Curriculum Seeds, Soil and Machines: India's Farm Inputs
Seeds, Soil and Machines: India's Farm Inputs
What it costs to grow a crop in India: the input bill, seed markets and hybrids, GM crops, the fertiliser imbalance, imports and nano urea, pesticides, soil health, tractors and custom hiring, Kisan Credit Cards, input dealers, drones and natural farming.
- The Farmer's Input Bill What inputs an Indian farmer buys for a crop - seeds, fertiliser, pesticides, water, labour and machines - and how these costs shape farm profits. 📄 Read-aloud
- Seeds: Hybrids, Saving and Markets How India's seed market works, why hybrid seeds must be bought each season, the role of public and private breeders, and the problem of fake seeds. 📄 Read-aloud
- GM Crops: The Great Debate Why India approved only Bt cotton for commercial cultivation for years, the controversy over GM mustard, and the economic arguments on both sides. 📄 Read-aloud
- Urea, DAP and the Nutrient Imbalance How cheap urea encourages farmers to overuse nitrogen, why the ideal NPK ratio matters for soil, and how pricing distorts fertiliser use. 📄 Read-aloud
- Fertiliser Imports and Nano Urea Why India imports much of its fertiliser and raw materials, how global price spikes raise subsidy costs, and the promise and doubts of nano urea. 📄 Read-aloud
- Pesticides: Protection and Risks How pesticides protect crops, why overuse and misuse harm farmers and consumers, and how regulation and integrated pest management help. 📄 Read-aloud
- Seeds, Soil and Machines: Checkpoint 1 Quick checkpoint - five questions on farm inputs, seeds, GM crops, fertiliser imbalance and pesticides. 5 questions
- Soil Health Cards How India's Soil Health Card scheme tests soil and recommends fertiliser doses, and what evidence says about whether farmers follow the advice. 📄 Read-aloud
- Tractors, Harvesters and Custom Hiring How mechanisation spread on Indian farms, why most small farmers rent machines instead of buying, and the rise of custom hiring centres. 📄 Read-aloud
- Kisan Credit Cards and Farm Loans How farmers borrow to buy inputs, how Kisan Credit Cards offer cheap crop loans, and why many farmers still rely on moneylenders. 📄 Read-aloud
- The Village Input Dealer How local input dealers act as sellers, advisers and lenders to farmers, and the conflicts of interest this creates. 📄 Read-aloud
- Drones and Precision Farming How drones and precision technologies can spray inputs more efficiently, India's Drone Didi scheme, and the barriers to adoption. 📄 Read-aloud
- Natural Farming and Cutting Input Costs How natural and organic farming aim to cut purchased inputs, the evidence on yields, and a recap of the module. 📄 Read-aloud