Direct Seeded Rice: Prospects, Problems/Constraints and Researchable Issues in India

Abstract

Transplanting after repeated puddling is the conventional method of rice (Oryza sativa) growing which is not only intensive water user but also cumbersome and laborious. Different problems like lowering water table, scarcity of labour during peak periods, deteriorating soil health demands some alternative establishment method to sustain productivity of rice as well as natural resources. Direct seeded rice (DSR), probably the oldest method of crop establishment, is gaining popularity because of its low-input demand. It offers certain advantages viz., it saves labour, requires less water, less drudgery, early crop maturity, low production cost, better soil physical conditions for following crops and less methane emission, provides better option to be the best fit in different cropping systems. Comparative yields in DSR can be obtained by adopting various cultural practices viz., selection of suitable cultivars, proper sowing time, optimum seed rate, proper weed and water management. It can also be stated that soil problems related to rice and following crops can be solved with direct seeding. There are several constraints associated with shift from PTR to DSR, such as high weed infestation, evolution of weedy rice, increase in soil borne pathogens (nematodes), nutrient disorders, poor crop establishment, lodging, incidence of blast, brown leaf spot etc. By overcoming these constraints DSR can prove to be a very promising, technically and economically feasible alternative to PTR.The potential benefits and constraints associated with adoption of DSR are discussed in this paper.