Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 16

In a conference organised by the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), direct seeded rice (DSR) emerged as a pivotal solution to address multiple challenges in rice cultivation, including water scarcity, methane emissions, soil erosion, labour and input costs.

Despite its potential, the DSR remains underutilised with only 20 per cent of the total rice cultivation area adopting this method, signalling the need for increased promotion and adoption, particularly in Punjab and Haryana, where farmers rely on water-guzzling traditional flood-puddling method of rice cultivation.

The experts emphasised that the DSR, if promoted on ground level could prove a game-changer without having any impact on the earnings of farmers. However, challenges such as poor yield, weed control and limited sowing windows require urgent attention from seed-producing companies to develop high-yielding and resilient varieties, the experts pointed out.

Dr Panneerselvam Peramaiyan from International Rice Research Institute emphasised the critical importance of timing in the DSR, acknowledging regional variations in benefits and challenges.

Underscoring ongoing research endeavours aimed at enhancing DSR techniques and developing new varieties Dr AK Singh, Director, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), stressed on importance of adopting suitable practices to maximise the DSR benefits.

Gurjeet Singh Brar, Joint Director, Department of Agriculture, Punjab, highlighted the persistent groundwater scarcity and the role of DSR in addressing this challenge. He noted the significant uptick in DSR adoption among farmers, facilitated by state subsidies, contributing to water conservation efforts.

Ajai Rana, Chairman, FSII, said, “The DSR is going to be a game-changer as the seed industry sees it as a technological advancement in rice cultivation.” Experts said collaboration between stakeholders and policymakers was essential to realise the full potential of the DSR.

Published Date: March 17, 2024