Prospects of aerobic rice in

irrigated areas of India

M.D.Reddy
Di
Director
t
WATER TECHNOLOGY CENTRE
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
ACHARYA N
N.G.
G RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
RAJENDRANAGAR, Hyderabad – 500 030
Email:metukudevender@gmail.com

Paper presented in Symposium held at Navsari, Nov 19-21, 2008 1

Irrigation
•At 59million ha largest irrigated area

•Productivity very low <2.5 t/ha

•Irrigation
Irrigation system are supply driven

•Efficiency is very low 40%

•No lack of technology

2
 meter perr cap
Per Capita Availability
6000

5000
vailibilty (Cubic m

4000
year)

3000 Water Stress Line

y

Water Scarcity Line

2000
Water Av

1000

0
W

1951 1991 2001 2025 2050

3
How much water do people use?
(liters/day)

Drinking 2-5
H
House h
hold
ld 20-400
20 400
Kg of grain (cereals) 1000 liters ET
Veg
g diet 2600 liters ET
Non Veg –Diet 5400 liters Et

4
 Rice Scenario in India
• Total harvested rice area is 45 million hectares with
46 percentt iirrigated,
i t d 28 per centt rain
i fed
f d lowland,
l l d 14
per cent flood prone, and 12 per cent rain fed upland.
• Four seasons occur in India: winter (December-
F b
February), ) summer (March-May),
(M h M ) rainy i southwestern
th t
monsoon (June-September), and post monsoon
(October-November).
• It is cultivated during Kharif (early) (Mar - May to Jun
–Oct), Kharif (Jun – Oct to Nov-Feb) and summer
(Nov-Feb to Mar-

5
 Major Rice cultural systems
Rainfed
• Rainfed upland – Without standing water
• Rainfed lowland – With 5
5-50
50 cm standing
water
• Deep water Rice
Irrigated
• Transplanting
• Dryseeding – Aerobic rice
• Wet seeding

6
 Classification of rice culture system
Type of rice culture Main method of Maximum water
planting depth (cm)
Rainfed low land rice 0-50
™Shallow 5-15
™Medium
M di – deep
d Transplanting 16 50 cm
16-50

Deep water rice Broad cast onto dry 51-100

soil
il
Floating rice Broad cast onto dry 101-600 cm
soil
Upland rice Broad cast or drilled No standing water
into dry soil

Source: Barker and Herdt

7
 Typical daily rates of water outflows and seasonal
water input in lowland rice production in the tropics
Daily (mm d-1) Duration (d) Season (mm)

Land Preparation
zLand Soaking 100 - 500
z Evaporation 4–6 7 – 30 28 -180
zSeepage & Percolation 5 - 30 7 – 30 35 - 900
Total Land Preparation 160 – 1580
Crop growth period
zEvapotranspiration

- Wet
W t season 4–5 100 400 - 500
- Dry season 6–7 100 600 - 700
zSeepage & percolation

- Heavy clays 1–5 100 100 – 500

- Loamy/sandy soils 15 – 30 100 1500 - 3000
Total crop growth 500 – 3700
Total seasonal water input
p 660 - 5280
Common Values 1000 - 2000
8
 Aerobic rice
• Aerobic rice is a new type of rice that is aerobic-soil-
adapted and input-responsive.
• It grows well in non puddle and non saturated soils with
water content of 70% to 100% of water-holding capacity
throughout a growing season.
• Aerobic rice can be a replacement of lowland rice
wherever available water is insufficient for lowland rice
but sufficient for aerobic rice.
• Aerobic rice is targeted to more favorable environments
where land is flat or terraced, and soil can be frequently
brought to near field capacity by rainfall or supplemental
irrigation.

9
 AEROBIC RICE

•It lowers the labor requirement than low land rice

•It causes less effect on environment
•It shows flood tolerance under low land condition
•It
It shortens the cropping cycle than low land rice

10
• Aerobic rice crop yield of 3-6 t/ha can be
obtained in different regions
regions.
• The dry seeding technology (aerobic rice)
combined with other crop management
techniques like supplementary irrigation
and proper fertilization, it is now possible
to grow local varieties using less water
but obtaining higher yields.

11
 The
eddriving
g factor
acto for
o ae
aerobic
ob c rice
ce

• Water resources for agriculture are shrinking

– Traditional rice cultivation – flooded for 4 – 5
months
– In India >70% of all water used to irrigate rice
– Rice requires more water for land preparation
– In low land rice water use is 1,000 – 2,000 mm
– About 4.5 million ha in North China , 2.1million
ha in pakistan and 10.4
10 4 million ha in North
India and Central India will face water
scarcity by 2025 (Tuong & Bouman )

12
 Trade offs and challenges
• Interactions among scales
• Nutrients
- Phosphorus and Nitrogen are less available under
aerobic conditions
- Aerobic requires more N
- Micro nutrient deficiencies in Aerobic rice
• Weeds
- - Higher weed infestation
- - Weed species shift
• Sustainability

13
 Issues in water saving
W t saving
Water i Principles
Pi i l Translate
T l t to
t savings
i att higher
hi h
scales
Increase yield per unit Yes
transpiration (WPT)
Reducing non beneficial Yes
depletions
Effectively using rain and other Depending on whether excessive
inflows rainfall, other inflows, storage water
can be used down stream
Effectively using water from the
storage
R d i
Reducing out flows
fl Depending
D di on how
h out flows
fl are
used down stream 14
 China

Low water requirement and higher water productivity,

farmers are adopting aerobic rice in 2 kinds of water
short areas in Northern China

•Irrigated areas where water has become so scarce

•Rain fed areas where rainfall is insufficient to low land

rice production

15
• A
Aerobic
bi rice
i breeding
b di in i North
N th China
Chi pioneered
i d by
b the
th
China Academy of Agricultural Sciences since 1980s.
• In China,, from mid-1980s to the early
y 1990s some early y
aerobic rice varieties such as Qinai, Heda77-2, Zhong
Yuan1, Zhang Yuan2 and Han72 were bred and
released.
• These varieties showed improvements over local
upland varieties by having early maturity, improved
plant hype and responsiveness to fertilizers which all
led to higher yields .
• In North China, aerobic rice cultivars called Han Dao
have been developed that yield up to 6-7.5 t ha-1 under
flash irrigation in bunded fields (Wang and Tang
Tang, 2000)
2000).
16
Performance of elite Han Dao aerobic rice varieties as
observed from 1997 to 1999 in farmer’s fields in China

Variety Regions of Duration, Yield (t/ha) Irrigation Yield

adoption days water record
(mm) (t/ha)
Han D
H Dao Haung –
H 105 115
105-115 5060
5.0-6.0 150 225
150-225 87
8.7
277 Huai – Hai
region
Han Dao North 130 140
130-140 5065
5.0-6.5 225 375
225-375 8 25
8.25
297 China
Han Dao Along Huai 115-130 6.0-7.0 225-300 8.4
502 River & in
Chang
Jiang river
valley

Source : Wang Huaqi et al., 2002

17
 Performance of aerobic and low land rice in China
Location Guanzhuang Beijing
Rice Type Aerobic Low land Aerobic Low Land

variety HD 502 65002 HD 297 JD 305

Yield (t/ha) 5.8 7.9 4.6 7.1

Irrigation (mm) 542 1291 177 1057

Total water (mm) 612 1361 476 1394

Total water productivity 0.95 0.58 0.96 0.51

(g/kg)
Irrigation water 1 07
1.07 0 61
0.61 2 58
2.58 0 67
0.67
productivity (g/kg)
Net return to water 0.0715 0.0406 0.1464 0.0648
use($/m3)
Net returns ($/ha) 438 553 697 903
Family labour use(8 h 46 90 12 53
labour day /ha)

Source: Wang Huaqui et al., 2001 18

 Yield of aerobic rice (Han Dao) under doifferent water regimes in
North China, Changping station

Variety Soil Water content in root zone Yield (kg/ha)

HD5029 (150- 80-90% through out 5338

154 D))
Aerobic var. 60-70% emergence to PI and 80-90% 4618
PI onwards
g
80-90% emergence to PI and 60-70% 4268
PI onwards
JD305 (160- 80-90% through out 4235
162 D)
Lowland var. 60-70% emergence to PI and 80-90% 3767
PI onwards
80-90% emergence to PI and 60-70% 1995
PI onwards
19
Source: Yang Xiaoguang et al., 2002
• The aerobic rice used onlyy 470 to 644 mm of
water as against the cultivation of flooded lowland
rice which required about 1,300 mm of water.
• The
Th hihighest
h t yield
i ld off aerobic
bi rice
i was 4
4.7-5.3
753th ha-
1, compared with 8.8 t ha-1 of flooded lowland
rice.
• The water productivity (g grains per kg of total
water used) of aerobic rice was 64-88% higher
than that of flooded lowland ricerice.

20
 IRRI Philippines
IRRI,
• At IRRI, Philippines, experimentation during early seventies
with lowland rice variety (IR20) like an upland crop under
furrow irrigation indicated that total water savings were 56%
and irrigation water savings 78% as compared to growing the
crop under
d flflooded
d d conditions.
diti
• The yield reduced from 7.9 t ha-1 to 3.4 t ha-1.
• More recently, the scientists at IRRI were able to develop
some aerobic rice cultivars which yield between 3.89 – 7.0 t
ha-1 in favorable upland environments.
• Aerobic cultivars are of intermediate height under favorable
upland conditions and maintain HI of nearly 0.4, or about one-
third higher than other cultivar types.

21
 Yield (t ha-1) of irrigated, aerobic, traditional upland and drought
tolerant upland cultivar groups in three hydrological environments

Variety type Environment type

Irrigated low Non-stressed Water-stressed
land upland upland
Aerobic 4.06 3.89 1.08
Irrigated 4.07 2.94 0.73
Tradition
T diti 2 29
2.29 1 89
1.89 0 57
0.57
lowland
Drought 1.71 1.58 1.06
tolerant
LSD(0.05) 0.80 0.99 0.31

Source : Atlin et al., 2004

22
 Yield (t ha-1) of rice varieties cultivated under aerobic and flooded
conditions dry season (DS) and wet season (WS),
conditions, (WS) 2001,
2001 IRRI.
IRRI
Season DS WS
Variety
y Treatment Soil Yield Soil Yield
condition condition
Apo AAa Aerobic 4.37 Aerobic 4.19
AF Aerobic 4.5 Flooded 5.07
FF Flooded 5.06 Flooded 5.30
IR43 AA Aerobic 3.41 Aerobic 4.10
AF Aerobic 3.70 Flooded 4.74
FF Flooded 5.90 Flooded 4.81

aA=aerobic,, F=flooded;; first p

position indicates the DS and second p
potion the WS
Source : Castaneda et al., 2002
23
 Total water inputs and water balance in wet
(WS) season off 2001
2001, IRRI
IRRI.

Type of rice Farming Irrigation Rainfall Total water

culture / activity (mm) (mm) input (mm)
season
Flooded WS Land 358 76 434
Crop growth 574 751 1325

Aerobic WS Land 53 76 129

Crop growth 79 751 830

Source : Castaneda et al., 2002

24
• In India
India, rice production is strongly
associated with rainfall distribution.
• A significant portion of the irrigated rice
area suffers from intermittent water
shortage.
shortage
• Fundamentally different approach is to
grow rice
i liklike an upland
l d crop

25
 India

• In India,
India the research on aerobic rice
is limited.
• For rainfed dry seeded irrigated
conditions, there are no specific
varieties.
• For dry seeded irrigated conditions
(aerobic), only the high yielding
varieties recommended for
transplanted irrigated areas are
either grown by the farmers or
tested in experiments. 26
• In irrigated areas of South India, establishment of
d seeded
dry d d rice
i ini low
l land
l d fields
fi ld is
i followed
f ll d in
i
accordance with the local rainfall pattern to some
extent under tank and canal irrigated deltaic areas.
• Growing
G i off dry
d sown paddy dd underd raini fed
f d for
f 2-3
23
months and irrigating as I.D crop
• This practice saves about 350 mm of water by
avoiding nursery,
nursery main field preparation though the
crop yields are little less than transplanted rice.
• The information available on aerobic rice indicates
that the crop yields of 3-6
3 6 t/ha can be obtained in
different regions.

27
• At Rajendranagar,
j g under aerobic conditions Naveen,
Erramallelu, Tellahamsa, IR 64, MTU 1010 and ARB
17(1) X 06 (104-124 days to flowering) recorded
>4.0 t/ha
• At IARI, New Delhi, during the wet season, Pusa
Sugandh 3 and Pusa Rice Hybrid 10 performed well
under aerobic conditions.
conditions
• These results suggest that there is a need to identify
rice varieties from rainfed upland and irrigated
lo lands simultaneously
lowlands sim ltaneo sl for the development
de elopment of
varieties for aerobic situations.

28
 Grain Yield Flowering, days from
sowing/transplanting
Cultivars Aerobic Transplanted Aerobic* Transplanted**
Erramallelu 4.07 4.60 101 57

WGL 14 2.14 2.00 117 78

Jagtiala sannalu 2.11 1.26 110 73

JGL 11470 1.65 3.31 124 81

JGL 11727 2.18 2.50 111 73

Tella Hamsa 3.70 2.88 93 66

IR 64 4.02 2.23 93 70

Naveen 4.57 3.92 104 65

MTU 1010 4.23 2.42 96 70

MTU 1001 3.19 4.11 112 78

MTU 1075 1.56 1.75 115 80

ARB 21Ax3 2.09 3.86 110 70

ARB 17(1)x06 4.48 3.68 104 57

29

Source: Reddy et al, 2007

 30
Aerobic rice cultivars at college farm, ANGRAU, H
 Relationship between total water received and water productivity of
rice varieties under dry seeded irrigated conditions , Kharif 2003

1300 Irrigation water (mm)

1200 Effective rainfall (mm) 0 47 kg m-3
0.47
1100 0.53 kg m-3
0.60kg m-3
1000
900 kg m-33
0 54 k
0.54
Water (mm)

800
700 677.5
617.5
565.0
600
W

500 445.0

400
300
200 317.8 322.9 324.1
264.8
100
0
Varaalu Erramallelu Jagtiala Sannalu Polasa Prabha

31

Source: Srinivas et al 2007

 Relationship between total water received and grain yield of
dry seeded irrigated rice in different dates of sowing , Kharif 2003

Irrigation water (mm)

1300
1200 Effective rainfall (mm)
4.97 t ha-1
1100 4.88 t ha-1 4.82 t ha-1
1000 4.11 t ha-1
900
Water (mm)

800
605.0
700
557.5 580.0
600
W

562.5
500
400
300
406
406.7
200 318.2 296.5
208.1
100
0
J
June 16th J
June 26th J l 7th
July J l 18th
July

32
• The time of sowing had profound influence on grain yield
andd water
t requirement
i t off the
th crop.
• Dry seeding in rainfed upland is recommended after
receipt of 60-75 mm rainfall.
• Dry seeding one week before the onset of monsoon has
performed similar to that of with the onset of /
immediately after the onset of monsoon.
• The response aerobic rice to N application ranged from
100 kg N/ha to 150 Kg N/ha along with 50 kg each of P2O5
and K2O / ha.
• Nitrogen application in two or three splits has been
recommended.
d d
• With increase in N levels, the water productivity
increased.

33
 Effect of sowingg time on performance
p of
aerobic rice at Madurai

Sowing time Yield, t/ha

One week ahead of onset of 2.9 (1) 1.2 (2)
monsoon
Two weeks ahead of onset of 29
2.9 19
1.9
monsoon
Immediately
y after monsoon 2.8 -
Onset of monsoon - 1.7

Source: 1. Selvan et al, 2002 2. Kathiresan et al, 1997

34
Grain yield of aerobic, wet seeded and transplanted rice
(Erramallelu) kharif
(Erramallelu), kharif, 1989

Method of establishment Grain yield

(t/ha)
Broad cast sown – Dry seeding 2.88
Line sown – Dry seeding 3 59
3.59
Broad cast sprouted seed – Wet 3.29
seeding
Transplanting 3.4

Source : RARS, Jagtial, Ann. Rep., 1989

35
 Performance of aerobic rice ( Polasa Prabha) during
kharif 2002-03
kharif, 2002-03.

Treatment Date of Date of Seed

sowing Harvesting yield
(kg/ha)
Dry seeding at 20 cm 4 7 02
4.7.02 3 12 02
3.12.02 3674
rows
Dry seeding at 30 cm 4.7.02 3.12.02 3343
rows
Dry seeding broad casting 4.7.02 3.12.02 3033

Transplanting 30 8 02
30.8.02 17 12 02
17.12.02 3260

Rainfall: 467mm in 25 rainy days (18 July-17 Oct, 2002), Gerrmination 18.7.02
Source: RARS, Jagtial, ANGRAU, Ann. Rep., 2002-03
36
 Impact of varying methods of rice establishment
on grain
i yield
i ld (t/h
(t/ha))

Year ADSB ADSR ATPB CPTR

2002 4.32 5.27 5.34 5.93

2003 3.89 4.61 4.73 5.52

Source: Singh et al., 2008

ADSB-aerobic direct seeded rice on furrow – irrigared

raised bed system,
ADSR- Aerobic direct seeded rice
rice,
ATPB- aerobic transplanted rice as in ADSB, 37
CPTR- conventional puddle transplanted rice
 Yield of aerobic rice (Jagtial Sannalu) in different
t t
treatmentst ( 2003
2003-04)
04)

Treatment Date of Date of Seed yield

sowing Harvesting (kg/ha)

Dry seeding @ 01.07.2003 10.11.2003 4234

200 seeds
d sqm
Dry seeding @ 01.07.2003 10.11.2003 4438
400 seeds sqm
Transplanting 07.08.2003 25.11.2003 4662

Source : : RARS, Jagtial, ANGRAU, Ann. Rep., 2002-03

38
 Effect of Nitrogen fertilization on performance of
aerobic rice

Treatment Yield Location Source

(t/h )
(t/ha)
FYM 5 t/ha + 50 kg N as 3.8 Bangalore Babu and
top dress Reddy,
NPK 100:50:50 kg/ha 3.5 2000

100 kg N – 3 splits (60,

(60 3 17
3.17 Aduthurai Rajendran
75, 90 days) , 1991
100 kgg N – ½ basal + 3.42
two splits (75, 90 days)

39
 Yield of aerobic rice (Jagtiala Sannalu) under drip and
sprinkler method of irrigation (2003-04)
(2003 04)

Irrigation No.of Yield Amount of

system panicles (kg/ha) water (mm)
(
(sqm) )
Drip 460 5208 714.4

Sprinkler 414 4092 920.1

Source : RARS, Jagtial, ANGRAU, Ann. Rep. 2004

40
Drip irrigation in paddy

41
S i kl irrigation
Sprinkler i i ti in
i paddy
dd

42
 Performance of Aerobic Rice at different Levels of N,Kharif
2007,Rajendranagar.

N Grain yield (t/ha) Total water(m3) Water Productivity (kg

Levels grain /m3 )
(kg/ha)
Aerobic Transplanted Aerobic Transplanted Aerobic Transplanted

0 3.36 2.55 7314.29 11757.1 0.46 0.22

50 3 87
3.87 3 37
3.37 7314 29
7314.29 11757 1
11757.1 0 53
0.53 0 29
0.29

100 4.18 4.01 7314.29 11757.1 0.57 0.34

150 4.74 4.59 7314.29 11757.1 0.65 0.39

43
Reddy et al., 2010
• Iron (Fe) deficiency is one of the serious nutritional
disorders in aerobically grown rice on upland alkaline
and calcareous soils, which leads to a decline in
productivity.
• Differential response of rice cultivars to applied Fe was
not related to Fe-nutrition; rather it was apparently
related with inherent ability of cultivars to grow under
water-stress
ater stress condition.
condition
• The iron deficiency can be corrected by spraying of 2.0%
ferrous sulphate 3 to 4 times at weekly interval.

44
• Under dry seeded conditions, weeds are the major problem.
• weeds cause major loss and the crop should be protected for
30-40 days after germination.
• preemergence herbicide (e.g., oxadiazon, pendimetalin)- after
seeding.
di
• post emergence herbicide (e.g., bispyribac sodium) should be
applied around 2 weeks after sowing.
• The dry seeding in lines will be advantageous for better weed
control.
• Line seeding at 20 cm apart recorded higher grain yield over
broadcast seeding and sowing in lines at 30 cm and
transplanted rice.

45
 W d managementt in
Weed i aerobic
bi rice
i

Treatment Yield (t/ha) Source

HW twice 4.85 Joseph et al,

Weed free check 5.22 1990
Butachlor 1
1.5
5 kg/ha + HW 4 87
4.87
Pendimethalin 1.25 kg/ha+ 2.95 Ramaiah and
2,, 4-D 1 kg/ha
g 2.49 Muthukrishnan,
1992
Pendimethalin 1.25 kg/ha at 3.77 Selvan et al,
8 DAR + HW 3 16
3.16 2001
46
 Weed management in aerobic rice
(Dry seeded irrigated rice)

T t
Treatment
t Yield
Yi ld S
Source
(t/ha)
Pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha fb 2.3 Shelke and Bhosle,
HW at 6 WAS 1989
Pretilachlor 0.3 kg/ha fb 5.8 Rajendran and
HW 25 DAS Kempuchetty,
p y, 1999
Oxyflurofen 0.25 kg/ha fb 5.96 Mahadevaswamy and
HW 45 DAS Nanjappa, 1991
HW 20 DAS S and 4
45 DASS 4 14
4.14
Butachlor 2.5 kg/ha + HW 30 DAS 5.9 Singh and Dash, 1988
HW 15 DAS and 45 DAS 4.9

47
A farmer weeding in aerobic paddy in
48
traditional paddy grown under tanks 65 km
f H d b d (T ) i 2003 Kh if
 Impact of different weed management treatments on
aerobic
bi rice
i grain
i yield
i ld (t/h
(t/ha))

Treatments 2002 2003

Cyhalofop/2-4D/HW 6.12 5.19
Cyhalofop/Chlorimuron+metasulfuron/HW 6 20
6.20 5 21
5.21
Pretilachlor/Chlorimuron+metasulfuron/HW 6.47 5.44
Weed free 6.75 5.70
Weedy 0.8 1.50

Source: Singh et al., 2008

49
Aerobic rice ((MTU 1010)) in 3.5 Acres field at College
g farm,,
ANGRAU, Hyd. Kharif, 2008.
50
Aerobic Rice

51
On Farm trials

52
Aerobi rice in Observational Trial, Chintalapudi, (05.08.07)
Krishna delta, AP 53
 Variety BPT 5204

Aerobic rice at Chintalapudi (5.10.2005), Krishna delta, AP

54
 Performance of aerobic rice in farmer’s fields of
Vizianagaram, A.P., Kharif 2004

Name of the village Area (Acres) Grain yield

(t/ha) range
(t/ha),
Galavila 40 2.5 – 4.5

Gangada 40 + 20 3.0 – 4.5

S
Source: APERP
APERP, St
Status
t Report,
R t Vi
Vizianagaram,
i 2005

55
 Effect of supplemental irrigation on dry
seeding g in p
paddy
y ((aerobic rice)) during
g
Kharif 2003 under Pedda cheruvu
command Bhoompally, p y, Medak
Grain yield (t/ha)
Dry
y Dry
y sown p paddy
y Transplante
p
sown with two d paddy
paddy supplemental
irrigations
BPT – 5204 3.85 4.5 5.60
Erramallel 3 10
3.10 4 22
4.22 5 16
5.16
MTU-1010 2.63 3.65 4.55
Mean 3 17
3.17 4 15
4.15 5 12
5.12
56
 Performance of aerobic rice in farmer’s
fields of Vizianagaram
Vizianagaram, Kharif 2004

Name of the Area Grain yield

village (Acres) (t/ha), range

Galavila 40 2.5 – 4.5

Gangada 40 + 20 3.0 – 4.5

Source: APERP, Status Report, Vizianagaram, 2005

57
Water input and water productivity and grain yield
of rice varieties at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad (Kharif 2003)
Grain Water input, mm Water
Varietie
V i ti yield,
i ld Effect Irrigat Total productivity,
d ti it
s t/ha ive ion kg/ha mm(m3)
Rain
fall
Varaalu 3.87 264.8 445.0 709.8 5.45(0.54)
Erramal 5.28 317.7 565.0 882.7 5.98(0.60)
lelu
Jagtials 4.94 322.9 617.5 940.4 5.25(0.53)
annalu
Polasa 4.68 324.1 677.5 1001.6 4.67(0.47)
prabha

Source: G.Srinivas, M.D.Reddy and D.R.Reddy, 2007

58
 Concluding remarks

• India faces growing scarcity of and competition for water.

• Shortage in water for irrigated crop has to give emphasis
on development of dry seeded rice production
t h l
technology.
• The rice crop can be raised with supplemental irrigation
by utilizing the rainwater as that of dry crop with the
available water in tanks / wells / canal system
(Conjunctive use).
• System of non flooded rice cultivation may bring other
advantagesg such as maintenance of soil structure
beneficial to non rice crops in the rotation; extended area
under cultivation in the command of a project, increased
water productivity; more benefit: cost ratio.

59
• There appears to be a wide range of options for
increasing the productivity of water
• The most appropriate strategy to adopt will vary
according to time and place.
• Substantial investment in research is needed – policies,
management practices and technologies
• Research in ggenetic improvement
p of rice and agronomic
g
management including land management, weed control,
nutrient management, and irrigation requirement leading
to higher productivity

60
61