Agriculture revolution - IV
RAIS AHMAD KHAN
ARTICLE (January 22 2008): Yields, crops or harvests can be enhanced by either one of the following ways, or a combination of two or more of them:
a) Increasing acreage under cultivation
b) Intensifying planting within a given area;
c) Using better seeds or hybrids
d) Enhanced but judicious use of fertilisers, pesticides, etc.
e) Use of controlled conditions or closed environments for protection from climatic vagaries, viral infections and pests.
f) Boosting the number and frequency of harvests (off-season crops) to maximise land or farming operations.
g) Boosting the natural growth pattern of plants through additives or other techniques.
h) Multiplying the number of plants and/or accelerating their growth period through bio-technologies like Tissue Culture, Hydroponics, artificial rains, controlled heat, humidity, light and other growth factors through computerised operation inside laboratories, growth rooms, glass houses or nurseries, etc.
i) Improving quality and purity of plants, flowers and fruits through genetic selection and elimination of mutants or contamination.
j) Enhancing or multiplying germination or accelerating growth of difficult or slow-growing plants, trees or shrubs.
FOR EXAMPLE:
1) Date palms take about 20 years to reach flowering stage. This fruiting period can be reduced by half, with positive results, since in normal growth patterns or traditional ways, the results even after 20 years may be negative. (The tree may prove a male that will not bear fruits).
2) In a Tissue Culture lab, a plant may be propagated about 60,000 times or more, using a single plasma or sapling from an elite mother-plant. This is not possible through seeding or normal propagation.
3) Another way of boosting production, yields or harvests is through a very recently developed technology, where vertical growth of plants is reinforced. This results in quick growth, longer life and an astounding increase in yields.
EXAMPLE (A): A single tomato plant in a transparent medium with visible rooting system produced 12,000 tomatoes during a single harvesting season.
EXAMPLE (B): Sugarcane that grows to a height of about 10 feet (max.) can be made to grow up to 10 metres in height(tripling the yield of juice for sugar).
EXAMPLE©: The normal yield of potato spuds planted in an acre of land under favourable conditions may not exceed 700 kg (according to a statistical study by SBP some years ago) in the best areas of Pakistan. However, using T.C. technology, the yield can be boosted up to 28 tonnes per acre (an astounding 4000 percent).
These examples will conclusively prove the efficacy and economic benefits of employing modern technologies to solve the perennial problems of food shortages, soaring prices beyond reach of common man, malnutrition and resulting loss of efficiency of human resources, etc-etc.
The question arises as to how much all this innovation is going to cost, who is going to bear it, and how long it will take to recoup the financial outlays, from an investor's point of view?
Before answering these questions, a comparison with the existing modus operandi, future projects in offing, or other options, is necessary.
PRESENT OPTIONS OR CONSTRAINTS CAN BE SUMMARISED AS FOLLOWS:
1) WATER SHORTAGE Present plans call for building massive or medium sized dams at strategic locations, whose construction, apart from the cost estimates running into hundreds of billions in foreign and local currencies, is fraught with dangers and risks that could cause unthinkable losses in human terms. These are: ecological damages; geological (fissure fault lines of earthquakes); climatic changes, and dislocation of affected population.
This does not take into account the time span and cost over-runs (actual expenditure vs. initial estimates or budgeted amounts), and the suffering of the ultimate beneficiaries in the interim period. There is also a potent factor of provincial antagonism over the siting of the dam or eventual apportioning of the usable water.
In contrast, consider widespread use of 'pivot' sprinklers, drip irrigation, desalination plants and pipelines to carry water (instead of canals and other distribution network), which will cost much less, and be productive far more expeditiously.
2) FLOOD CONTROL Reservoirs are necessary to catch excess water from rains or melting snows that cause flooding. By judicious selection of sites for small or medium sized reservoirs, the massive resources needed to build mega units, can be preserved and put to better use for the benefit of consumers. This would avoid the pitfalls of huge reservoirs' construction.
3) POTABLE WATER Except for the inaccessible mountain springs or waterfalls on lofty mountains or hill tops, pure water of pristine quality has now become a dream. The ever- present pollution and degradation caused by humans has left little that we can bequeath to future generations. There is no alternative but to install water filtration and treatment plants throughout the country, to overcome the dreaded diseases and epidemics that grip the nation. Reverse osmosis techniques and use of charcoal and sand filters are an easy and inexpensive solution to the problem.
[To be continued]
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