IRRC: India 2011

Rice Situation
The rice-wheat cropping system is extensively practiced in sub-tropical and warm temperate regions of South Asia characterized by warm wet summers and cool dry winters. Nearly 85% of the rice-wheat system of South Asia is located in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) which is essential to Indias food security. The IGP spans the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, and extends into Bangladesh and Nepal. The plains in India are home to approximately 300 million people, the livelihoods of more than 80% of which are dependent on agriculture or agricultural related activities.

Current Activities
Current activities that started in 2010 are modest in scale, and are focused on the possibilities for increasing flexibility in the rice systems in the coastal areas in West Bengal by using direct seeding of rice rather than transplanting. Ramakrishna Missions (RKM) approach involves villagelevel participative activities and farmer groups These activities of the IRRC Labor Productivity and Community Ecology Work Group are a continuation of previous activities on direct-seeded rice (DSR) and weed management, funded by the Department for International Developments Research into Use Program, with three Indian nongovernment organizations [NEFORD; PRADAN; Ramakrishna Mission (RKM)], two Indian universities [G.B.Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology]. These DFID-funded activities in turn extended a program with the IRRC and two agricultural universities that were developing approaches to weed management and direct seeding as an alternative to transplanting across the IGP.

Outcomes and Impacts Direct seeding of rice is now one of the major components within the CSISA project across the IGP in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. The labor requirement for establishing a transplanted rice (nursery and transplanting) is approximately 50 person-days/ ha in comparison to 37 person-days/ha for drillor wet- (broadcast and drum-seeded) seeded rice. Adoption of direct seeding is taking place particularly in the western IGP. Current activities on direct seeding are based in part on the early activities of the Rice Wheat Consortium and the IRRC. In Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, the corresponding benefit-cost ratios are estimated at 22, 115, and 4, respectively. The internal rates of return of direct seeding are estimated at 49.1%, 97.9%, and 20.4%, respectively. DSR is a profitable option in rice-wheat systems. National Policy has been influenced through communications from collaborating organizations [NEFORD, RK Singh] with the Research Advisory Committee of the Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, the Quienniquenial Review Team of the Directorate of Rice Research, and the National Consultation on Conservation Agriculture. Further, influential opinion-makers have been aware of direct seeding activities including Dr. P.L. Gautam, DDG, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and Dr. N.B. Singh, Agriculture Commissioner, Govt. of India.

Household Survey Data

In 2007, household surveys were conducted in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, where project on-farm activities on DSR were situated. Focus group discussions and pretesting of questionnaires were conducted before the surveys were undertaken. A total of 100 farmers were interviewed.

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Produced by the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium Coordination Unit

IRRC: India 2011

Linkages to national initiatives and with other projects (and donors)
The current activities continue previous activities on direct seeding and weed management over 2 years, funded by DFIDs Research into Use program, with three Indian NGOs [NEFORD, PRADAN, and Ramakrishna Mission (RKM)], two Indian universities [G.B.Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, and Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology]. Direct seeding of rice now is one of the major components within the CSISA project across the IGP in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.

Key IRRI Scientists

David Johnson (crop establishment, weed management, adaptive research)

Key Partner Agencies

Civil Society Organizations Ramakrishna Mission Narendrapur, West Bengal NEFORD PRADAN Private Sector Companies An Giang Plant Protection Joint Stock Company Syngenta Universities G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Uttaranchal Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Uttar Pradesh

For more information Contact person: Trina Leah Mendoza, Senior Communication Specialist Email: t.mendoza@cgiar.org Web site: www.irri.org/irrc

Produced by the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium Coordination Unit