The Green Revolution helped India to achieve self-reliance in food production.
Today, Madhya Pradesh plays a significant role in strengthening the country's food security. It ranks among the top three pulse-producing states, and its farmers excel not only in producing cereals, oilseeds, and pulses but also in cultivating high-value horticultural crops. Micro-irrigation, reliable electricity supply, and easier access to credit have contributed to a notable rise in farmers' incomes. However, new challenges have also emerged over time, which require timely solutions.
According to Prof. (Dr.) Vijay Singh Tomar, former Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University, Jabalpur, and Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University, Gwalior, farmers are now cultivating summer moong (green gram) on a large scale. Earlier, around ten years ago, moong was mainly grown during the kharif (monsoon) season, which was more environmentally friendly and rain-fed. Moong plants also have nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their roots, which enhances soil fertility.
The area under moong cultivation has more than tripled, but now it is being grown in summer, leading to excessive exploitation of groundwater. To sow moong early, farmers often resort to burning crop residues, which has harmful environmental consequences. Additionally, extra irrigation during the summer season has increased electricity consumption. The state government has banned stubble burning and plans to train farmers in the proper use of crop residues.
To dry summer moong crops quickly, farmers are using herbicides like paraquat and glyphosate. These chemicals help the crop mature faster but harm the environment and pose health risks to consumers. The use of herbicides destroys beneficial soil microbes, reducing the natural fertility of the soil. Also, summer moong requires at least 3-4 rounds of irrigation, further depleting groundwater levels.
Farmers are being made aware of the need to adopt more sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural practices. They are being encouraged to avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides in summer moong that ripens naturally.
Dr. Tomar stated that if Dr. M.S. Swaminathan were alive today, he would agree that the Green Revolution contributed immensely to the country. However, modern agriculture is now witnessing a race for chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and plant protection chemicals, which are harming soil organisms and polluting water sources. Excessive and unregulated use of these chemicals has led to a higher presence of chemical residues in the food we consume, resulting in increased diseases and new health disorders.
