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Earlier, in the Neolithic era, agriculture was restrained to the growth of a few crops like rice, wheat, corn, and maize following one crop annually. It gradually spread its arm to major revolutions that helped ease the practices and increase the output. Now, it being so prominent, intensive, and commercialized involves various technical aspects discussed later in the blog.
Introduction
It involved a significant alteration that happened from the time when agriculture began to its later ongoings and is continuing even now as it is perfectly said that the human mind would never stop bringing innovations and creations. It is our transition from hunting and gathering to planting and sustaining, from planting and sustaining to mechanization, and from mechanization to genetic engineering, insecticides, pesticides, HYVs, and so on.
History
The term “Green Revolution” was first used by William S. Gaud, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in a speech on 8 March 1968. Mexico is the birthplace of this famous Revolution due to the birthplace of a person starting it. Agriculture Revolution started its journey from Britain in the 18th century spreading to America and Europe and then firming its grip all over the world. It resulted in a massive increase in food production through a play with seeds, crops, cropping methods, and machines like seed drillers, plows, reapers, tractors, etc. It involved changes in water supply and cultivation systems.
Importance of Agriculture Revolutions
• India being a country where 60% of its population relies on agriculture for their living involves ever running need of always evolving the Agricultural practices towards making a better production along with purview of eco-friendliness and maintaining the productivity of soil with produce.
• It helped India reduce its reliance on imports for food.
• It increased the production as well as the quality of production.
• It reduces the dependence of Indian farmers on monsoon by developing an irrigation system.
• It increased employment in India.
• It helped industries since with mechanization the demand for tractors and other machinery rose. It also helped them by providing important raw materials to agro-based industries. Thus the growth of Agriculture and Industries went hand in hand.
Major revolutions in India
First Agriculture Revolution ( 1966-69):- it involved a transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture and plant care.
Second Agriculture Revolution:- it involved an increase in production with the help of mechanization.
Third Agriculture Revolution:- it involved the production of insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers with hybridization as its important characteristic.
Fourth Agriculture Revolution:- it involved a change in farming techniques rich with chemicals to organic practices keeping in view the replenishment of soil.
Green Revolution:-
when we talk of revolutions in India the first one that encounters our mind is probably the Green Revolution. Started in the 1960s by Norman E Borlaug, considered the father of the green revolution or harit Kranti led to a dramatic surge in production.
The efforts of Borlaug(pictured above) started with the development of high-yielding varieties of cereal grain, the rectification of irrigation system, disbursement of fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides along with modernization of then-existing management practices saved the lives of billions. I feel immensely delighted in telling you that we at our university, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology have Norman E Borlaug CRC at which he worked. Introducing the green revolution to India is credited to the Father of the Green Revolution in India, M. S. Swaminathan. It was launched during the second five-year plan with Punjab being chosen as its initiation site probably because of the state’s track record of working effectively and improving production. It changed India’s position from a food deficient country to one of the world’s leading agricultural nations. It was aimed to welcome an overall agriculture modernization in the long run.
Its elements included:-
With the irrigation system being developed two cropping systems emerged that involve the cultivation of two crop seasons annually because of no longer dependence on just monsoon.
ICAR developed new high-yielding varieties.
Increased with along with increased cultivation acreage.
It was also known as the wheat revolution due to the increase in its production over three times.
Imports of food grains were reduced and hence there was an increase in our self-sufficiency.
Gene Revolution
Green Revolution was followed by Gene Revolution as biotechnology was emerging and spreading its roots.
You can go through our article that mentions it with just a click at the site mentioned below.
Some other Revolutions are mentioned as:-
Black Revolution - Growth of petroleum
Red Revolution - Increase in meat production
Blue Revolution - Increased in aquaculture
Golden Fiber Revolution - Increase in production of jute
Grey Revolution - Increase in production of fertilizers
White Revolution - Increase in production of milk, also known as operation flood Yellow Revolution - Increase in production of oilseeds
Silver Revolution - Increase in egg production
Brown Revolution - Increase in production of coffee
Round Revolution - Increase in production of potatoes
Pink Revolution - Increase in onion production and prawn (🍤) production
Golden Revolution - Increase in production of fruits and honey
Silver Fiber Revolution - Increase in production of cotton
Protein Revolution - Increase in production of Agriculture
Evergreen Revolution - Promoted overall production of Agriculture
To read all these revolutions in detail do not forget to visit the mentioned link https://www.shuruwaatagri.com/post/agricultural-revolutions-of-india-shuruwaatagri
All in all, Revolutions involved changes in humankind's development with success stories in the development and production of food, fiber, fuel, feed, and other plants and animals goods.
Modern Agriculture
It involves activities that help farmers increase their farming and land efficiency with higher productivity by making technology its companion. Agribusiness, intensive farming, and sustainable agriculture are other names of modern agriculture. Output is obtained ensuring sustainability instead of mere focus on produce obtained. But farmers must be cautious in the use of insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers since excessive use of them would lead to poor soil health and thus short-term benefits. Some most common technologies being used by farmers include autonomous tractors, drones, seeding, weeding, autonomous harvesters, robots, sensors, GPS, etc. It includes multiple cropping patterns.
Link related to sustainable agriculture is given below
Section for students
Here some very famous questions related to topics are discussed
Remember you are not being tested, instead, the questions are made for you
1. Period of the first green revolution is
a. 1966-1969
b. 1960-1965
c.1971-1974
Ans. a
2. Yellow Revolution and Golden fiber Revolution are related to___ and ___& respectively.
a. Mustard, oilseed
b. Mustard, jute
c. Oilseed, jute
Ans. c
3. Who is known as the Mother of Silver Revolution in India?
a. Indira Gandhi
b. Verghese Kurien
c. Pratibha Patil
Ans. a
4. Who is known as the Father of the White Revolution?
a. Norman Borlaug
b. Dr. Verghese Kurien
c. M S. Swaminathan
Ans. b
5. Green Revolution term was first used by
a. Norman E. Borlaug
b. Willian S. Gaud
c. Neither a nor b
Ans. b
6. Which of the following led to increase in onion production
a. Red Revolution
b. Pink Revolution
c. White Revolution
Ans. b
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