DIRECT SEEDED RICE IN PUNJAB:

STATUS AND PROSPECTS

M S Bhullar

Agronomist

Punjab Agricultural University

(bhullarms@pau.edu)

ISSUES� Rice area in Punjab: 2.7 mha

� State water resources: sustain only 1.6 mha

� Declining water tables (over-exploitation of underground

aquifers)

� Soil structure and health (excessive tillage including puddling)

� Declining labour availability (and rising labour costs)

� Energy inputs (for water extraction and tillage)

� Flooded field (major source of atmospheric CH4)

� Need for RCT (saves water, labor and energy)

� Direct Seeded Rice

Rising labour costs and declining availability of

farm labour for rice planting

… can also lead to delayed

planting and yield losses

Puddling in rice

Transplanting of Rice in Puddled Field

Laser leveling

Optimum sowing time

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DSR-June 7

DSR-June 14

DSR-June 21

DSR-June 28

PTR

Grain yield (kg/ha)

1- 15 June – Optimum sowing time for DSR

Varietal performance in DSR

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PR-115 (125d) PAU 201 (144d) PR-118 (158d)

PTR

DSR

8% 29%

Grain yield (kg/ha)

57%

Short and Medium duration varieties perform better in DSR

Optimum seeding rateSeed rate (kg/ha)

20- 25 kg/ha seed optimum for DSR

Drum Seeding Broadcasting

DSR Drill

2006

2009

Weeds- A major issue

Uncontrolled weeds reduce the

DSR grain yield by >50%

Herbicides and DSR performance

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Pendimethalin Bispyribac Pendimethalin fb

bispyribac

Weedy check

Grain yield (kg/ha)

Grasses and Cyperus sp

PRE fb POSTBispyribac as POST

Pendimethalin as PRE Weedy check

Emerging problematic weeds in DSR

• Leptochloa chinensis

• Eragrostis sp

• Dactylocteniumaegyptiacum

D. aegyptiacumLeptochloa chinensis

Eragrostis sp

Irrigation Water Applied (mm)

Rain (mm)

DSR=663

PTR=562

Grain Yield (t ha-1)

Harvested area=25m2

Moisture content at harvesting = 15-20%

Moisture content adjusted to 14%

System/Irrigation Daily 20 kPa 40 kPa 70 kPa Mean

PTR 7.12 7.39 6.32 5.4 6.56

DSR 6.56 7.01 4.42 3.38 5.34

Mean 6.84 7.20 5.37 4.39

LSD (p=5%)System =0.79Irrigation=0.91

Alternate wetting and drying is the key

to water saving in DSR

Production package for DSR

• Laser-levelling: essential for the success of DSR

• Time of sowing: 1- 15 June

• Seed rate: 20- 30 kg/ha

• Establishment: Well prepared moist/dry seed bed

• Varieties: Short and medium duration

• Weed management: Sequence of PRE and POST herbicides

• Irrigation scheduling: Alternate wetting and drying saves 20-

30% irrigation water

• Nitrogen: Similar N input as PTR

PRESENT STATUS

� Successful adoption

� DSR grown on ~6000 ha in 2011 (still small fraction of

total rice area 2.7 Mha)

� Area under DSR Non-existent only 5 years

ago -This is an important start

� Efforts needed to support this adoption

process so that potential benefits from this

technology can be fully realised

This process of adoption can be

facilitated by maintaining current

LONG-TERM SITES in different

regions so that local farmers can

develop confidence in the long-term

viability of this CA technology

CHALLENGES/OPPORTUNITIES

As the adoption of DSR will progress,

new researchable issues will come up

which will further help in refining and

fine tuning the DSR technology

�Advancing sowing time (Impact on yield and water

saving)

�Weed flora will become more diverse (Need to

minimize yield losses and weed control costs)

� Identifying weed competitive and iron

efficient cultivars

�Planting in ZT brown manured fields

� Irrigation management for different soil

types

�And more-----

� The ever worsening labor, water

and energy crisis will help in fast

adoption and indicates a bright

future for DSR in Punjab

� Substantial increase in area is

expected this year