for the two years. 

Population & production in india

The Father of GREEN REVOLUTION

NORMAN BORLAUG

• NORMAN BORLAUG was the father of the Green revolution, and he received the nobel peace prize in 1970
• He is credited with saving over a billion people from starvation , through the development of high - yielding varieties of cereal grains , expansion of irrigation infrastructure , modernization of management techniques , distribution of hybridized seeds , synthetic fertilizers , and pesticides to farmers.
• The term " GREEN REVOLUTION " was first used in 1968 by former US Agency for International Development ( USAID ) director William Gaud .

Who noted the spred of the new technologies

"These and other devlopments in the field of agriculture contain the makings of a new revolution. It is not a violent Red Revolution like that of the Soviets , nor is it a white Revolution like that of the shah of Iran . I call it the Green Revolution ".

GREEN REVOLUTION IN INDIA

INDRA GANDHI 

                      

• In 1965 the government of Mrs. Indira Gandhi decided to major steps on agriculture conditions.
• Thus Green Revolution was applied to the period from 1967 to 1978.
• In 1961 , India was on the brink of mass famine and Norman Borlaug was invited in the country . Ford foundation and Indian Government imported wheat seed from the International Maizc - wheat improvement centre . 
• Punjab was selected by the Indian Government to be first site to try the new crops because of its reliable water supply and a history of agriculture success. India began Revolution program of plant breeding irrigation Development and financing of agrochemicals.
• India adopted a semi - dwarf rice variety Developed by the IRRI that could produce more grain of rice per plant when grow with certain fertilizers and irrigation.

SEED SELECTION - HOW WAS IT DONE ?

• In wheat : A Japanese variety of wheat Narin - 10 , source of dwarfing genes for wheat improvement were used to develop - Sonore 64 & Lerma Rojo at CIMMI , In 1963 , IARI received one - quintal seed of Lerma Roja 64 , sonora  63 , sonora 64 , and Maya 64 from Dr. Norman E.Borloug of CIMMYT to conduct multilocation test and assess the yield potential . The variety kalyan sona and sonakika were modified from of the imported draf varieties integrated to Indian agriculture. It paved the way for Green Revolution through the efforts of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan.
• In Rice : In 1966 IR8 (DEE - GEO - WOO - GENX peta ) was developed at IRRI 2kg of this rice var . was introduced to India & later seientist developed a superior semi - dwarf var ( IR 36 = jaya ) using IR8 , That was suitable at Indian condition. This var , yielded up to 10 ton per annum where as IR8 gave only 6 ton per  annum with IR 36 India become self sufficient to meet its food demands & also could maintain a buffer stock of rice ,so IR 36 called as " MIRACLE RICE " of India. 

PRODUCTION INCREASES 

• Cereal production more than doubled in developing nations between the years 1961 -1985 (Rice , Maize , Wheat ). The production increases can be attributed roughly equally to irrigation , fertilizer , and seed devlopment ( Asian Rice ) .
• Agricultural output in creased as a result of the Green Revolution , the energy input to produce a crop has increased faster , So that the ratio of crop produced to energy input has decreased over time .
• Green Revolution techniques rely on chemical fertilizers , pesticides and herbicides also on machines , which rely on crude oid , making agriculture increasingly reliant on crude oil extraction. 
• Proponents of the peak oil theory fear that afuture decline in oil and gas production would lead to a decline in food production or even a Malthusion catastrophe. 

EFFECTS ON FOOD SECURITY

• The world population has grown by about four billion since the beginning of the Green Revolution and many believe that , without the Revolution , there would have been greater famine and malnutrition. 
• India saw annual wheat production rise from 10 million tons in the 1960s to 106.21 million in 2020. 
• Between 1950 and 1984 , as the Green Revolution transformed agriculture around the globe , world grain production increased by about 160%. 
• The production increases through the Green Revolution are often credited with having helped to avoid widespread famine , and for feeding billions of people. There are also claims that the Green Revolution has decreased food security for a large number of people. 

MALTHUSIAN CRITICISM

• Some criticisms generally involve some variation of the Malthusion principle of population concerns often revolve around the idea that the Green Revolution is unsustainable , and argue that humanity is now in a state of over population or over shoot with regards to the sustainable carrying capacity and ecological demands on the earth. 
• At though 36 million people die each year as a direct or indirect result , of hunger and poor nutrition , Malthus's more extreme predictions have frequently failed to materialize. 
• In 1798 Thomas Malthus made his prediction of impending famine. The world's population had doubled by 1923 and doubled again by 1973 without fulfilling Malthus's prediction. 

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

The global increase in food production in the last 50 years can be attributed to the Green Revolution. 

Here are some criticisms :

• Problems of salinization and waterlogged soils have increased with the expansions of the irrigation. 
• High chemical inputs have had a considerable negative effect on biodiversity. 
• III - health has occurred due to contaminated water and other forms of agricultural pollution.  

Pesticide cycle

LIMITATION OF GREEN REVOLUTION

• The Green Revolution , howsoever impressive , but Not a 100% success. 
• Only Punjab and Haryana states showed best results of Green Revolution. 
• The new farming techniques , has given birth to the serious pollution of drinking water causing cancer and other diseases. 
• A recent Punjabi University study found a high rate of genetic damage among farmers , which was attributed to pesticides use. 
• The new organic fertilizer , pesticides and chemicals are running the soil. 
• Lead to unemployment and Rural - Urban Immigration. 

EVERGREEN REVOLUTION 

• Agress cannot maintain crop yields through green revolution. 
• So India needs The sustainable Green Revolution
• Success of Green Revolution lies In sustainable Green Revolution i.e. Evergreen Revolution. 

CONCLUSION :- 

• Green Revolution in India has led to substantial increase in food grain production but has created threatening problems of deforestation , soil erosion , soil solinity , environmental degradation , loss of crop diversity , pest resurgence , increased incidence of mosquito borne diseases etc. 
• There fore , the advantages of the Green Revolution has been masked by the problems posed by it. 
• The world needs Green Revolution 2 , which promises to feed a growing world population sustainably - without compromising the needs of future generations. 
• The world need another revolution like green revolution not only in cereals but also in pulses oil seed and other crops.