Sign In
Learn bits
Geography
Mahesh

17/06/24 10:23 AM IST

Direct seeding of rice(DSR)

In News
  • The Punjab government has been actively promoting the direct seeding of rice (DSR), or ‘tar-wattar’ technique, This can reduce water use by 15% to 20%
DSR Working
  • Traditionally, paddy farmers prepare nurseries where seeds are first sown.
  • After 25-35 days, the young seedlings are uprooted and replanted, in the flooded main field.
  • While this method is labour and water-intensive, it is known to maximise yields and maintain better crop health.
  • DSR, as the name suggests, requires no nursery preparation or transplantation.
  • Paddy seeds are directly sown, roughly 20-30 days prior to when they would have been transplanted.
  • The field is irrigated and laser leveled prior to the seeding process which is carried out using a seed drill or lucky seeder.
  • Seed treatment is crucial, with seeds soaked in a fungicide solution for eight hours, then dried for half a day before sowing.
  • The first round of irrigation is carried out 21 days after sowing, followed by 14-17 more rounds at 7-10 day intervals, depending on soil type and the quality of the monsoon.
  • The final irrigation takes place 10 days before harvest. The traditional method requires 25-27 irrigations in total.
Implementation of DSR
  • Experts emphasise that soil suitability is crucial for the successful implementation of DSR.
  • Farmers should avoid DSR in light-textured soils — it is more suitable for heavy or medium-to-heavy-textured soils.
  • This is primarily because light-textured soils do not retain water well.
  • The Majha (northwestern Punjab) and Doaba (northeastern Punjab) regions predominantly feature heavy-textured and medium-to-heavy-textured soil, whereas Malwa (central and southern Punjab contains pockets of heavy-textured, medium-textured, and light-textured soils.
Importance of iron content
  • The iron content of the soil also determines the suitability of DSR. Soil with severe iron deficiency, and weed problems must not be cultivated using this technique.
  • In fact, experts say that in several places, even medium-textured soils are unsuitable simply due to their lack of iron.
  • This is likely to be more of a problem in fields previously cultivated with crops such as cotton, maize, and sugarcane.
  • Experts recommend that soils with plant-available iron are ideal for DSR. In case iron supplements are being used, farmers should apply ferrace iron, which is green-coloured and not oxidised, rather than oxidised iron, which is brown in colour.
  • Lack of iron content can severely impact yields and lead to major financial losses for farmers.
  • Sometimes, farmers might even have to transplant the crop anyway, after a month or so, leading to DSR losing its labour-saving benefits.
Way forward
  • A basic lack of awareness and understanding is holding DSR back. After using the method on unsuitable soil, farmers do not get the expected yields.
  • They then developed apprehensions regarding DSR and reverted to their traditional puddling method.
  • Crucially, negative feedback spreads quickly by word of mouth, further dissuading other farmers for whom DSR might have been ideal.
  • Experts say that comprehensively educating farmers is key to enable the adoption of a new technique, and departure from age-old, tried and tested methods.
  • They suggest that extensive training and a ready helpline be provided, to handhold the farmers through the whole process, from pre-sowing to harvesting.
  • This can instill confidence among farmers regarding DSR’s efficacy.
Source- Indian Express

More Related Current Affairs View All

21 Sep

A new White Revolution

'Operation Flood, launched in 1970, ushered in the White Revolution and transformed the dairy sector in India.' Dairy cooperatives procured 660 lakh kg of milk per day in 2023-2

Read More

21 Sep

Changes in Canada’s international work permit system

'Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced changes to the country’s international work permit system, aiming to reduce the number of immigrant workers in Canada.'

Read More

20 Sep

Cabinet clears setting up of National Centre of Excellence in Mumbai for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality

'The Government has recently said that the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) sector has the potential to provide employment to over 20 lakh people in the coming 10

Read More

India’s First Ai-Driven Magazine Generator

Generate Your Custom Current Affairs Magazine using our AI in just 3 steps