Once the poster child for the Green Revolution in the 1960s that resulted in an increased production of grains from 50 million tonnes to over 300 million tonnes in nearly five decades, Punjab faces a silent crisis – soil dependent on fertilisers, pests resistant to chemicals and declining crop yields despite rising input costs. https://scroll.in/article/1079153/the-fertiliser-addiction-of-indian-farming-is-a-crisis
As monoculture dominates India’s farm sector, the overuse of fertilisers and pesticides has taken a toll on soil health, groundwater reserves and rural livelihoods.
Our analysis found direct links between monocropping and fertiliser use. Among the top 10 Indian states that consume the most fertiliser, six mainly cultivate just five crops on over 90% of the land.
Ecological expert Soumik Banerjee explained this link. “Monoculture leads to increased fertiliser use because each crop type absorbs certain nutrients in large amounts,” he said. “When the same crop is grown season after season, those nutrients are rapidly exhausted, requiring artificial fertilisers to restore them.”
24/02/2025