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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

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