|
Young World
Growth spurt
DR. T. V. PADMA
|
The green revolution was most successful in undeveloped and newly industrialising countries.
|
Photo:K. PIchumani.
New varieties: Vast areas cultivated.
Famines were averted by the green revolution, not only in India, but also in other parts of the world.In Mexico the government co-operated with the Rockefeller Foundation and a wheat development programme was started. There was an increase of 250 per cent in yield per acre. The high yielding varieties were not the result of genetic engineering. They w
ere the product of breeding plants in which hybrids were the result of cross-pollination. The Mexican experiment involved 40,000 crossbreeds. Short stemmed varieties were found to be the best.
An international Rice Institute was set up in the Philippines in 1962.Its objective was to find a rice as prolific as the wheat varieties because rice is consumed by 60 per cent of the world population.
In India
The green revolution was most successful in the undeveloped and newly industrialising countries in South and East Asia and South America. In these countries, production of rice and wheat increased by 75 per cent between 1965 and 1980. Along with the development of new varieties of food grains there was an extension in the areas cultivated. Infrastructure like roads improved.
In India, the green revolution helped in the growth of industries. Huge dams were built. Roads were constructed.
However, the green revolution was not without drawbacks.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Young World
|
