Question

______ _______ involved the development of high-yield grain varieties and improved irrigation, fertilization, and pesticide practices and helped alleviate some of the food shortages and famines predicted for subsistence agricultural regions since the early 1960s.

a) Industrial agriculture

b) Green Revolution

c) Organic farming

d) Agribusiness

Answer 1

The Green Revolution stands as a critical period of advancement in global agriculture, initiated by Norman Borlaug, which notably increased food production and helped stave off feared famines through the introduction of high-yield crop varieties combined with modern farming practices.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term Green Revolution signifies a period of immense agricultural development that started in the 1940s and had worldwide impact during the 1950s and 1960s, helping to prevent the global famines predicted at that time. Advocated by Norman Borlaug and other scientists, the revolution introduced high-response varieties (HRV) of wheat and rice. These HRVs were dwarf varieties that were less likely to lodge or be knocked over by the wind, and they exhibited enhanced disease resistance, increased seed production, and better tolerance of varied weather conditions. Significantly, these varieties showed higher yield responses to increased levels of fertilization.

Alongside the adoption of modern agricultural practices like the use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides, as well as the expansion of irrigation, the Green Revolution enabled a drastic increase in crop yields, particularly in developing countries confronting food shortages due to high population growth.