With 1.04 billion people our country ranks second in population growth around the world. According to an estimate, by year 2020, population would rise to 1.343 billion. To feed a huge population, we will require at least 241 million tonnes of grain production per annum. Therefore, it is necessary to increase to production of both plants and animals. Even in past, to meet the demand of growing Indian population our scientists( such as Swaminathan, Kurien) adapted method to increase production. This resulted in variety of 'revolution', which helped India become self-reliant. These revolutions include: green revolution( high production of food grains), blue revolution( enhanced fish production), white revolution( increased milk production ), yellow revolution( increased food production). Our Scientists are continuously making effort to increase the pulse production, i.e. to spread the golden revolution.
Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture can be defined as the adoption of various farming and production management techniques to maximize agriculture yield. Implement of such practices would help in (i)
conserving natural resources, (ii) maintaining environmental balance and (iii) coping with changing human needs. Hence, to assure sustained livelihood of Indian farmer and related persons, it is necessary adopt sustainable agriculture practices such as mixed farming, crop rotation, inter cropping and integrated farming( also known as integrated agriculture).
Integrated agriculture implies a combination of agriculture with other form of culture such as pisciculture (fish culture), aquaculture, apiculture(bee-keeping), sericulture (silk worm culture), poultry, farming, piggery, live stock production (animal husbandry), etc.
Advantages of Sustainable Agriculture: Sustainable Agriculture is an agricultural production and distribution system that
(i) Achieves the integration of natural biological cycle and controls.
(ii) Protects and renews soil fertility and the natural resource base.
(iii) Optimizes the management and use of farm resources.
(iv) Reduces the use of non-renewable resources and purchased production inputs.
(v) Provide an adequate and dependable form of income.
(vi) Promotes opportunity in family farming and farm communities.
Organic Farming
It is the practice of raising crops which have not been polluted with the use of manures, biofertilizers and biopesticides. Instead healthy cropping systems that provide optimum nutrients to plants and keep the pests as well as weed under control are used. In organic farming there is little or no use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides. Therefore, there is no toxicity due to pollution of crop plants, soil, water or air. Organic wastes are recycled in form of manure. Biofertilizers include the nitrogen fixing organisms (bacteria and blue green algae) and mineral solubilizing bacteria. Biopesticides are organisms or their extracts which repel or kill weeds, insects and other pests, e.g., azardirachtin (Morgosa or Neem), pyrethrum (chrysanthemum), thurioside ( bacterium bacillus thurigiensis). Neem leaves often leaved in grain storage as biopesticides. Healthy cropping includes mixed farming, intecropping farming and crop rotation. These cropping systems help in controlling insects, pests and weeds.
Advantages of Organic Farming
1. It prevents pollution of any component of our environment.
2. Farm waste are recycled.
3.The food obtained from organic farming are free from pesticides and toxic chemicals.
4.Organic farming maintains the soil health.
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