Transition to Twenty-First Century Agriculture: Change of Direction

Abstract

Agriculture of the twentieth century will be remembered for its scientific foundations and for high crop yields. The transformation began following a number of scientific discoveries which modernised agriculture and gave rise to intensive production systems. A major break-through came in the second half of the twentieth century with the discovery of new plant-type genes in wheat and rice, which were instrumental in giving rise to the green revolution. The high-yield agriculture, as it has evolved with the advent of the new technology, calls for large investments of energy in the form of fossil fuels. Agriculture in the twenty-first century will have to respond to challenges of a different kind. Perhaps the most important consideration in the planning of agricultural research in the coming decades will be the need for a much greater focus on the sustainability of intensive production systems, environmental and efficiency concerns, equity, and management of natural resources. Fortunately, continued advances in molecular biology, biotechnology, information technology, nano-technology and space science offer altogether new opportunities for making agriculture not only highly productive but also more efficient and sustainable in relation to the use of natural resources and modern farm inputs. As the twenty-first century advances, we may come to have a different kind of agriculture combining high-crop yields with management practices based on renewable resources of energy. The scientists will be moving away from a single minded pursuit of genetic improvement to greater focus on development of new resource conservation and precision farming practices.