| | OCTOBER 20228INDUSTRY INSIGHTSInputs By Dr. Ganesh Kamath, Director, Organica BiotechD id you know that the pesticides residue in your food can develop Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in your children? Or that the global food demand is going to go as high as 98 percent by 2050? That's right, we are reaching the pinnacle of food insecurities and environ-mental disaster. There will be no turning back for a course correction if we do not pause now and check where it all went wrong.As we all know the first post-Green Revolution phase (from late-1960s to mid-1980s) was marked by heightened productivity from otherwise poorly yielding land through the intensification of chemical and machinery inputs. Prior to this period, the Indian farmer relied on traditional and natural methods of crop cultivation without an in-depth un-derstanding of the requirements to maximize land produc-tivity. The second post-Green Revolution phase (beginning the mid-1980s) was marked with high input-use and a con-trasting reduction in productivity. A closer look at the facts & figures brings to light that in actuality, we are still lagging behind the world despite of having more favourable climate and much more fertile soils. Despite being the top produc-er of Bengal gram in the world, India imports Bengal gram from other countries to meet its heavy domestic needs. Chi-na, the No. 1 producer of wheat in the world, beats India by a huge yield gap of 31 million metric tonnes. These patterns are indications that there is a dire need to look at increasing land productivity.Our soil, one of the most prominent reasons that life is possible on this planet, is particulate surface material made-up of various minerals, as well as organic matter. Soil supports & nourishes plant's and animal's life by providing it with nutrients. The ancients changed their fates and ours when they evolved from hunter-gatherers to cultivators of the land. Over time, our chemistry with soil has evolved and helped form the foundation of our thriving civilization on this planet. From tiny unicellular algae to complex vascular LOOKING BEYOND SOIL CHEMISTRY
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