Exploring science in agriculture

Exploring Science in Agriculture

Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy

Suicides are an indicator. Indicating what?

Farmer’s crisis?Farmer’s crisis?

Farming crisis?

Crisis explained

Ecological

Social?

EconomicGovernance

“Blame the Farmer”

Bureaucrat

Farmer Scientist

Banker

Processor

Wrong Priorities:

Bu-Bu Farmer

Pesticide conundrum

4 extremely hazardous 15 highly hazardous

90 moderately hazardous

31 slightly hazardous

249 registered pesticides

Global spending

• Total global public spending on agricultural R&D in 2008 was $31.7 billion

• Global public spending on agricultural R&D increased by $5.6 billion (+22%) from R&D increased by $5.6 billion (+22%) from 2000 to 2008. China (+ $2.1 billion) and India (+ $0.6 billion) were the main drivers of growth

• In 2008, 49% of global public spending in agricultural R&D came from low and middle income countries

Research Establishment

� 49 ICAR institutes,

� 17 national research centers,

� 6 bureaux,

� 25 project directorates, � 25 project directorates,

� 79 All India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRPs) and AINPs

� 607 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) � 52 State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), � 1 Central Agricultural University, � 4 Central Universities having faculty of Agriculture

Dichotomy

Yield

Price

Consideration for science

• Decrease in productive land

• Growing number of pests

• Pest resistance

• Seed varieties – build on the present• Seed varieties – build on the present

• Limits to yield

• Soil health – loss of top layer, mineral loss

Flaws in Agricultural Science

• Business-oriented research

• Patent as a objective - IPRs

• No contextual research

• Very minimal problem definition –• Very minimal problem definition –conceptual clarity

• ‘Outlandish’ solutions

• Controlling ‘questions’ – conditioned thinking

• Pursuing ‘Western’ model

Flaws in Agricultural Science

• Ignoring agro-climatic zones

• Neglecting existing practices

• No follow-up research on ‘field’ releases of knowledge or technologyknowledge or technology

• Serious problems with agricultural science, scientists and establishment

• Wrong direction

• No output-oriented work

• No experimentation and observation

Commandments for ‘good’ science

• ‘Local’ agricultural field as a destination, and not a conference

• ‘Fruit’ or ‘harvest’ as an outcome, than a article in a journalarticle in a journal

• ‘Service orientation’ than job prescription

• ‘project’ as a vehicle, than a goal

• Insect-centric research, than ‘pest’ linked pursuit

In summary

• Serious introspection, at individual and institutional level

• More consideration for Indian ethos, and centuries old practicescenturies old practices

• Shunning ‘Western’ models, and critically reviewing ‘recommendations’

• Questioning oneself, and also establishment

Thank you

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