Technological+Factors_Green+Revolution

====Green Revolution refers to a series of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives, occurring between the 1940s and the late 1970s, that increased agriculture production around the world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s.====

====The initiatives involved the development of high-yielding varieties of cereal grains, expansion of irrigation infrastructure, modernization of management techniques, distribution of hybridized seeds, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides to farmers.====

====The earlier HYV, IR8 with a growing period of 130 days, is "miracle rice" compared to the traditional varieties with a growing period of 170 days.The 1980s HYVs, IR36 & IR58 being pest & disease resistant & with a growing period of only 100 days are "wonder rice".====

====→ Shorter growing period, availability of modern irrigation methods & fertilizer application allow 2 or 3 similar crops to be grown in one year on the same plot of land (double cropping or triple cropping), hence increasing output per unit area of land.====

====Irrigation enables farmers to control amount of water given to crops. It increases acreage under farming as crops do not need to rely on natural rainfall which may be unreliable & inconsistent. Without irrigation, water shortage may result in crop failure.====

====Green Revolution techniques also heavily rely on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. HYVs require use of ferilizers to boost yields & use of herbicides to prevent weeds from competing with HYVs for nutrients & use of pesticides to combat pests.====

Green Revolution in India
====The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds after 1965 and the increased use of fertilizers and irrigation are known collectively as the Green Revolution, which provided the increase in production needed to make India self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving agriculture in India. Famine in India, once accepted as inevitable, has not returned since the introduction of Green Revolution crops.====

====-The crop area under HYV varieties grew from seven per cent to 22 per cent of the total cultivated area during the 10 years of the Green Revolution. More than 70 per cent of the wheat crop area, 35 per cent of the rice crop area and 20 per cent of the millet and corn crop area, used the HYV seeds.====

====-The Green Revolution resulted in a record grain output of 131 million tons in 1978-79. This established India as one of the world's biggest agricultural producers. No other country in the world which attempted the Green Revolution recorded such level of success. India also became an exporter of food grains around that time.====