Lesson 2:

Technology Changes

What you should know by the end of this lesson:

What type of technology is used in the Rural Location?
How has it changed the Rural landscape?

Changes

The Green Revolution

India is a developing country with a rapidly growing population to feed. It could not afford to import all the food it needed so many people had to grow their own.

Since the 1960s, the introduction of new farming practices called the Green Revolution helped to secure food supplies for the growing population. It has included the introduction of machinery, large scale irrigation, agrochemicals (fertilisers, pesticides) improved varieties of seeds and (Genetically Modified).

Lesson 2 Worksheet

The image below is a cross-section of the Kerala countryside in the 21st Century, showing the different ways the land is used.

Digital Workbook Task

Download the unannotated rural landscape cross-section of Kerala - Update.
Add Labels (annotations) to your diagram

Paper Jotter Task

Copy a quick sketch into your jotters of the rural landscape cross-section of Kerala - Update
Add labels (annotations) to your diagram

Both

Highlight the biggest differences/Changes between the 20th and 21st Century landscapes
Choose the same 4 or 5 of the "Features of the Rural Landscape" and add them to your notes under your annotated diagram.

Think about all the changes that have occurred!

Rural Landscape Cross-Section of Kerala - (21st Century)

Features of the Rural Landscape

Economy - A more commercial way of life; farmers grow crops for cash

Farms - Farms now up to 10 hectares

Crops - Less rice, fewer cashew nuts. More rubber, coconut, jatropha and banana trees

Livestock - Fewer draught animals and goats

Equipment - Some machinery, greenhouses (polytunnels) and agrochemicals

Labour - Wages are higher, fewer people work on farms more work in urban areas

Settlements - Larger urban areas, some new houses in the rural area

Land/Soil - Soil erosion in hills, pollution from chemicals used in farming, poorer soil quality

Water - Water shortages due to overuse, deeper wells and lower water table

New Farming Technologies

The image below is a cross-section of the Kerala countryside showing the different ways the land is used.

Digital Workbook and Paper Jotter Task

Read the information below on the 4 technologies which have changed the rural landscape
Take a quad note (see image) of the new technology
- Make sure to add the name of the technology
- Explanation of how the technology has changed farming or the landscape
- Add a little picture/emoji of what it looks like.
Take note of (at least) 2 negative impacts which have occurred because of these 4 changes

1-Large Scale Irrigation

Building dams across rivers create large reservoirs which give a year-round water supply
This allows farmers to grow a higher yield and more variety of crops
Allows for two or three reliable harvests every year

2-Greenhouses

Mostly inexpensive plastic poly tunnels
The farmer can now control the climate to improve growing conditions for plants
Increase the number and yield of harvests per year
Increases the variety of crops grown

3- Agrochemicals

Pesticides kill pests and diseases protecting crops
Fertilisers help crops grow faster and better
Increase in crop yield but soil loses natural nutrients and more chemicals need to be uses to make the soil fertile again

4- Biogas Plants

Convert animal manure and human sewage into gas which can be used to heat homes and provide lighting
They are cheap to build offering low costs sustainable energy

The Negative impacts of Change

Rural unemployment

Machinery reduces the need for manual labour leading to unemployment
People migrate to urban areas, some ending up in favelas

Irrigation problems

Overwatering brings minerals to the surface (Salination) which then get washed away by the rain reducing soil quality

Chemical use

Overuse pollutes water supplies and wildlife habitats

Poor farmers

Cannot afford to build irrigation, new technology or chemicals to stay competitive and are bought out by richer farmers.

Lesson Complete

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