Abstract:
As the world population escalates and arable land shrinks worldwide, crop security is the key to food security in the short and long term. Urban sprawl combined with climate change effects challenges ensuring enough food for consumption and adequate nutrients to sustain human health. Crop security and, thus, food security can be achieved through sustainable soil management practices that include preserving soil fertility and health, biodiversity both above and below ground, selection of climate-smart crops, and crop management practices. The FAO’s five action point approach to climate-smart agriculture (CSA) provides a model for crop security by sustainably increasing agricultural productivity, adapting and building the resilience of agri-food systems to climate change, and reducing climate change impacts. This paper discusses the importance of crop security, challenges stemming from unsustainable farming practices, including monoculture and inefficient irrigation methods, loss of genetic diversity, frequent extreme weather events, and how proven practices at the field, farm, and ecological scale could ensure crop security and sustainability.
Biography:
Prof.Shashi vemuri had Ph.D in agricultural Entomology with specialization in Insect Toxicology and Pesticide Residues, was Formerly Senior Professor/ and university head of entomology at PJTSAU with more than 38 years experience in different capacities as Professor/ Researcher and Extension scientist, Administrator, Head of the Research Centres and Extension centres He participated in various international and National conferences, workshops and has excellent links with many ICAR and State Universities, Universities abroad and leading MNCs. He is a globally travelled Agricultural professional and has strong professional relationships with policy makers, Administrators, farmers organizations and Agribusiness sector with a thorough understanding of the complex socio-economic, political, cultural and environmental aspects of Agriculture in India and other major agrarian economies across the world.. He was a Guide, advisor, mentor for many budding agricultural scientists His contribution to crop protection, pesticide residues, insect toxicology and innovative methods of farming are widely recognized. He has worked for and with CIMMYT, Mexico on breeding for Insect Resistance. Worked with ICAR, SAU, WWF International ICRISAT, Major farmers organizations and federations as a Collaborator, contributor and Researcher and with the farmers on innovative technologies in sugarcane, Potato, Ginger and Turmeric.
