The importance of pesticides in Indian food production

A brief background of Indian agriculture, climate, crops and cropping patterns will help in understanding the problems of pests and diseases and their magnitude. The geographical area of India is 326-9 million hectares and about 78-45 million hectares are under forests and about 14 million hectares are under permanent pasture and grazing lands. The total cropped area is 156-7 million hectares, out of which 20-5 million hectares are sown more than once, leaving a net cultivated area of 136-2 million hectares. In addition, about 4-6 million hectares are put to miscellaneous tree crops and orchards.