Good agricultural practices - relevance for crop management

摘要

The paper describes good agricultural practices (GAP) explaining the concept, Indian GAP standards, GAP in plant protection. GAP in various crops is also described.Indian Agriculture is growing at a steady pace due to technological advances that have been widely adopted by the farmers. This growth has had a significant impact on the Indian economy in recent times. Indian farmers have become accustomed to various adversities that influence the activities on their farms. It is well known that biological stresses on crops and animals due to various pests hamper the health of the agricultural sector. The influence of such stresses on harvesting versus the genetic yield potential of crops is well understood, and farmers have adopted a number of approaches to mitigate these stresses in agriculture (Abrol, 2002). Freedom from biotic stresses caused by insects, mites, disease-causing organisms such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes, vertebrate animals (rodents, porcupines, wild pigs, blue bulls, etc.) and weed plants is highly desirable in crop fields (Kuhr, 1979; Santra, 2013; Anonymous, 2014a). Similarly, freedom from diseases and parasitic invasions in all animals is very important in maintaining the high productivity of animal products (Vargas et al., 2005). The expari-sion of cropped areas in the untapped states of Eastern India, as well as intensification of sustainable agriculture in the rest of India, has been the policy of the National Agricultural Development Project (NADP) (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana - RKVY) and of the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) that are in operation during this current plan period. The district plans that would attract specific investments are expected to boost the growth of agriculture (Singh et al, 2013).