Dr. B. C. Viraktamath

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Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern Region
Increasing rice production in Eastern India by
promoting hybrid rice as well as other
technologies
Dr. B. C. Viraktamath Project Director Directorate
of Rice Research
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Region -wise rice area, production and
productivity (mean of 2002-2007)
Eastern India has the great potential to enhance
rice production in the coming years
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Rice Area () in Eastern region Ecology-wise
Floating
Deep water
Semi-deep water
Upland
Rainfed lowland
Total area 23.4 Mha
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Rice Production and Productivity in Different
Ecologies
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State-wise rice area, production and productivity
during 2005-2006(In Eastern region)
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• Production constraints in Eastern India
• Physical
• Over dependence on unpredictable monsoon
• Frequent drought/floods
• Low light intensity during kharif
• Technical
• Slow spread of HYVs
• Lower use of fertilizers/other inputs
• Low seed replacement rate
• Extension
• Weak extension machinery
• Lower credit facilities

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Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India
Green Revolution in eastern India should be
ushered in based on the principles of
sustainability, soil health and environmental
protection
Increasing the yields should not be the only
criteria that has derailed the sustainability of
rice production system
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Bringing green revolution to the east needs
caution

• Lessons learnt from green revolution in other
  parts of the country
• Over-emphasis on input intensive technologies
• Excessive and imbalanced use of chemical
  fertilizers leading to micro nutrient
  deficiencies
• Neglecting the use of organics in rice
  cultivation
• Excessive exploitation of ground water leading to
  soil problems
• Over dependent on chemical based pest control
  leading to environmental pollution
• Benefited only the medium and large farmers

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Strategies for bringing green revolution in
Eastern India

• Adoption of new high yielding varieties
• Strengthening seed production and encouraging
  seed replacement rate
• Increasing area under hybrid rice
• Encouraging balanced use of fertilizers (INM,
  SSNM)
• Enhanced use of organics
• Adoption of IPM practices to control
  pests/diseases
• Increasing irrigation facilities and judicious
  use of water
• Increasing area under boro rice wherever ground
  water is abundant

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Adoption of High Yielding Varieties in Eastern
India
IR-Irrigated RSL-Rainfed shallow lands
RUP-Rainfed uplands
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Most popular rice varieties in Eastern India
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Rice varieties released during the last 5 years
for Eastern India
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Hybrid Rice
One of the key components that can help in
bringing green revolution to Eastern India. The
potential is seen already as the region is
leading in hybrid rice cultivation.
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The Need for Hybrid Rice

• Rapidly increasing population
• Plateuing yield trend of HYVs.

• Declining resources (Land, Water)
• Yield advantage of hybrids (15-20) over varieties

Hybrid Rice is one of the practically feasible
and readily adoptable technologies to enhance
productivity of rice in the country.
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Eastern India Harbinger of hybrid rice
cultivation

• Appreciable yield advantage of the hybrids over
  the inbred varieties (30-40)
• Farmers enthusiasm in accepting the technology
• Hybrid rice quality suiting to the requirement of
  the people in the region
• Aggressive marketing strategies by the private
  seed companies

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Evaluation of Hybrids
Total hybrids evaluated 2000 Hybrids
Released 43 Public Sector hybrids 28
Private Sector hybrids 15 Central Releases
20 State Releases 23
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Hybrids Released by CSCCSNRV
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Hybrid with medium slender grain type
DRRH-3
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Hybrids available for cultivation in different
states
Besides private sector is selling 30-40 non
notified hybrids in the region
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Hybrid rice cultivation (region-wise) 2009
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Hybrids suitable for rainfed/aerobic conditions
Hybrids tolerant to salinity/alkalinity
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Strategies for promoting Hybrid rice in Eastern
India
Policy

• Providing a special fund for hybrid rice research
  with special focus on Eastern India
• Constituting a task force to oversee the progress
  on hybrid rice
• Creating conducive environment to boost seed
  production both by public and private sector
• Procurement of hybrid rice produce by FCI and
  other agencies for PDS

Contd.
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Technical

• Development of long duration hybrids for shallow
  low lands and coastal areas
• Further enhancing the level of heterosis
• Optimizing hybrid rice seed production in boro
  areas

Extension

• Conducting large number of demonstrations in
  farmers fields
• Line Departments to play a key role in promoting
  hybrid rice
• Advance seed indent system to be developed and
  implemented

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Other technologies to usher into green revolution
in Eastern India

• Adopting Integrated Nutrient Management practices
• Going for soil health cards and practicing site
  specific nutrient management
• Use of organics/green manures should be an
  integral part in rice cultivation
• Use of Leaf Colour Chart to improve the N
  efficiency
• Crop diversification (rotation and recycling of
  crop residues)
• Judicious use of water by adopting innovative
  cultivation methods
• Integrated pest management

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Adoption of SRI to save water and other inputs

• Plant young seedlings (8-12 days old)
• Single seedling per hill with soil
• Wider spacing (20 x 25 cm)
• Use of more organics
• Weeding by cono weeder
• Bio-pesticides (IPM)

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Aerobic rice cultivation

• Cultivation of rice in un puddled, direct seeded
  without standing water (need based irrigation as
  like wheat maize)
• Combines features of high yielding irrigated
  lowland and drought tolerant upland cultivars.

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Direct seeding with 8 row drum seeder
Simple method to save labour
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Integrated pest management in rice
Optimum Sowing / Planting Time
Pest Monitoring in Nursery/ Main field Economic
thresholds
RESISTANT VARIETY
Cultural Practices Optimum Spacing Optimum
N Crop sanitation Alleyways Mid season drying
Natural biocontrol Avoid persistent
insecticides Pheromones
Need based insecticide use Ecofriendly and safe
insecticides
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Trap Crop- A cost effective environmental
friendly way to control the stem borer
Growing one row of Basmati variety after every 9
rows of farmers variety could reduce the stem
borer damage to considerable extent
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Conclusions

• Faster spread of newly developed varieties and
  hybrids
• Efficient and effective seed production mechanism
  to ensure the availability of quality seeds
• Selective mechanization to save the rice farming
  from labour shortage
• Enhancing profitability of rice farming by
  economizing the input use
• Intensifying research on water saving
  technologies such as Aerobic rice, AWD, SRI etc
• Aggressive technology transfer efforts by all the
  concerned

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Thank You