'Second green revolution must stress on mosaic cultivation pattern'

Bangalore, Aug 9 (UNI) The second green revolution in the country must focus on diversified cultivation pattern based on optimisation of water usage that will lead to increased profitability for the farmer and not mere increase in food grains production, ICAR Director General Mangala Rai said today.

Speaking to newspersons after inaugurating a national symposium on 'Improving Input Use Efficiency in Horticulture', organised by the city-based Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, he said the first green revolution, which had made the country self sufficient in food production, laid stress only on limited areas like higher production of wheat and rice.

However, the second revolution should stress on a mosaic pattern of cultivation. Judicious and balanced diversification like growing of vegetables, fruits, pulses and oil seeds as alternative crops to rice and wheat would enhance the profitability and employment, minimise risks and allow efficient and sustainable use of natural resources, he said.

Dr Rai said the National Agriculture Mission had laid focus on balanced use of water, pesticides and agriculture labour as key to optimising agricultural production and profitabilty. At present, only 29 per cent of total precipitation was conserved in the country, which was not utilised in an optimal way. Water harvesting was the key to maximising the utilisation water available for agriculture which had not increased, while the area covered under agriculture had gone up manifold to 124 million hectares, he noted.

The efficient use of water in agriculture had seldom exceeded 40 per cent. Estimation indicated that a mere 10 per cent increase in conservation of precipitation could gain more than 50 million tons of food grains from the existing irrigated area. Methods of low and efficient water utilisation would have to be adopted as otherwise it would lead to inefficiency in all other resources and inputs.

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