Green Revolution in India

What Do We Mean by Green Revolution?

The Green Revolution refers to the rapid increase in food grain production achieved through a package of technological and institutional measures rather than a single change.

At its core, the Green Revolution was driven by:

• High-Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of seeds
• Chemical fertilisers
• Pesticides
• Assured irrigation
• Mechanisation of agriculture

In India, the Green Revolution is primarily associated with wheat and rice, because these two crops witnessed the most dramatic yield increases. However, some agricultural scientists also include maize and soybean, where significant productivity gains were later observed.

Background: Why Was the Green Revolution Needed?

In the early 1960s, India faced:

• Chronic food shortages
• Low agricultural productivity
• Heavy dependence on food imports (especially under PL-480)

Indian wheat yields were far below those of advanced agricultural countries. This crisis compelled India to rethink its agricultural strategy.

At this crucial moment, M. S. Swaminathan, then associated with ICAR, argued that:

Merely improving traditional tall varieties would not work; the entire breeding philosophy had to change.

Introduction of High-Yielding Varieties (HYVs)

Role of Norman Borlaug

On the request of Indian scientists, the Government of India invited Norman E. Borlaug from Mexico in 1963.

After studying Indian agro-climatic conditions, Borlaug observed that:

• India’s climate was very similar to Mexico
• Semi-dwarf wheat varieties successfully used in Mexico could also perform well in India

Key HYV Wheat Varieties

Based on his recommendations:

• Lerma Rojo
• Sonora-64

were introduced in irrigated regions of India.

These varieties:

• Were semi-dwarf (did not lodge even with heavy fertiliser use)
• Responded extremely well to fertiliser and irrigation
• Produced much higher yields per hectare

This marked a turning point in Indian agriculture, especially wheat production. For his contribution, Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

Expansion of Wheat Breeding (1970–1980)

Between 1970 and 1980, India undertook extensive wheat-breeding programmes which led to:

• Development of amber-seeded dwarf wheat varieties
• Further improvement in fertiliser responsiveness
• Stabilisation and scaling up of wheat production

This period firmly established India’s food security, especially in wheat.

Role of Chemical Fertilisers and Pesticides

Why Fertilisers Were Essential?

HYVs are nutrient-hungry varieties. Without chemical fertilisers, they cannot express their yield potential.

Major Fertiliser Types Used:

1. Nitrogenous fertilisers
   • Examples: Ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, urea
   • Function: Promote vegetative growth
2. Phosphate fertilisers
   • Examples: Ammonium phosphate, superphosphate
   • Function: Aid root development, flowering, and seed formation
3. Potassium fertilisers
   • Examples: Potassium sulphate, potassium nitrate
   • Function: Improve disease resistance, tolerance to cold and drought, and strengthen roots

Pesticides

Pesticides are chemical substances used to control pests that could otherwise destroy high-value HYV crops. Their use reduced crop losses and increased effective yield.

Mechanisation of Agriculture

With rising productivity over large areas, traditional manual farming became insufficient.

Mechanisation was adopted due to:

• Shortage of agricultural labour
• Need for timely operations like sowing and harvesting

Common machines included:

• Tractors and ploughs
• Combine harvesters
• Land levellers
• Reapers, threshers, trolleys
• Power-operated sprayers and pumps

Mechanisation increased efficiency, speed, and scale of operations.

Irrigation: The Backbone of the Green Revolution

HYVs require assured and timely water supply. Therefore, irrigation became a non-negotiable prerequisite.

Major Irrigation Sources:

(a) Wells

• Dug wells and tube wells
• Widely used in the Indo-Gangetic plains
• Overexploitation clearly visible in Punjab–Haryana, leading to groundwater depletion

(b) Canals

• Large-scale irrigation systems drawing water from rivers or reservoirs
• Best suited for clayey soils (low percolation)
• Prominent in South India and the Ganga–Yamuna region

(c) River Lift Systems

• Used where canal water supply is irregular or insufficient
• Water is directly lifted from rivers
• Common in South India

(d) Tanks

• Small reservoirs storing runoff from local catchments
• Traditionally important in peninsular India

Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India (BGREI)

The Green Revolution transformed India from a “begging bowl” to a “grain bowl”.
However, this transformation was spatially uneven.

Large parts of eastern India, despite having: Abundant rainfall, Rich alluvial soils, High groundwater potential → remained largely untouched by the first Green Revolution.

👉 BGREI was conceptualised to correct this imbalance.

What is BGREI?

BGREI (Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India) is a flagship programme under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).

• Announced: Union Budget 2010–11
• Focus: Enhancing productivity of rice-based cropping systems
• Approach: Region-specific, resource-efficient, productivity-oriented

Target Regions under BGREI

BGREI focuses on seven eastern and north-eastern states/regions with rich water resources: Assam | Bihar | Chhattisgarh | Jharkhand | Odisha | Eastern Uttar Pradesh | West Bengal

These regions have high potential but low realised productivity, especially in rice and wheat.

Core Objective of BGREI

The central objective is yield maximisation per unit area, achieved through:

• Improved agronomy
• Water harvesting and conservation
• Efficient water utilisation

In essence, BGREI aims to replicate the success of the Green Revolution, but in a more inclusive and regionally balanced manner.

Government Initiatives to Strengthen BGREI

To support BGREI, the government strengthened research and institutional capacity in eastern India through Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Key institutions established include:

• IARI, Hazaribagh (Jharkhand)
• Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi
• National Research Centre for Integrated Farming, Motihari (Bihar)

These institutes focus on:

• Region-specific crop research
• Integrated farming systems
• Biotechnology and sustainability

Second Green Revolution: Shift from Quantity to Sustainability

How is the Second Green Revolution Different?

• First Green Revolution:
  • Objective → Food security
  • Context → Severe food scarcity
• Second Green Revolution:
  • Objective → Sustainable agriculture
  • Context → Environmental stress, stagnating growth, climate change

👉 The emphasis has shifted from “more production at any cost” to “smart production with ecological balance.”

Why Do We Need a Second Green Revolution?

The need arises due to structural, ecological, and demographic pressures:

(a) Rising Pressure on Food Security

• Growing population
• Over-exploitation of land resources
• 65% of population still lives in villages
• Over 70% of rural people depend on agriculture

(b) Regional and Climatic Limitations

• First Green Revolution was confined to well-irrigated areas
• Rain-fed regions, which contribute significantly to food production, remained underdeveloped

(c) Environmental and Ecological Costs

The earlier model led to:

• Groundwater depletion and contamination
• Eutrophication of lakes and ponds due to fertiliser runoff
• Soil degradation and declining fertility

(d) Stagnation and Emerging Challenges

• Agricultural growth has become nearly stagnant
• GM crops are surrounded by controversies:
  • Intellectual property rights
  • Ecological risks
  • Health concerns
• Climate change and sea-level rise threaten productive coastal lands

👉 All these factors create an urgent need to diversify, decentralise, and sustainably intensify agriculture.

What Do We Want from the Second Green Revolution?

The expectations are multi-dimensional, not merely production-oriented:

✔ Higher agricultural output with gainful self-employment, especially for small and marginal farmers
✔ Scaling up food production without disturbing ecological balance
✔ Women empowerment and inclusive growth

• Women contribute 65–70% of labour in crop production
  ✔ Reclamation of degraded, low-fertility, and poorly irrigated lands

In short: Productivity + Sustainability + Social Justice

Making the Second Green Revolution a Success

A. Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture represents a data-driven revolution in farming.

Key components:

• Optimal use of water and fertilisers through precise application
• Soil testing to achieve nutrient stewardship
• Mobile-based applications to provide real-time advisories to farmers

👉 The idea is to do more with less, using information and technology.

B. Efficient Use of Water

Water efficiency is central to sustainability.

Laser Land Levelling

• Uses a laser-guided scraper to level fields uniformly
• Benefits:
  • Improved crop yields
  • Reduced labour for weeding
  • 20–25% reduction in irrigation water use

Additional Measures

• Development of tube wells, dug wells, and farm ponds
• Promotion of:
  • Flood-, drought-, and salinity-tolerant rice varieties
  • Drum seeders for timely direct-seeded rice cultivation

C. Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Sustainability rests on ecological harmony:

• Selection of region-appropriate improved varieties
• Soil management through proper tillage
• Promotion of:
  • Organic farming
  • Natural farming

These practices enhance long-term soil health, ecological stability, and farm profitability.