Soils and India's food security
2008
Lal, R.
Indian agriculture is on the cross roads. Yields of major food crops have stagnated or declined since 2000. Thus, Indian agriculture is facing a triple challenge of: (i) doubling the food production by 2030 compared with 2005, (ii) restoring degraded soils and improving quality of surface and ground waters, and (iii) alleviating rural poverty by value addition and diverting population to other professions (e.g., agro¬based industries). Yields of principal crops in India are 2 to 4 times less than those in the industrialized economies. In addition to biophysical (soil, water, climate) factors, there are also serious human dimension issues which need to be addressed to enhance and sustain agronomic production. While building upon the conventional technologies (e.g., conservation tillage, mulch farming, use of plastic mulch, drip sub-soil irrigation, aerobic rice, positive nutrient budget), it is also important to use modem innovations based on nanotechnology, biotechnology and information technology. Zeolites-based amendments have an application in nutrient and moisture conservation. The critical issue is of enhancing the use efficiency of inputs (e.g., fertilizer, irrigation water, energy) by reducing losses. The ~trategy is to improve agronomic yield per unit land area, time and the off-farm inputs of nutrients, energy, water, and labour. With its vast soil and water resources and a range of clirilates,lndia has the capacity to be the world's bread basket by mobilizing farming community,making soil science relevant to societal needs, and improving accoUntability and governance.
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