Accelerating cropping intensity to feed ever-growing population in India

To ensure the food and nutritional security of the rapidly growing population in India, the advancement of cropping system productivity needs to be prioritized, as there is no option for horizontal growth of food production. Accelerating cropping intensity is visualized as the most viable option to enhance the crop's total system productivity. With fast-maturing crop varieties, suitable crop husbandry and cropping systems, better soil and water management, farm mechanization and farmer-friendly policy support, cropping intensity can be increased substantially in both irrigated and rainfed ecologies of India.