HYV and Fertilisers Synergy or Substitution-A Comment

Substitution ? A Comment A Vaidyanathan IN his article entitled "HYV and Fertilisers: Synergy or Substitution''1 Kirit. Parikh contests the validity of what he calls the "conventional wisdom'' regarding the responsiveness of HYV to fertilisers. In passing, he also questions the basis for my suggestion in an earlier paper2 that the actual fertilisers response under conditions of mass application may be lower than what the SFT (Simple Fertiliser Trials) data seem to suggest, He then goes to argue that the strategy of concentrating inputs and extension in selected favourable areas to promote, intensive culture is not optimal, and that nsive development aimed at getting farmers in ail regions to use HYV (with additional research to evolve suitable HYVs for areas and crops for which they are not yet available) and promoting a widespread diffusion of fertiliser use would be more efficient. Parikh emphasises in conclusion that there is potential for increasing production manifold and that much of this potential can be realised without any basic change in land ownership or tenancy patterns. All these arguments call for comment.