Spill-over of Research and Development Priorities into New Millennium in Rainfed Rice Based Production System

The rainfed rice ecosystem occupies 55% of total rice area but contributes 39% to production in India. The green revolution is observed to have a certain extent of stability in production apart increasing productivity. The rainfed rice ecosystem is broadly divided into upland, lowland and deepwater areas. The lowland system which includes both the medium lands and the lowlands in the topographic situations are of great relevance to enhance rice production in the country. Since a rainfed ecosystem entirely differs from irrigated ecosystem, where a crop is the base, the former is dependent upon several components for survival of the farmers ranging from crop to trees, livestock to aquatic animals in an integrated manner. Hence problems are multiple and wide ranging. The various issues covered are - priority rainfed rice districts based on secondary data, rainfed rice area and sustainability of yield in different agroecoregions (aer), rainwater management, drainage, cropping intensity, contingency plans, integrated plant nutrient management, indigenous interculturing in intermediate lowlands, management of weeds, pests and diseases, crop, tree and animal based diversification (olericulture, agro-forestry, dryland horticulture, livestock including large ruminants, small ruminants, pigs, birds etc (feeds and fodder, productivity, diseases etc.), post-harvest technology, and adoption of technology. Under these issues seventeen areas are identified to highlight state/district, regional committee, agro-climatic region, and national scale. The high priority information of the districts is to be linked with zonal research station operated by state agriculture for preparation of research agenda. This forms basis for charting needs based on-farm participatory research and development in the target priority districts.