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Indian Farming
June 2014
11
THE post green revolution
period, showed a decline in yield,
mostly because of imbalanced use of
fertilizers and pesticides, over-
exploitation of the natural resources,
particularly water, deterioration in
physical conditions of the soil and
emergence of new bio-types of pests
and diseases. Thus the major
challenge before the researcher is to
innovate appropriate technologies to
produce more food from diminished
land resources for the burgeoning
population pressure and to improve
and conserve the natural resources of
small and marginal farmers. One of
the possible options for further
increase in rice production is through
the application of new technologies
such as system of rice intensification
(SRI), laser land leveling, direct
seeded rice (DSR), precision
farming, use of leaf colour chart
(LCC), brown manuring, crop
residue management, crop
diversification, water conservation
technologies, integrated crop
management (ICM) and site-specific
nutrient management (SSNM) along
with application of resource
conserving techniques (RCTs), to
ensure their optimal utilization and
enhance resource or input use-
efficiency. Later mechanization in this
cropping system also improved the
labour efficiency and increased the
production and productivity of crops.
These are the long-term solutions for
sustainable rice production.
Sustainability Issues in Rice
Soil degradation:
Rice is grown
predominantly under anaerobic
puddled soil condition, whereas
wheat is grown under well-aerated
soil having good tilth. Puddling
reduces infiltration of water at the
risk of destruction of soil structure,
however, destruction of soil
aggregates due to puddling in rice
resulting in poor tilth and increases
soil strength in the surface and
subsurface layers, decreases hydraulic
conductivity and infiltration, and
inadequate charging of the soil
profile for the crop following rice.
Decline in water table:
Rice is a
water-guzzling crop. To fulfill its
additional water need, excessive
pumping of underground water leads
to decline in water table. The farmers
are shifting from centrifugal pumps
to submersible tube well, costing `1
lakh and requiring extraction of water
from the lower strata.
Inadequate plant population:
To
harvest optimum yield of rice, 33
hills/m2 are required but usually in
farmers’ fields it varies from 18 to 22
hills/m2.
Drop in soil organic matter:
Long-
term experiments conducted in Indo-
Gangetic Plains (IGPs) showed that
the yields of rice and wheat were
constantly greater in all the years
when complete doses of NPK were
applied through fertilizers or 50%
doses of NPK were applied through
fertilizers along with organic
materials compared with that of
unfertilized control.
Nitrate pollution in ground water:
Pollution of ground water owing to
leaching of nitrates appears to be a
serious concern in rice-wheat
cropping system, which requires
more than 300 kg N/ha. The
situation is worse in coarse-textured
soils where use of N fertilizer is still
higher with excessive irrigations.
Emergence of multiple nutrient
deficiencies:
In recent years,
deficiencies of Mn in salt-affected
soils of Punjab and B in calcareous
soils of Bihar have become evident.
In the highly permeable soils of
Punjab, wheat grown after rice
suffered from Mn deficiency.
Appearance of new weed biotypes and
resistance to applied herbicides:
Many
new weed species have emerged in
rice crop such as
ghrilla ghas,
wrinkle
Modern Techniques of Rice Production
A key for ecosystem sustainability in changing climate
B. P. Meena1, Dasharath Prasad2, M. L. Dotaniya3 and V. D. Meena4
Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Berasia Road, Bhopal 462 038
Indian Farming
64(3): 11–14; June 2014
Rice (
Oryza sativa
L.) is one of the most important staple food crops in the world. In Asia, more
than two billion people are getting 60-70 percent of their energy requirement from rice and its
derived products. In India, rice occupies an area of 44 million hectares with an average
production of 90 million tonnes at productivity of 2.0 tonnes per hectare. Demand for rice is
growing in India and it is estimated that by 2025 AD the requirement would be 140 million
tonnes. To sustain present food self-sufficiency and to meet future food requirement, India has to
increase productivity by 3% per annum.
Indian Farming
June 2014
12
residues are the parts of plants left in
the field after the crops have been
harvested and thrashed. Crop
residues are good sources of plant
nutrients, are the primary source of
organic material added to the soil,
and are important components for
the stability of agricultural
ecosystems Crop residue is not a
waste but rather a tremendous
natural resource. Recent work shows
that system of raised bed planting of
crops may be particularly
advantageous in areas where
groundwater levels are falling and
herbicide-resistant weeds are
becoming a problem. This tillage and
crop establishment option also
facilitates crop diversification
Laser land leveling:
It is a precursor
of resource conserving technique and
a process of smothering land surface
(± 2 cm) from its average elevation
using laser equipped dragged
buckets. It leveled the surface having
0 to 0.2% slope so that there is
uniform distribution of water and
thus enhance resource use efficiency.
Advantages of laser land leveling are
as follows:
•About 4% rise in area under
cultivation due to removal of
bunds and channels;
•Saves 10-15% water due to
uniform distribution;
•Increases resource (N and water)
use efficiency;
•Reduces cost of production and
•Enhances productivity.
Brown manuring:
Green manuring
disturbance.
Resource conserving techniques
(RCTs) refer to those practices that
conserve resources and ensure their
optimal utilization and enhance
resource or input use-efficiency.
These techniques include zero or
minimum tillage (save fuel), direct
seeding, permanent or semi-
permanent residue cover, new
varieties that use nitrogen more
efficiently, laser land levelling, system
of rice intensification (SRI), direct
seeded rice (DSR), precision
farming, use of leaf colour chart
(LCC) and integrated crop
management (ICM). Some
important RCTs have been discussed
here.
Direct seeded rice:
Rice can be
directly seeded either through dry or
wet (pre germinated) seeding. Dry
seeding of rice can be done by
drilling the seed into a fine seed bed
at a depth of 2–3 cm. Wet seeding
requires leveled fields to be harrowed
and then flooded (puddling). The
field is left for 12–24 hours after
puddling, then germinated seeds
(48–72 hours) are sown using a
drum seeder. Seed can be broadcast
for either dry or wet seeding, but
manual weeding is more difficult.
Indeed, weed management is a
critical factor in direct seeding.
Timely application of herbicides
(timing is dependent on the method
of seeding) and one or two hand
weeding provide effective control.
Crop residue management:
Crop
grass, and broad-leaved weeds, which
is not controlled by the commonly
recommended herbicides. Wrinkle
grass is not controlled by butachlor
application.
Cultivation of rice on light-textured
soil:
Another problem encountered is
the appearance of Fe deficiency in
rice and S deficiency in wheat when
grown in sandy soil. The crops
remain stunted and produce fewer
tillers, leading to low yield.
Inadequate and imbalanced use of
fertilizer:
The farmers in general are
applying N and P but not K.
Moreover, the appropriate N: P: K
ratio of 4: 2: 1 is not being followed.
The excessive use of N leads to
lodging, and greater incidence of
pests and diseases, and ultimately low
yield.
Weather aberration:
The erratic
distribution of rainfall in time and
space also affects the crop yield
TECHNIQUES FOR
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
OF RICE
Resource Conserving Technologies
Conservation agriculture is a
broad term and it encompasses all
conserving techniques that conserve
resources any way. It also involves
following RCTs.
•Soil cover, particularly through
retention of crop residues on the
soil surface
•Sensible, profitable rotation; and
•A minimum level of soil
Rice- Wheat Consortium Technical Bulletin
Indian Farming
June 2014
13
is not picking up by the farmers due
to scarcity of water. Nowadays,
brown manuring is being
recommended instead of green
manuring. In brown manuring,
sesbania is intercropped with direct
seed rice. At 30-35 days stage of the
crop, 2,4-D is sprayed to kill the
sesbania without any adverse effect
on rice. After 2-4D spray sesbania
turns brown, falls down on the
surface and act as mulch. Brown
manuring has following benefits:
•No need of additional irrigation
water for raising a sesbania crop
in summer before rice when
evaporation demand is close to
10-13 mm/days.
•Brown manuring keeps the soil
moist for long time.
•Improving soil fertility.
•Help to control weed up to 40-50
per cent.
Site Specific Nutrient Management
Leaf colour chart popularly known
as LCC is now used in determination
of leaf nitrogen content based on
chlorophyll content in the leaves at
different growth stages. A LCC value
of 4 indicates that there is 1.4 to 1.5
mg N/g leaf weight. The critical LCC
value for rice hybrids and HYVs is 4
and for basmati rice is 3. These values
have to be taken from 7-10 DAS or
20-25 DAT to heading.
Resource conserving method was
developed in Madagascar by Fr.
Henri De Laulanié, a French priest
with a background in agriculture and
passion for rural development. His
keen observation of deviant practice
and continued experimentation led to
SRI emerging over a decade with six
principles of growing rice that were
different, often radically, from
conventional rice cultivation
techniques.
•Transplanting of very young
seedlings between 8 and 15 days
old to preserve potential for
tillering and rooting;
•Planting seedlings singly very
carefully and gently rather than in
clumps of many seedlings that are
often plunged in the soil, inverting
root tips;
•Spacing them widely, at least 25
× 25 cm and in some cases even
50 × 50 cm, and in a square
pattern rather than in rows;
•Using a simple mechanical hand
weeder (rotary hoe) to aerate the
soil as well as to control weeds;
•Keeping the soil moist but never
continuously flooded during the
plants’ vegetative growth phase,
up to the stage of flowering and
grain production.
•Use of organic manure or
compost to improve soil quality.
Nursery management:
Seed rate 2
kg/acre; Nursery area 1 cent; Select
healthy seed; Pre-sprouted seeds are
sown on raised nursery bed; Prepare
nursery bed like garden crops; Apply
a layer of fine manure; Spread
sprouted seed sparsely; Cover with
another layer of manure; Mulch with
paddy straw; Water carefully; Banana
leaf sheath may be used for easy
lifting and transport of seedlings.
Main field preparation:
Land
preparation is not different from
regular irrigated rice cultivation;
Levelling should be done carefully so
that water can be applied very evenly;
With the help of a marker draw lines
both way at 25 x 25 cm apart and
transplant at the intersection; At
every 5-10 m distance form a canal to
facilitate drainage.
Benefits of SRI Cultivation
Reduction in seed requirement 65-
75%; Water requirement 35-45%
reduction; Fertilizer requirement No
or initially 50% less; Head rice
recovery 20-25% increased; Maturity
period uniform; Duration 10-20 days
less; Yield 25-30% increased; Strong
root anchorage withstand cyclonic
gales; Pest and disease management
less; Soil health sustained
Management Practices in SRI/Standard Method
Management Practices Standard Methods SRI
Type of Nursery Wet nursery Modified mat nursery
Seed rate (kg /ha) 20 5
Seedling age for 21 8
transplanting (days)
Seedlings/hill 2 1
Spacing (cm) 20 x 10 25 x 25
Weed management Hand weeding at 20 and Rotary/ Cono-weeder to uproot/
40 DAT incorporate weeds
Water management Cyclic submergence of Irrigation on appearance of hairline
water up to 2.5cm height cracks up to PI; 1-2 cm after PI to
throughout the cropping 15 days before harvest
period
Nutrient management Recommended fertilizer dose Azolla (750 Kg/ha )+ Compost (2.5
of NPK(150:60:60 Kg/ha) t/ha) + 50% recommended dose
of N, P and K. Application of N
based on LCC value
100
90
80
70
60
Relative yield (%)
Cont. FFP LCC 4 Rec. NPK
LCC = Leaf color chart
FPP = Farmer's fertilizer practice
Saving (30 kg N/ha)
72%
81%
99% 100%
0-30-60
80-25-0
90-40-60
120-40-60
LCC-Based Nitrogen Management in Rice Saves 25% Fertilizer
Indian Farming
June 2014
14
specific nutrient management,
integrated nutrient management and
leaf colour chart); Integrated pest
management (for seeds, diseases,
insects, rodents); Conservation
agriculture (reduced tillage, direct
seeding, residue management); Crop
establishment techniques DSR and
SRI; Weed control; Varietal
Selection.
SUMMARY
Resource Conserving Techniques
(RCTs) are more effective in
combinations rather than their
individual application. SRI method
of rice cultivation is an efficient
natural resources utilization and it is a
solution for enhancing the
production and productivity. Among
improvement.
Integrated Crop Management (ICM)
Options in Rice
Uniform land leveling; Quality
seed; Young, robust seedlings for TP;
Row seeding by drum seeder; Bed
planting; Intermittent irrigation;
Balanced NPK, with LCC for N
application or deep placement; IPM:
Need-based pest control.
Technologies to Reduce Existing Yield
Gaps
Tillage practices ( Land levelling
for direct seeding, including laser
leveling); Water Management (Water-
saving technologies (controlled
irrigation, aerobic rice for temperate
zones); Nitrogen Management ( Site-
different water-wise rice
establishment techniques DSR is
cost-effective and gives a higher net
return.
Sesbania
brown manuring is
helpful in suppressing weeds and
increases the yield. LCC reduced N
requirement approximately 25% of
applied N. Diversification of rice
based cropping sequence is a need of
the hour for sustainable production.
Site specific nutrient management in
rice (SSNM) is helpful to achieve
higher yield. Laser land leveling
enhances the yield and water
productivity.
1, 3 and 4 Scientists, 2Research Scholar, Division
of Agronomy, IARI, New Delhi
Sustaining higher productivity of rice...
(Continued from page 10)
1
, Sambha Mahsuri
Sub 1
and Savitri
Sub 1
than in the other genotypes.
Higher survival percent was observed
in Atiranga (94.78%) followed by
Kusuma (91.78%) and FR 13 A
(89.61%) whereas it was minimum
observed in IR 42 (6.58%) followed
by Sita (10.39%) and Swarna
(23.84%). On an average,
chlorophyll concentration decreased
under submergence in all rice
genotypes used in this study. The
magnitude of reduction of
chlorophyll was much less in
Atiranga and Kalaputia.
Submergence tolerant genotype
Swarna
Sub 1
maintained
significantly higher chlorophyll
concentrations than the rest of the
Sub 1
genotypes. In general, starch
concentration was observed highest
in control condition than
submergence.This study suggested
that promising submergence tolerant
rice genotypes carrying
Sub 1
have
greater potential for improving and
stabilizing the productivity of rainfed
lowland rice areas prone to flash
flooding. The results are also useful in
assessing submergence damage on
different rice genotypes across
different rice growing regions and
designing effective phenotyping
(Table 4).
Challenges in Varietal Intervention in
Eastern India
There is need to develop situation
specific rice varieties under different
type of submergence condition in
Eastern India. (A) Flash flood
condition (up to two weeks):
Development of rice cultivars which
could sustain flash flood and provide
optimum yield, e.g. Swarna
Sub 1.
(B) Stagnant flooding condition
(more than two week to few
months). The plants under this
situation are partially submerged
most of the time, thus grain
production is greatly reduced due to
poor tiller formation and greater
susceptibility to lodging. Thus there
is need to develop rice cultivars
which could sustain water logged
condition from a week to month
depending on the stagnant flood
condition and provide optimum
yield. (C) Flood with muddy soil
condition. There is a need to develop
rice varieties which could give
optimum yield under flood with
muddy soil condition. Apart from
these situation specific identification
as well as development of rice
varieties there is utmost requirement
to identify the rice genotypes which
can sustain in more than one
situation of flooding condition
without significant reduction on
development, productivity grain
quality and yield. Lodging resistant,
plant height and intermediate
elongation appear to be some of the
key traits in stagnant water due to
flooding condition.
SUMMARY
Selection of submergence tolerant
cultivars and identification of
morpho-physiological traits responsi-
ble for submergence tolerance is a
greater achievement under sub-
mergence situation. Introgression of
submergence tolerant gene
Sub 1
in
sensitive mega varieties Swarna, IR
64 and Sambha Mahsuri etc will
improve and stabilize the
productivity of rainfed lowland rice
areas prone to flash as well as
stagnant flooding. There is need to
develop new
Sub 1
mega varieties and
effectively provide submergence
tolerance without apparent effect on
development, productivity and grain
quality. These water proof rice
cultivars will give us the solution of
the hunger problem in India
particularly in eastern region.
1 and 2 Scientists (Plant Physiology, Plant
Breeding), 3Principal Scientist and Head,
Division of Crop Research, 4Senior Scientist
(Agronomy)
