High yielding vs. traditional crop varieties: a socio-agronomic study in a Himalayan village in India

This is a comparative account of the grain and fodder yields of two modern high yielding wheat varieties and one local, traditional wheat variety when cultivated by farmers using their traditional practices in a mountain village in the Kumaun Himalaya. Results indicate that high yielding varieties produce more grain in irrigated cropfields when compared to low yielding ones, but in the rainfed cropfields they do not perform better, especially in terms of straw yield which is often more important than grain to the mountain people. Results are discussed in terms of the limited irrigation opportunities, small landholdings, and heavy dependence on forests for fodder. The conclusion emphasizes that cultivation of high yielding varieties is feasible only in irrigated fields and explains why hill people prefer older, more reliable varieties for the production of food, fodder, and fuel.