Why in News?

India is a success story of the green revolution in maize driven by the private sector, with maize production having more than tripled over the past 20 years.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Green Revolution in India
• Green Revolution in Maize

Green Revolution in India:

• About:
  • The history of the Green Revolution in India goes back to the 1960s when high-yielding rice and wheat was introduced to increase food production.
  • It was a period during which agriculture in India was converted into a modern industrial system by the adoption of technology, such as
    • The use of high yielding variety (HYV) seeds,
    • Mechanised farm tools,
    • Irrigation facilities,
    • Pesticides and fertilisers.
  • Mainly led by agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan in India, this period was part of the larger Green Revolution endeavour initiated by Norman Borlaug -
    • for increasing agricultural productivity in the developing world,
    • by leveraging agricultural research and technology.
• Impact:
• Crop varieties can be chosen by breeding for a variety of beneficial traits, including high yields, resistance to disease, fertiliser responsiveness, and product quality.
• It resulted in an increase in food grain production (especially in Punjab, Haryana, and Western UP), reduction in imports (leading to self-sufficient), industrial development, rural employment generation, etc.
• Criticism: Despite its initial success, the Green Revolution was met with much controversy throughout India. This is mainly due to:
  • Increased input cost: This resulted in the indebtedness of the small farmers due to increased borrowing to finance the change from traditional seed varieties.
  • Environmental damage and reduced soil fertility: Due to excessive and inappropriate use of fertilisers and pesticides.
  • Increased regional disparities: This is because the green revolution spread only in irrigated and high-potential rainfed areas.
  • Largely limited to wheat and rice.

Green Revolution in Maize:

• Maize crop in India:
  • In India, maize is principally grown in two seasons, rainy (kharif) and winter (rabi).
  • Kharif maize represents around 83% of maize area in India, while rabi maize corresponds to 17% maize area.
  • Among the maize growing countries, India ranks 4th in area and 7th in production, representing around 4% of the world maize area and 2% of total production.
• Maize production in India:
  • 
  • There is another less celebrated revolution that has taken place in India.
  • Between 1999-2000 and 2023-24, annual production of maize has more than tripled, with average per-hectare yields rising from 1.8 to 3.3 tonnes.
• Another feature of maize in India:
  • Maize is a fuel crop rather than a feed crop. Less than 25% of the maize produced is consumed directly by humans.
  • An estimated 60% goes as feed for poultry and livestock, which is indirectly consumed as food by households (as chicken, egg or milk).
  • 14-15% of India’s maize utilisation is for industrial purposes. Maize grains have 68-72% starch, and 1-3% of other simple carbohydrates.
  • Starch has applications in the textile, paper, pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries.
  • The usage of maize as a feedstock for ethanol, which is mixed with petrol, is more recent.
• New varieties of maize:
  • The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has bred India’s first “waxy” maize hybrid with high starch content, making it better suited for ethanol production.
  • The Mexico-based CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) has opened a maize doubled haploid (DH) facility at Kunigal, Karnataka.
    • It produces genetically pure maize that can be used as parents for further crossing and breeding of hybrids.
• What advantage does maize have over wheat and rice?
• Rice and wheat are resistant to hybridization because they are self-pollinating plants, meaning that both the male and female reproductive organs are present in their flowers.
• This contrasts with maize, whose ability to cross-pollinate makes hybrid breeding a profitable endeavour.
• Role of private sector in green revolution in maize:
  • More than 80% of India's maize crop is hybridised by the private sector.
  • CIMMYT is sharing its improved inbred lines with both public sector institutions and 25-odd private seed companies.