Evolution of Overall Cotton Production and Its Determinants: Implications for Developing Countries Using Pakistan Case

Managing the declining yield of non-food crops has opened new strategic challenges amidst global uncertainties. The COVID-19 scenario has increased awareness of natural lifestyle and eco-friendly products, largely dependent on non-food crop material. This strategic shift requires moving beyond traditional farm practices to improve agricultural production efficiency, and developing countries in particular have shown a consistent loss in their self-sufficiency of industrial crops despite being major exporters of non-food crop materials. However, existing studies analyze production efficiencies of non-food crops from general or theoretical aspects often by virtual estimates from breaking down the multiple factors of crop productivity. This study examined multiple factors of crop production to identify “which crop inputs have been inefficiently used overtime” by tracking efficiency changes and various input issues in overall cotton production from practical aspects, i.e., scaling non-constant returns of those multiple factors would allow for the violation of various situations. Accordingly, a stochastic frontier approach was employed to measure the production frontier and efficiency relationship using time-series data of Pakistan’s cotton production from 1971–2018—a specific non-food crop perspective from a top-ranked cotton-producing country that has recently been shifted towards being a non-exporter of cotton due to low yield. The coefficient of area, seed, and labor indicates the positive relationship with cotton production, while fertilizer, irrigation, electricity, and machinery are statistically negative. This implies that policymakers need priority-based strategies for the judicial use of synthetic fertilizers, irrigation, a subsidy policy, and technology adoption, which could significantly improve the efficiencies of cotton productivity from the same land resources. Being adaptable to other developing economies, the analysis would strategically facilitate designing and developing affordable technology-driven solutions and their customized extensions towards sustainable non-food crop production practices and Agri-Resources efficiencies.

Impact of Cluster Front Line Demonstrations on Green Gram (MH-421) in Sirsa District of Haryana State

Pulses are one of the important food crops globally due to higher protein content. In India,they are also responsible for yielding large financial gains by amounting for a large part ofthe exports. Cluster frontline demonstrations on moong bean crop covering 110 ha areaunder variety MH-421 were conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra at 110 locations in Sirsadistrict of Haryana state during four consecutive years viz. 2016 to 2019. The technologicalgaps were identified in existing crop production technology through farmers meetings andgroup discussions. The findings showed significant increase in the average yield ofdemonstrated plot (23.1%) over the farmer’s plot of moong bean crop. Average yield ofdemonstration plots was recorded higher by 26.90 per cent, 20.50 per cent, 20.00 per centand 25.00 per cent in years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. The extension gapwas 2.02 q/ha, 1.50 q/ha, 1.50 q/ha and 2.00 q/ha while technology gap was 2.48 q/ha,3.20 q/ha, 3.00 q/ha and 2.00 q/ha in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively. Duringthese four years yield increase in demonstrations plots expressed as additional incomeover check plots accounted for Rs. 11300/ha, Rs. 900/ha, Rs. 6200/ha and Rs.14400/haduring various years.

Introduction

India has come a long way from being a food scarce nation in the 1960s to a food surplus nation thereafter. The remarkable transformation of the agricultural sector was the result of massive improvements in productivity level owing to the Green Revolution in the case of cereals and the breakthrough that followed in few other agricultural commodities, most notably, dairying. Today, India is the largest producer of milk, pulses, banana, mango, pomegranate, papaya, lemon, okra, ginger and non-food crops like cotton and jute; the second-largest producer of rice, wheat, fruits and vegetables, tea and one of the leading producers of eggs and meat in the world. India produced 281.8 million tonnes of food grains, 307.7 million tonnes of horticulture crops, 176.5 million tonnes of milk, 96 billion eggs and 7.7 million tonnes of meat during TE 2018–19.

Perspectives on Climate Smart Agriculture

Agriculture is one of India's most significant industries, serving half of the nation. Climate is a big factor for agricultural production. Agriculture is primarily rain-fed and subjected by small-scale farmers. Rain-fed crops are 48% of the overall area under food crops and 68% on non-food crops. The complete worldwide agricultural production in India accounts for 7.39%. India's total emissions from all GHGs in 2014, according to the World Resource Institutes, total about 3,200 MTCO2 eq out of 48,892 MTCO2s eq worldwide in 2014. Agriculture is ascribed 626.86 2 MTCO2 eq of the Indian greenhouse gas emissions averaged in 2014 of 3,200 MTCO2 eq. This chapter reviews the concept of sustainable agriculture, establishes the link between climate change and agriculture, the origination of climate-smart agriculture, and relevant practical approaches, case studies, and geospatial assessment methods responding to climate-smart agriculture.

Marketing: Farmers Promulgates Cash Crops, Itinerary to Support Their Livelihood and Enhance Their Living Standard

This paper is a briefing on the marketing and emergence of cash crops in the Indo-Bangladesh border, South West Khasi Hills District Meghalaya. It is solely aimed at understanding the inborn entrepreneurship skills of the particular sub-tribe of the Khasis called "War". They live in steep and sloppy mountains with moderate temperatures and receive sufficient precipitation throughout the year, which enables them to sustain their farming. Marketing is the heart core of every individual, regardless of any background and professionals. Marketing plays a very important role to the farmers, and everyone could enhance their standard of living due to the technique of commercialization. The Non-farmers can buy the food crops from the farmers through the role of business administration. It is pointless to have money without having a food supply. Thus, the commercialization of agricultural produce is highly required. Cash crops cultivation promotes economic growth and social growth; economically, people can generate income, put savings, and purchase physical capital. Socially they bridged with each other, helping one another, exchanging work, advising the younger ones, and imparting knowledge to one another, providing seeds and saplings to the have not. There is an evolution from practicing traditional crops, which can be consumed directly, to Cash crops, which need to be exported outside of the State through a marketing system with the intention to manufacture further for finished products.

Efficient High-throughput Techniques for the Analysis of Disease-Resistant Plant Varieties and Detection of Food Adulteration

Over the past two decades, the advances in the next generation sequencing (NGS) platforms have led to the identification of numerous genes/QTLs at high-resolution for their potential use in crop improvement. The genomic resources generated through these high-throughput sequencing techniques have been efficiently used in screening of particular gene of interest particularly for numerous types of plant stresses and quality traits. Subsequently, the identified-markers linked to a particular trait have been used in marker-assisted backcross breeding (MABB) activities. Besides, these markers are also being used to catalogue the food crops for detection of adulteration to improve the quality of food. With the advancement of technologies, the genomic resources are originating with new markers; however, to use these markers efficiently in crop breeding, high-throughput techniques (HTT) such as multiplex PCR and capillary electrophoresis (CE) can be exploited. Robustness, ease of operation, good reproducibility and low cost are the main advantages of multiplex PCR and CE. The CE is capable of separating and characterizing proteins with simplicity, speed and small sample requirements. Keeping in view the availability of vast data generated through NGS techniques and development of numerous markers, there is a need to use these resources efficiently in crop improvement programmes. In summary, this review describes the use of molecular markers in the screening of resistance genes in breeding programmes and detection of adulterations in food crops using high-throughput techniques.

Importance of the Natural Incidence of the Fusarium Genus in Food Crops Established in Northern México

The incidence of the Fusarium genus causing root rot is reviewed in crops showing high importance for food supply and to obtain regular income by farmers in the highlands of Northern México. Pathogen incidence was evaluated under field conditions in multiple sampling locations for common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and several chili peppers (Capsicum annuum) local cultivars (landraces and bred cultivars). Five commercial plots for registered and certified seed were also evaluated in common beans to be used in the ‘seed refreshing program’ implemented for the cultivar Pinto Saltillo, considered as the main variety sown in the highlands of México. High Fusarium genus incidence and its interactions with other fungi species, such as Rhizoctonia solani and Pythium spp., cause high losses in plant population, commercial yield and seed quality in food crops grown in Northern México. The natural incidence of plant disease caused by the Fusarium genus and its negative effect on crop survival and the reduction of commercial yield and seed quality is fully reviewed. Plant disease resistance, crop breeding and the influence of the environmental conditions were also considered.

Assessment of health risks from consumption of food crops fumigated with metal based pesticides in Gwadam, Gombe State, Nigeria

Intensive use of agrochemicals has led to build of heavy metals in the soil ecosystem and their transfer to edible parts of crops. This study was aimed to determine the heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu and Zn) concentrations in some twenty commonly used pesticides in northern Nigeria, and health risk associated from the consumption of food crops fumigated with these pesticides as the only source of metal contamination. Heavy metals content in pesticides, food crops and soils were analyzed after acid digestion using atomic absorption spectrometry. Traces of heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu and Zn) were detected in most of the pesticides. The concentrations of heavy metals in crops fumigated with pesticides ranged from 0.33-4.68, 1.75-38.08, 0.67-16.83, 9.01-436.75, 0.17-20.80mg/kg for Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn respectively. The mean concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Cr in all the crops were above WHO, (2019) permissible limit. Heavy metals in soils of corresponding crops were below the permissible limits by UNEP, (2013) and NESREA, (2011). Bioaccumulation factor BAF showed high BAF>1 for Cu and Pb in all the studied crops,while pollution index value revealed contamination for Cd and Pb in all the studied crops. Hazard quotient showed potential health risk from the consumption of only Capsicumannuum for Pb. However, consumers may experience advance health risk through the consumption of Oryza sativa, Zea mays, Solanumlycopersicum, Capsicumfrustescens for all metals (Hazard index). Hence, there is the need for screening of heavy metals in pesticides and monitoring of metals contents in food crops.