*Chairman, Agricultural Scientist Recruitment Board, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Anusadhan Bhawan, Pusa, New Delhi-100012
Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal (Haryana), India-132001
Online published on 6 December, 2013.
The direct seeded rice method saved irrigation water, on an overall average, by 29% as compared to the conventional transplanting method of rice production. The saving of diesel in field preparation for direct seeded rice in zero tillage method was 86%, whereas it was 42% in reduced tillage (50 percent tillage) technique. The direct seeded rice technique saved human labour by 29% in zero tillage and 24% in reduced tillage as compared to those of the conventional method ofrice transplanting. The yield of rice was almost the same in both the methods i.e., direct seeded and the conventional transplanting method of rice production. As a result of remarkable savings in irrigation water, diesel and human labour in direct seeded rice as compared to the conventional transplanting method, the cost of production reduced remarkably and net income increased significantly in direct seeded rice grown in alkaline environment.
