In this article we will discuss about the regional strategies for increasing production of rice.
Eastern India:
Any major strategy for improving rice production in eastern India should start with a better understanding of its rice growing environments and the identification of potential but hitherto underused areas for production. The rainfed shallow lowland ecosystem (< 30 cm depth) is the minimum risk ecology where, with the introduction of ideal high yielding varieties, minimum levels of input use and adoption of improved package of management practices, it would be possible to improve the productivity significantly.
Varieties are the major missing link in the most ecologically harsh environments of eastern India. Demonstration of presently available improved varieties through extensive compact-block demonstrations for rapid dissemination can substantially improves the production.
Other strategies include:
1. Introducing hybrid rice technology in favourable shallow lowlands after verification in irrigated areas.
2. Using moderate level of inputs involving a balanced use of major and minor nutrients and correcting micronutrient deficiencies.
3. Emphasising rain water conservation and organic recycling/green manuring wherever possible.
4. Sowing early in direct seeded areas and/or timely transplanting on a watershed basis, with due emphasis on establishing a minimum desired level of plant population.
5. Providing crop saving irrigation through organised shallow tube wells, village tanks etc. to cope with prolonged drought during the crop season.
6. Extending boro crop to still unused areas in Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Assam, with provision for tapping into underground water.
South India:
Rice improvement in Kerala and Tamil Nadu will depend more on socioeconomic reorganisation than on technology for the time being. Rice production must be encouraged through major socioeconomic constraints, policy support and adequate farmer incentives to meet the extra costs of escalating labour wages and inputs. However, certain technical strategies will also be important.
1. Exploiting groundwater potential through tube wells in Onattukarai tract and in Pallial lands of north Kerala to help early establishment of the dry sown crop in April-May. This applies as well to Konkan Coast and parts of Tamil Nadu.
2. Organising compact-block frontline demonstrations to show the potential of a package of technology and appropriate varieties that tolerate abiotic stresses in command areas such as salinity, zinc and phosphate deficiency and specific pest and disease problems.
3. Establishing a tungro virus disease management campaign using resistant varieties and cultural practices in the endemic areas of Changelput, north and south Arcot districts of Tamil Nadu and Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and a gall midge management campaign in Srikakulam and Vizaynagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh.
4. Correcting multinutrient deficiencies arising from phosphorus, potassium, zinc and sulfur responses and following a balanced nutrient use in the medium and low productivity areas, with emphasis on green manuring and organic recycling.
5. Increasing the area under hybrids all over the south India.
North and Northwest India:
1. Medium duration varieties with good grain quality and resistance to bacterial blight should be grown in Punjab and white backed plant hopper resistant varieties in Haryana.
2. Medium duration hybrids developed by public and private sectors should receive intensive on-farm testing for their adaptability and subsequent spread.
3. Effective management of yellow steam borer, leaf folder, bacterial leaf blight and blast should be implemented with appropriate cultural methods and need-based pesticides use.
Despite the improved production package, rice yields are stagnating in almost all the rice ecosystems. Recent developments indicate that the current technologies maybe inadequate to boost the productivity further. The wide gap between potential (experimental stations) yield and farm yield is yet to be bridged.
The socioeconomic factors at farm level are inhibiting the efforts to narrow the yield gap. Most modern technologies are resource or input intensive and beyond the implementable capabilities of the small farmers. Hence, there is need for formulating innovative technologies, which are scale neutral and cost effective to resource poor and environmentally handicapped rice farmer.