Directions: Study the following information carefully and answer the question given below.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
In response to soaring chemical input costs, deteriorating soil microbiomes, and escalating groundwater depletion, India is orchestrating a national transition toward agro-ecological regenerative agriculture, formally institutionalized as the Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati (BPKP). The high-input green revolution paradigms that dramatically boosted crop yields in the late twentieth century are confronting acute ecological fatigue. Excessive application of synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers has acidified agricultural topsoils, decimated beneficial mycorrhizal fungi, and polluted riparian water bodies through agricultural runoff.
Natural farming reverses this ecological degradation through closed-loop biological farming practices. Central to this methodology is the application of fermented bio-inoculants like Jeevamrutha and Beejamrutha, prepared from indigenous cow dung, urine, jaggery, and pulse flour, which introduce billions of beneficial soil bacteria and stimulate dormant earthworm populations. Furthermore, continuous year-round biomass mulching (Acchadana) and multi-tier intercropping conserve soil moisture and suppress weed infestations without synthetic herbicides. While transitions during initial cropping seasons frequently exhibit modest yield dips as degraded soils detoxify, long-term empirical assessments reveal substantially reduced cultivation costs, premium price realizations for chemical-free produce, and superior climate resilience during prolonged seasonal droughts.
According to the passage, what ecological deficit has arisen from Green Revolution farming paradigms?
๐ก Solution & Explanation:
Correct Answer: (B)
Core Concept: Reading Comprehension โ Ecological Consequences
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Paragraph 1 highlights: 'Excessive application of synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers has acidified agricultural topsoils, decimated beneficial mycorrhizal fungi, and polluted riparian water bodies through agricultural runoff.'
2. This corresponds directly to option (A).
Key Shortcut / Exam Tip: Topsoil acidification, decimated fungi, and polluted runoff.