Management in direct seeded ricefor enhancing resource use efficiency

Abstract

Rice is the world's most important food crop and the staple food for about four billion people i.e., half of the humankind on the planet. Rice cultivation through the conventional puddled transplanted method faces severe obstacles due to water and labor shortages and climate change in the North-Western Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). Direct seeded rice (DSR) method of rice cultivation is a viable alternative to conventional puddled transplanted rice with good potential to conserve water, reduce labor requirement, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate risks. The direct sowing of rice refers to the process of establishing the crop from the seeds sown in the field rather than planting the seedlings from the nursery. If the crop is properly managed, the yield can be compared to planted rice. In recent years, efforts have been made by various organizations to promote DSR technology and Scientists are focusing on developing suitable varieties with good agronomic packages to promote direct seeded rice practice. Direct-seeded rice with best crop management practices provides equivalent or higher yield and 30–50% less irrigation water use than farmer-managed puddle transplanted rice.