The Green Revolution in maize

  • July 19, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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The Green Revolution in maize

Sub: Geo

Sec: Eco geo

Context:

  • India achieved self-sufficiency in wheat and rice, thanks to high-yielding varieties bred by institutions such as Mexico-based CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) and IARI, under scientists like Norman Borlaug and M S Swaminathan.

Maize Revolution in India

  • Maize production in India has more than tripled from 11.5 million tonnes in 1999-2000 to over 35 million tonnes in 2023-24, with average yields rising from 1.8 to 3.3 tonnes per hectare.
  • Only a fifth of maize is used for human consumption, with 60% serving as feed for poultry and livestock.
  • Maize is a key energy source in broiler, egg-layer, and cattle feeds, with broiler feed containing 55-65% maize.

India’s first ‘Waxy’ Maize hybrid- Pusa Waxy Maize Hybrid-1:

  • 14-15% of maize is used industrially for starch and 1-3% of other simple carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose and fructose), which has applications in various industries, and for ethanol production for blending with petrol.
  • IARI has bred India’s first “waxy” maize hybrid with high amylopectin starch content, better suited for ethanol production.
  • The new Pusa Waxy Maize Hybrid-1(AQWH-4) has a higher starch recovery rate, enhancing ethanol yield.
  • Normal maize starch has 30% amylose and 70% amylopectin. The starch from IARI’s waxy maize hybrid (AQWH-4) has 93.9% amylopectin.
    • Softness ensures better grinding of the grains fed into the mill for making flour.
    • Granules with higher amylopectin are also easily accessible by alpha-amylase, the enzyme that hydrolyses or breaks down the starch into smaller glucose units.
    • The glucose is, then, fermented into ethanol using yeast.
  • Field trials are underway in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Distillers’ Association.

CIMMYT’s Contribution:

  • CIMMYT has opened a maize-doubled haploid facility in Karnataka, producing genetically pure inbred lines to speed up maize breeding.
  • This facility produced 29,622 maize DH lines last year, focusing on high-yielding lines tolerant to various stresses.
    • CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) is one of the 15 CGIAR centres based in Mexico.
    • CIMMYT is known for hosting the world’s largest maize and wheat genebank.

Private Sector’s Role:

  • The Green Revolution in maize has been led by the private sector, with private sector-bred hybrids accounting for over 80% of India’s maize area.
  • CIMMYT collaborates with both public institutions and private seed companies to improve maize varieties.
Maize

  • Temperature: Between 21-27°C
  • Rainfall: High rainfall.
  • Soil Type: Old alluvial soil.
  • Top Maize Producing States: Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
  • As per the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) data, India was the fifth largest producer of Maize in 2020.
  • It is used both as food and fodder.
  • The use of modern inputs such as High-Yielding Variety seeds, fertilisers and irrigation have contributed to the increasing production of maize.
  • Technology Mission on Maize is one of the government’s initiatives for maize.
  • MSP is provided by the GOI for Maize crops.
Geography The Green Revolution in maize