ABSTRACT
For crops such as rice and wheat, the introduction and widespread use of high-yielding varieties and associated practices in India gave birth to what is popularly known as the ‘green revolution’. The green revolution placed emphasis on the intensive use of agro-chemicals, notably fertilizers and plant protection chemicals in conjunction with irrigation water. It is no surprise that the greatest successes have been in areas with assured irrigation facilities with the green revolution having, in turn, laid the foundation for the socioeconomic development of irrigated areas in rural India. There is less scope for replicating the green revolution technologies in rainfed areas, especially semi-arid areas. Farming systems in such areas are highly location-specific and require new technologies and strategies suited to their micro environments based on indigenous knowledge and skills.
