Strengthening Soil

Science Education

J.C. Katyal

In Collaboration With Head SSAC, IARI

and President ISSS, New Delhi

Organization of the

Presentation

• Soil through the eyes of society and faith

• Soil science education – a leaf from history

• Soil science education – Recent

developments

• Soil science education – What went wrong

• Soil science education – Recommendations

for strengthening

• Conclusions – Summing up the presentation

A Biblical ParableSo goes the story: Once there was a man who

went out to sow some corn.

“As he scattered the seed in the field, some of

it fell along the path and the birds came and

ate it up.

Some of it fell on the rocky ground where

there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted

because the soil was not deep. But when the

sun came up it burnt the young plants; and

because the roots had not grown deep

enough, the plants soon dried up.

A Biblical Parable (cont.)

Some of the seed fell among thorny bushes,

which grew up and choked the plants.

But some seed fell in the good soil, and the

plants produced corn; some produced 100

hundred grains, others 60 and others 30”.

And JESUS concluded, “Listen to soil, if you

have ears” and today we understand the need

for ‘walk and talk with soil’ for sustainable

agricultural (SA) growth.

Good SM and SA Are Not New (Prithavi Sukta)

“Upon this handful of soil our survival depends.

Husband it and it will grow our food, our fuel and our

shelter and surround us with bounty. Abuse it and the

soil will collapse and die, taking man with it.”

Deep in the heart of this Sukta lies farming efficiency,

agricultural sustainability and environmental quality

and linkages among these in supporting SD and

human survival. Inefficient farming in alliance with

misuse of soil and man-made inputs, in fact, is at the

root of non-sustainable development of farming.

Evolution of SSE need to have fused SD appropriately

and adequately, while defining and refining course

curricula, its delivery method and PG research.

Ancient SM: Non-chronicled beliefs,

sayings/ proverbs, and chronicled texts

• No one thrives by tilling sandy soil, and no one

is ruined by ploughing clay (Tamil proverb)

• The more you plough, the better are the yields

(Punjabi belief)

• Contrary to what Punjabis’ believed,

importance of modern day ‘conservation tillage

concept’ is reflected in a Greek saying, which

reads ‘A field becomes exhausted by constant

tillage’.

Ancient SM: Non-chronicled beliefs,

sayings/proverbs & chronicled texts

• Rich in manure, rich in fruit (Atharva Veda Samhita,

Circa 350 BC)

• A field without manure is as is a cow without calf

(Ancient Telugu proverb)

• No fodder, no cattle; no cattle, no manure; no

manure, no crop (Ancient Tamil proverb)

• Elaborate injunctions found in AV (321-186 BC), the

Braham Samhita (500 AD) and Agnipurana (~600 AD)

on use of animal excreta, bones, beef/fish washings

and various kinds of organic decoctions

OM- Decomposition Necessary

• All dead things - rotting corpse or stinking

garbage - returned to earth are transformed

into wholesome things that nourish life. Such

is the alchemy of mother earth (Ramayana)

• According to this text, OM decomposes to give

life to soil, which otherwise would have been a

polluting dead mass

• Today we understand value of OM and its role

in SA; unbridled loss is a chief cause of non-

sustainable agriculture and global warming

Soil Organic Carbon Loss - Estimates

• Loss of SOC has neither been sudden nor

uniform. Estimated rate of SOC loss:

– 25 M tons/yr. during the last 10,000 years

– 300 M tons/yr. during the last 300 years

– 760 M tons/yr. during the last 50 years

• Last 50 years: 100% rise in population, 25%

rise in crop land, 33% fall in forest and

woodland was accompanied by 28% rise in

CO2

and 25% loss in world’s topsoil

Ancient Treatment of Soil - Hinduism

• Soil (earth) is one of the five elements of

life: Kshiti, jal, pawan, gagan, sameera,

panchtatway eh adham shrira’ (Pipalda’s

answer to Bhargava; AV ~1500 BC)

• In Vedas, soil (earth) treated as mother

and human beings as her sons [Mata bhumi

putro aham parthvya] (AV 12.1.12)

• Calling the earth ‘mother earth’, Hindus

worship this life-giving, food and raiment-

providing and nurturing aspects of soil by

embodying it:

Samudravasane Devi, Parvata stanamandale

Vishnu patninama stubhyam, Paadasparsha

kshamasvame. Meaning:

• Oh! Mother Earth, who has the ocean as

clothes and mountains and forests on her

body, who is the wife of Lord Vishnu, I bow to

you. Please forgive me for I have to step on

you, trample/touch you with my feet, for I

have to go around my daily chores to make

my destiny, my fate!

• Today, humans have forgotten all that by

damaging soil’s integrity, quality and health.

Ancient Treatment of Soil – Other

Faiths and Regions

• Guru Granth Sahib: “Pawan, pani, agni patal; tis vitch

dharti thaap rakhi Dharamsal” meaning ‘God created air,

water, fire and nether lands. In between these, God

established earth as the Home for his worship

• An ancient Kenyan proverb reads “and soil said to man

take good care of me or else, when I get hold of you, I will

never let your soul go”.

• Another African saying, soil told man, ‘Feed me to feed you”

• “Body and Land are not two but one" Republic of Korea

• In ~1400 BC Moses having understanding of soil fertility

commanded people to bring back some of the fruit of land.

Ancient Treatment of Soil – Other

Faiths and Regions

• Holy Quran stresses faithful ‘to recycle one third of what

is taken out from soil’.

• “The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself” Franklin

D. Roosevelt, on a Uniform Soil Conservation Policy.

• USDA Yearbook of Agriculture 1938, “Essentially, all life

depends upon the soil ... There can be no life without soil

and no soil without life; they have evolved together”.

• Said a Chief from Nigeria “I conceive that the land

belongs to a vast family of which many are dead, few are

living and countless numbers are still unborn”. Lesson:

Thou must sustain quality of land for posterity.

SS Education – A Leaf From The History

• Systematic scientific enquiry for

development of SS E began during the

British Period (1770-1947). The

Imperial firca realized that to advance

agriculture ‘a general enquiry into

character of soils was necessary’.

• Inviting services of Dr. JA Voelcker in

1889 laid the policy framework to

effect improvement in Indian

agriculture. Cont.

• Purpose: to make general enquiry into soil

characters and agricultural conditions and to

advise upon the adoption of Agricultural

Chemistry to improve Indian agriculture

• What followed: exclusive emphasis on

Agricultural Chemistry/Study of Soils

• Appointment of JW Leather and SM Collins laid

emphasis on study of soils and agricultural

chemistry.

• Initially AE, therefore, tilted significantly in

favor of SS E, which can be found in a book

authored by Voelcker ‘Improvement of Indian

Agriculture’. Cont.

• In 1929, Report of Royal Commission on

Agriculture made a very meaningful

commentary on health of Indian soils

• Native soils depleted of fertility, no

further depletion was possible

• Launched in 1935, bias in favor of soils

continued in Dry Farming Project

• Work focused on soil conservation

techniques, tillage & organic manure use

Cont.

• With initial over-emphasized

treatment, beginning 1960 when

education, research and extension

were organized on the pattern of

Land Grant University System of

USA, discipline of SS received one

of the preferential attention in

terms of funds, facilities and

faculty allocation and

development.

• Soil science - a preferred choice of

many academically good students

• Soil Science and Soil Scientists were

in forefront of decision-making and

contribution when charter of Green

Revolution was being written

• Currently, visibility of output and

relevance and utility of research more

blurred than gloss and attention it

received during formative phase of

Green Revolution.

• Chiseling of SS discipline into Soil Physics, Soil

Microbiology, Water Technology, Agricultural

Biochemistry and Agricultural Chemicals has

raised iron curtains that stone-wall impact

creating innovative multi-disciplinary teaching,

learning and research.

• Division and sub-division of SS continues to

happen, since individual departments generally

adopt specific subject domain teaching and

component research.

• With time, current piecemeal approach has

contributed to non-sustainable quality of

teaching and learning. It also reduced

relevance and practical utility of research.

Fuelling thereby fall in soil health and soil

quality. In sum, these developments led to:

rise in soil degradation

fall in useful soil biology,

hurt to C, N and H₂O cycles,

loss of biodiversity,

escalating emission of greenhouse gases,

plummeting yield response despite increase

in use of GR inputs,

rise in cost of cultivation/fall in profitability

otherwise avoidable fall in food productivity

growth rates that are necessary to wipe out

scourge of hunger and malnutrition could not

be sustained. India ranks 55 in HI out of 76

countries; 1 out of 3 malnourished children

of the world live in India.

Continent-wise CAGR In Cereal Productivity

PeriodAfrica Americas Asia Europe Oceania

1961-19901.8 2 2.8 2.5 1.5

1991-20121.4 1.8 1.4 1.3 1.5

Data source: FAOSTAT; Author’s calculations

3.2

2.2

1.6

1.5

0

1

2

3

4

CA

GR

, %

CAGR in Productivity of Wheat and

Rice - India

1961-1990 1991-2012

WheatRice

2.2

6.9

1.31.1

3.2

2.4

3

0.3

1961-67 1968-80 1981-90 1991-07

Productivity CAGR % - Punjab

Rice

3.8

4

2.5

1.5

1

2

3

4

5

Rice Wheat

% C

AG

R

CAGR of Rice and Wheat Yields -

Haryana

1966-90 1991-14

From NRM Point - What Has Gone

Wrong?I cite some glaring examples of weak SM that received

fractured attention of S Scientists. These episodes in turn,

dented capability to deal with declining potential response

to GR technologies and resultant fall in productivity growth:

Misalliance of recommended technology with biophysical

properties of NR and socio-economic status of farmers

(‘one size fits all’ syndrome) along with single-minded

emphasis on yield enhancement and turning a blind eye to

consequences.

Weak knowledge in basic science subjects that would

have strengthened understanding of fundamentals of

holistic SM.

routine management approach, when it came to save,

protect and conserve earth’s resources:

exploitation overwhelms restorative management (crash

of soil health/quality);

general impassivity towards CA practices (erosion, SOC

fall); indigenous technical knowhow ignored;

technologies stressed crop component-specific;

management; integrated farming system’s perspective a

typical miss (excessive build up/deficiency incidence);

falling use of native resources and excessive tillage (fall

in soil physical/chemical and biological properties, CC);

nutrient mining, imbalanced nutrient use hurt SD

inefficient use of agro-chemicals (food quality loss, soil

pollution, soil health decline, biodiversity hurt and CC)

Cont.

creation of irrigation infrastructure without

provision for drainage (salinization/water

logging)

over-development of underground water without

rainwater conservation (falling water levels,

surfacing of salinity)

rising consumption of fossil fuel energy; subsidy

insinuated inefficient management - chief

source of over-use and misuse of water (surface

salinization, deepening of wells, environmental

pollution)

biodiversity overwhelmed by few genotypes;

aggravated by decay in soil and water quality

What was required to stop rise of

productivity adversaries?

• Assuring availability of human capital who is: sensitive

to conserving NR health/quality, committed to infuse

holistic SM, oriented to problem-solving and has mindset

to serve the needs of those who are hit the hardest

because of on-going conflict between sustainable

economic development and environmental protection.

• Creating awareness, knowledge, skills and capacity of

those who use, induce and suffer from NR degradation

• Unfortunately, SS education/PG research has responded

weakly to developing story of productivity fall and NR

decay. I exemplify past interventions (GR technologies/

unplanned intensification) vis a vis present state.

SOC

• Source of life in soil, decides

quality of soil health/quality

• Non-sustainable content

• Storehouse of fertility;

controls availability of: N and

S ~95%; Zn, Cu, Fe…50 to

70% and P 50 to 80%. Fall of

SOC fuels incidence of major/

micronutrient deficiencies

• Abandoning organic manures

and extensive tillage

aggravate fall due to

breakdown of SOC into CO₂

• Decline in SOC encourages

poor water holding

properties; raises prospects

of nutrient leaching; hurts

soil integrity, mounts global

warming – all causing decline

in potential productivity

growth

0.5

0.7

0.9

1.1

1.3

1.5

1.7

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

SO

C, %

Years after treatment

Dynamics of SOC in response to

NPK and FYM application

(Source: LTFE, India)

NPK+FYM

NPK

SOC (%) after 20 years of fertilizer/manure

treatment across major soil Orders

Soil Initial Cont.-20 NPK– 20 FYM- 20

Inceptisol 0.27 0.41 0.59 0.76

Mollisol 1.48 0.50 0.95 1.51

Alfisol 0.79 0.62 0.83 1.20

Ultisol 0.70 0.26 0.60 0.98

Fertilizer Use Efficiency (FUE)

and Loss (%) (Several Data

Sources)

Fertilizer

Nutrient

Plant use

efficiency

Nutrient

loss

N 30-60 40-70

P 20-30 70-80

K 50-60 40-50

1. FUE seldom exceeds 60%; loss

can be as high as 70%

2. Lost N merges with

underground water and causes

nitrate pollution

3. Lost N also enters atmosphere

as NH₃ and N₂O. Specifically,

N₂O causes global warming

and disrupts O₃ integrity

4. N and P together promote

eutrophication; leads to

hypoxia, death of aquatic life

followed by drying of water

bodies

5. Poor FUE necessitates

elevated rates of application to

maintain production;

aggravating thereby nutrient

imbalances and emergence of

deficiency of micro- and

secondary nutrients.

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

NFe

N

K

Zn

P

Fe

N

Mn

S

K

Zn

P

Fe

N

B

Mn

S

K

Zn

P

Fe

N

?

B

Mn

S

K

Zn

P

Fe

N

Progressive growth in the occurrence of

nutrient deficiencies

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

• Nutrient

deficiencies

multiplied with

every passing

decade after GR

• Exclusive focus

on NPK, nutrient

mining, disuse of

organic manures;

removal/burning

of crop residues

main reasons

• Deficiency of one

nutrient has

capacity to hold

response to all

others, so

productivity fell

• Little research on

nutrient indexing

Maize Rice Wheat

(Ludhiana) (Pantnagar)

Response to Zn over optimal NPK application from 1971 1987

Source: Nambiar and Abrol (1989)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1960

-61

1964

-65

1967

-68

1970

-71

1973

-74

1978

-79

1980

-81

1984

-85

1990

-91

1998

-99

1999

-2K

Year

Nu

trie

nts

(M

t/ a

nn

um

)

Removal

Addition

Gap between nutrients (NPK) addition

through fertilizers and removal by crops

Nutrient balance - 2020

Nutrient removal

(M tons)

Effective nutrient

additions* (M tons)

Balance**

(M tons)

Nitrogen

11.87 12.15 0.28

Phosphorus

5.27 7.82 2.55

Potassium

20.32 12.22 - 8.10

* Represent nutrient additions times respective efficiency factor for

N (0.5), P (1.0) and K (1.0).

** Calculated by difference between figures in columns 1 & 2.

12141618202224

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

M, to

ns

Year

NPK

10

12

14

16

18

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

M, to

ns

Year

N

1.5

2.5

3.5

4.5

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

M, to

ns

Year

P

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

M, to

ns

Year

K

Major nutrient consumption, 2007-08 to 2012-13

(Data source, FAI)

Zinc supply-demand balance

• Annual additions -8000 tons Zn

• Removal estimate range between 14,000 and 60,000 tons/year

• Annual crop uptake equals 25,000 tons

• Half turned back; net deficit 4,500 tons/year

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

196

0

196

5

197

0

197

5

198

0

198

5

199

0

199

5

200

0

200

5

201

0Ga

inp

rod

uct

ion

/to

n f

erti

lize

r

Years

(Grain production/fertilizer T)

12.110.7

9.1 8.8

6.5

(NPK yield-C yield/kg NPK)

Food grain production/ton

fertilizer

Agronomic efficiency: kg

grain/kg NPK

Yield of rice (t/ha/yr) after 20 yrs of

fertilizer application (Bhubaneswar)

(Sahu et al., 1998)

Treatment Initial After 20 yrs

N0P

0K

03.4 1.7

N 4.6 2.2

NP 4.5 3.7

NPK 5.1 4.4

NPK+FYM 5.7 6.4

Pesticide Use – An Unending

Paradox• Unrelenting loss in production and damage to farm

profitability hardly justify manner in which pesticide

use is being pursued and promoted. Pesticides

trigger most serious and far reaching consequences

• Inefficient management is root of the problem; not

even 1% of applied dose hits the target organism;

remainder poses threat to quality of food chains,

well being of entire life on earth, nutrient cycling

(due to adverse effect on soil micro-

organisms/macro-fauna) and biodiversity typically of

insect predators, competitors and pollinators.

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

1982-87 1987-92 1992-97 1997-01 2003-04 2004-05

Fall in

wate

r t

ab

le

42

2532

69

18

74

Fall in water table (cm/year) in Central Punjab

(Hira and Kukal, 2012)

Power requirements for agriculture; 1990 5105 M k

w h; 2008 9325 M k w h; Consequences: escalating

subsidy costs and heightened prospects of climate

change

ENERGY

• Despite rattling crude

prices, energy use has

expanded world-wide

• ~20% energy produced in

India is used by agriculture;

no or little tariff on energy

used for extracting water

aggravates

overdevelopment of

underground water

• Low UE of pumps (20 to

25%) spells doom for air

and water pollution and

global warming

• Sustainable growth in

energy use is sine qua non

of intensification – the way

to keep pace with rising

demand for food.

• Poor energy UE challenges

potential productivity gains

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Pri

ce

Year

Trends in price of crude oil (US

$/barrel)

0.55

0.6

0.65

0.7

0.75

0.8

1970-71 1975-76 1980-81 10985-86 1990-91 1995-96 2001-01 2006-007

Bio

div

ersi

ty i

nd

ex

Crop diversity index - Punjab

Prior to GR, Punjab grew 41 wheat and 37 rice varieties.

Currently, this number has dwindled to 5 and 8, respectively

(Sidhu and Vatta, undated and Kumar, 2012)

Environmental Performance

Index (EPI)State EPI Ranking*

Andhra Pradesh 0.80 1

Gujarat 0.69 7

Tamil Nadu 0.66 9

Punjab 0.55 23

Haryana 0.49 27

Delhi 0.42 32

*EPI ranking reflects state of air pollution

(suspended particulate matter; N2O and SO

2)

forest cover, water quality, water management

and CC (on line: environmental-performance-index-epi)

• In a 2002 Plenary Lecture, Dr. W. E. H. Blum, IUSS

Secretary General remarked “Soils don’t only serve

for agriculture and forestry, but also for filtering,

buffering and transformation activities between the

atmosphere and the groundwater, protecting the

food chain and drinking water against pollution and

biodiversity loss. Regarding the latter, soil is the

most important gene reserve, containing more

biota in species’ diversity and quantity than all

other aboveground biomass on the globe”.

• Blum’s commentary was a corner stone for

transforming state of and resetting agenda and

direction for SS education and PG research.

• Despite a significant change at the ICAR level, that

opportunity remained uncashed at the ground level.

• ICAR in 1997 renamed its Division of Soils,

Agronomy and Agro-forestry as Division of

Natural Resources Management

• Despite this administrative merger in line with

known innate links and alliance among diverse

programs, education in soil, water, climate and

vegetation (land) is taught across discreet

Divisions

• An ICAR Committee on PG Education in 2009

recommended integrated teaching in SS by

interblending learning in subject areas that

constitute vital parts of NR. Committee

recommendations accepted, but teaching

continues to be a trans-disciplinary activity.

• I now narrate, what seem to be the major

misses in SS education

• Currently, role played by man in deciding nature

and properties of soils inherited from

weathering of rocks is generally ignored.

• As it exists, teaching imprints role of natural

soil forming factors – parent material (p),

climate (c), pedo-organisms (so), vegetation (v),

relief (r), and time (t) – on the ultimate

properties of soils. Influence of anthropogenic

management (m) is not part of soil forming

equation.

• Conventionally, soil is an outcome of pcsovrt,

which should have been pursued as pcsovrtm

Vegetation Water flux Fresh water

Tillage,

grazing, fires

deforestation

Salinity and

waterlogging

SOM loss

Soil

QualitySOM loss and

no restorative

management

Interconnectivity and simultaneousness in occurrence of

man-induced processes of land degradation

• Education in Soil Science – the basis of building time-

appropriate human resource – has not made visible

shifts

• It did not adjust methods of subject delivery (1:3 rule)

serving contemporary needs of integrated agricultural

growth, economic activity and environmental quality.

• Students understand soil degradation and depletion of

soil quality, but lack practical training on how to

diagnose, halt and suggest pro-farmer amelioration

• Optimizing passive classroom emphasis, Soil Scientists

needed leap-of-faith investment of time and expertise in

course curricula refinement that nucleated around soil

quality-specific use and management plans when

confronted with real life problems; this did not happen

• Other weakness lowering quality of SS E:

narrow treatment to functions, which a soil

basically performs.

Classically, soil is emphasized as a medium of

plant growth to meet basic human needs (food,

fuel and fiber).

Soil’s other functions of regulating

biosphere/water/health/energy/biodiversity

receive non-commensurate treatment in

teaching, research and application.

Linking trace- and secondary-element make up

of soil with human and livestock health is a

noticeable omission of course curricula and PG

investigations.

In all:

• Deficient course curricula: teaching in holistic

soil (preferably land) management processes

and CA practices lack focus of purpose and

emphasis

• Non-coverage of multifunctional agriculture (a

balance of yield enhancement and containment

of adverse outputs)

• Fragmented approach to build sustainability

(WEHAB) angle in teaching and research. SS

course curricula has hardly integrated these

vital elements of SD in teaching and research.

Insidious problem of trace-element hunger and

health remains omitted from course curricula.

Cont.

• Concern for stakeholders’ perspective and need

(ITK and native resources), and human’s role in

damaging NR quality and their partnership in

forging solutions persist on margins.

• Luke warm attention to & responsiveness of

existing course curricula to address rising

development of negative consequences of non-

sustainable intensification

• Very weak interface with complimentary

subjects that make teaching and learning

wholesome and enhance application and utility

of that collaboration remains unharnessed.

Result:

• Present day post-graduates are:

a. knowledgeable in typical subject areas like nature

and properties of soils, soil classification, fertility…,

b. mostly deficient in basic sciences and practical SS,

c. lack necessary grasp on supplementary subjects

that stimulate comprehensive learning and

d. mired in poor hands on training and an all-inclusive

command on real life SS, PG students are not clear

on fundas of problem-solving and entrepreneurial

spirit necessary to harmonize healthy farmers, farm

and farming.

• With near exclusion of non-formal education, farmers

lack mindset, knowledge and skills to conserve

earth’s NR

Recommendations on Strengthening Soil

Science Education

• HWBI (Human Well-Being Index) = NR quality number of

dependent stakeholders

• Raising HWBI will remain an oxymoron, if NR’s carrying

capacity is transgressed mindlessly

• Soil is one of the several elements that constitute NR (an

ecosystem/land). Optimizing its management and ignoring

that of others fuels degradation of all leading to decline in

productivity/income and rise in CC

• Education and research related to SS must be toned up

with related disciplines to sustain HWBI. Addressing links

with health a prerequisite.

• ‘Holism’ (a combine of NR and stakeholders/society) is

the mantra that need to be chanted before setting

agenda on modernization and strengthening of SS E

Recommendations on Strengthening SS

Education

Education for Sustainable Development (UN Decade of

Education 2005-2015) may guide Strengthening of SS

Education. Its elements:

• Give an enhanced profile to central role of

education and learning in the common pursuit of SD

• Facilitate links and networking, exchange and

interaction among stake holders for SD

• Provide a space and opportunity for refining and

promoting the vision of and transition to SD

• Foster increased quality of teaching and learning in

education for SD

• Develop strategies at every level to strengthen

capacity in education for SD

Strengthening SS E – Issues at Stake

Halting non-sustainability of NR attributes is a prime index

of improved quality of SS E. Central issues are:

• Human-soil management-productivity-environment

continuum has not received coverage as much it deserve

• Disconnect of ‘holistic’ learning about water, climate,

agriculture, health and biodiversity from SS teaching

• Disintegration of ancient and new knowledge that

connects man with environment (divorce from ‘faith’).

• Imperfect coverage of all stakeholders when it comes to

imparting knowledge and skills on sustaining quality of

NR and maintaining health of environment

Strengthening SS E – Issues at Stake

• Imbalanced and exclusive emphasis on use of man-

made inputs, ignoring the value of INM/IPM

• Relentless transgression of carrying capacity of NR,

since it sets in motion a vicious cycle of events that

challenge sustainable intensification

• Poor focus on other users who influence NR quality

• Dissociation of SS E from Development Departments

• Disengagement of NR users from knowledge and

knowhow transfer apparatus in sustaining quality and

mitigating CC

Deliverables of Strengthened SS E

• Formal education will deliver professionals who

have competence to perceive ecological basis of

NR management and possess expertise to

prescribe holistic actions and solutions for the

system as a whole

• Non-formal education will prepare environmentally

literate farmers and public being aware about their

NR degrading actions and inputs. They will

possess coping skills to deal with the problems of

environmental health and sustainable agriculture

• An improved course curricula on NR education at

school level will be developed

• Official links forged with Development Departments

by preparing appropriate policy instruments

• Recommended actions:

• ICAR may consider appointing an Action Group on

Strengthening SS E. The Group inter alia may be

mandated to prepare a blue print of a new look Course

Curricula addressing and correcting the following

deficiencies/issues:

1. Raise SS E on foundations of basic science subjects.

2. Strengthen holistic teaching and learning by enriching

existing course content by inviting faculty from other

disciplines.

3. Provide increased opportunities for creativity, system

of innovation and application of theory by increasing

practical lessons in actual field situations

4. Enhance reach of learning by establishing scientist-

farmer field schools. Create space for ‘faith leaders’

5. Invest for faculty training in emerging subject areas

supported by necessary institutional and systemic

reforms on modernization of SS E

5. Rebuild teaching of integrated models to

develop forecasting and problem solving ability

on sustenance of productivity surge+ and

maintenance of NR quality in terms of efficient

use of resources, sustainable intensification, C

sequestration, protection of watersheds and

biodiversity

6. Develop course curricula by solemnizing cause

and effect relationship of human treatment of

NR. Include economics of that relationship

through SS E construct assembled on social

ethos, cultural beliefs & ecological principles

7. Strengthen learning on NR at the school level

In summation strengthened SS E must:

• Mirror soil (land) management in tune with that

of other NR for sustainable intensification,

productivity/income enhancement and securing

quality of environment. In this pursuit: Enrich

course curricula by balancing environment and

economics with biodiversity conservation,

mitigating CC and preserving quality of soil,

water and vegetation using principles of ecology.

• Deep root learning by infusing basic science

subjects in teaching SS syllabus.

• Augment reach and application of formal SS E by

developing non-formal E. Make room for ‘faith

leaders’ in rooting willing adoption of NR techs

• Modify course curricula, besides surge in

agricultural growth and conservation of NR, to

include topics on efficient and competitive

farming practices, changing land use and

management patterns.

• Align education and research with shifting

demand for specific/alternative/bio-fortified/

quality foods and other goods, globalization of

trade and opening up of economies

• Blend developed SS expertise to strengthen DD

Plans (SH Card, FFF, subsidy on inputs..)

• Contribute to development of NR education at

school level.

THANK YOU