Jowar can emerge as India’s sustainable alternative to wheat, says study
- July 5, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Jowar can emerge as India’s sustainable alternative to wheat, says study
Subject: Geography
Section: Economic geography
Context:
- Climate experts have been warning that an increase in temperatures due to climate change could adversely impact the yield of wheat, causing concern among wheat-growing countries such as India.
Jowar (sorghum) as an alternative:
- Wheat is highly sensitive to increases in maximum daily temperature during multiple stages of its growth in the post-monsoon and dry winter seasons.
- Jowar (sorghum) can step in as a viable alternative.
- Jowar is able to handle increases in temperature with far less impact on yields.
- Wheat requires 1.4 times more water than jowar owing to the extension of its growth cycle into summer.
- The wheat yields are likely to decrease by 5 per cent coupled with a significant increase in water footprint by 2040.Jowar, in that case, is India’s best bet with its meagre 4 per cent increase in water footprint with the same climatic projections.
- The traditionally grown sorghum or jowar offers resilience to projected climate changes and requires significantly less water than wheat.
- In addition to sorghum (jowar), we can explore millet crops such as pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), foxtail millet, barnyard millet, etc., as a suitable replacement for rice or wheat.
Wheat production in India:
- India is the world’s second-largest producer of wheat, which recorded a whopping 40 per cent increase in production since the early 2000s.
- There is an urgent need for climate-smart agriculture interventions, particularly in the rabi season.
- The total wheat production in the country has gone up since the turn of the century due both to increases in yield (26 per cent) and increases in area (17 per cent).
- The production of jowar, on the other hand, declined by 5 per cent in the same time period. This decline is despite a 37 per cent increase in yields and is attributed to a 21 per cent loss in the area under production.
Jowar (Sorghum) crop:
- An important food and fodder crop cultivated across India.
- It can be cultivated in both Rabi and Kharif seasons.
- Jowar is the 5th most important cereal crop in the world after rice, wheat, maize & barley.
- The nutritional value of sorghum is the same as that of corn and that is why it is gaining importance as livestock feed.
- Sorghum (or) Jowar is also used for ethanol production, producing grain alcohol, starch production, production of adhesives and paper other than being used as food and feed for livestock.
- Jowar (or) Sorghum cultivation is gaining popularity due to its nature of extreme drought tolerance.
Health benefits of jowar:
- Sorghum/Jowar has packed with calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, protein and fibre.
- It provides good antioxidants.
- It contains B vitamins like thiamin and riboflavin.
- Sorghum/Jowar is also known to be heart-healthy and ‘Jowar Roti’ is widely used in India for its health benefits.
- Jowar helps in weight loss.
Major Sorghum or Jowar production states in India:
- Maharashtra
- Karnataka
- Madhya Pradesh
- Andhra Pradesh
- Telangana
- Tamilnadu
- Gujrat
- Uttar Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Haryana
Local Names of Jowar in India:-
- Great Millet/Sorghum (English), Juar (Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi), Jwari (Marathi), Jola (Kannada), Jonnalu (Telugu),Cholam (Tamil, Malayalam), Janha (Oriya).
Climatic requirements for Sorghum (or) Jowar Farming:-
- Basically, jowar or sorghum is a tropical crop.
- It thrives well at a temperature between 25°C and 32°C but below 16°C is not good for the crop.
- Jowar crop requires rainfall of about 40 cm annually.
- Jowar is an extremely drought-tolerant crop and is recommended for dry regions.
- Too much of moist and prolonged dry conditions are not suitable for jowar cultivation.
Soil Requirements for Sorghum (or) Jowar Farming:-
- Sorghum or Jowar crop adapts a wide range of soils but grows well in sandy loam soils having good drainage.
- Soil pH range of 6 to 7.5 is ideal for its cultivation and better growth.
- The main field should be ploughed and leveled to a fine tilth for weed-free sowing.