GS Paper 3 15 marks · 250w 14 min Medium
What are the major reasons for declining rice and wheat yield in the cropping system? How crop diversification is helpful to stabilise the yield of the crops in the system?
Subtopic: Agriculture & Food Security · Cropping systems and crop diversification
How to structure your answer
Introduction: significance of rice-wheat system → causes of yield decline (soil, water, monoculture, plateauing) → concept of crop diversification → how it stabilises yield → enabling measures → Conclusion
Written within the word limit
219 words · target 250 words · 14 min
The rice-wheat cropping system across the Indo-Gangetic plains anchors India's food security, yet its yields have stagnated and in several districts of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh have begun to decline despite rising input use.
Major reasons for declining yields
- Soil degradation: continuous monoculture depletes organic carbon and micronutrients (zinc, sulphur), while imbalanced NPK use lowers fertiliser response.
- Water stress: falling water tables from paddy's heavy irrigation demand and secondary salinisation reduce productivity.
- Yield plateau: Green Revolution varieties have hit a biological ceiling; genetic gains have slowed.
- Emerging stresses: terminal heat, erratic monsoon, pest resurgence and stubble-burning-linked soil harm.
How crop diversification stabilises yields
- Restores soil health: including legumes (pulses) fixes nitrogen and breaks the monoculture cycle, improving the yield of the whole rotation.
- Breaks pest and disease cycles that build up under repeated cereals, reducing crop loss.
- Optimises resource use: replacing water-guzzling paddy with maize, oilseeds or millets conserves groundwater and lowers input costs.
- Spreads risk: a mix of crops cushions the farmer against price and weather shocks, stabilising income and encouraging sustained investment in the land.
Way forward
Realigning MSP and procurement towards pulses, oilseeds and nutri-cereals, promoting the Crop Diversification Programme and Per Drop More Crop, and strengthening market linkages can make diversification remunerative and durable.
Diversification thus shifts the system from productivity maximisation to resilient, sustainable stabilisation.
What an examiner expects to see
- Rice-wheat system in the Indo-Gangetic plains is central to national food security but yields have plateaued/declined
- Soil organic-carbon depletion, micronutrient deficiency and imbalanced NPK use cut fertiliser responsiveness
- Falling water tables and salinisation from paddy's high water demand degrade productivity
- Genetic yield ceiling of Green Revolution varieties plus terminal heat and pest resurgence
- Diversification with legumes restores nitrogen and soil health, benefiting the whole rotation
- Alternative crops break pest cycles, conserve groundwater and cut input costs
- Crop mix spreads price and climate risk, stabilising farm income
- MSP realignment, Crop Diversification Programme and micro-irrigation make diversification viable
Concrete cases, schemes and judgments
- Punjab and Haryana groundwater over-exploitation (CGWB dark blocks) from paddy cultivation
- Crop Diversification Programme under RKVY promoting maize/pulses in place of paddy in Punjab
- Per Drop More Crop (PMKSY) for micro-irrigation efficiency
- National Food Security Mission promotion of pulses and nutri-cereals
- Zinc and sulphur deficiency widely reported in Indo-Gangetic soils (ICAR data)
Terminology to weave into the answer
rice-wheat cropping systemsoil organic carbongroundwater depletionyield plateaucrop diversificationminimum support price realignment