anaymalpani

1. Better Bet Agronomy for Improved
Resource Efficiency
Dr. U. P. Singh
Professor
Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras
Hindu University, Varanasi-221005; U.P., India

2.  Exploding population – little control / No control
 Greater competition for land, labor and water
 Increasing production costs
 Resource fatigue - Reducing factor productivity, land degradation
 Soil health
 Uncertain and irregular hydrology
 Drought
 Flood
 Delayed establishment of crops
 Unstable production
 Under-utilized lands due to excess moisture/water logging
 ‘One size fits all’ approach and untrained extension staff
Challenges in Farming

4. Rice Eco-
systems
Global Indian
% of the World’s
rice acreage
% of the global
rice production
% of the country’s
rice area
% of the Indian
rice production
Irrigated 55 75 43 63
Upland 13 4 14 6
Rainfed
Lowland
25 17 36 27
Flood-prone 7 4 7 4
Global and Indian Rice Eco-systems Scenario

5. Conservation agriculture practices: a way
forward for efficient resource management
and sustainable intensification
5

6. Conservation Agriculture…?????
 Minimal soil disturbance
 Rational Residue retention
 Sensible crop rotation /innovative
cropping system

7. • Laser land leveling
• Zero or minimum tillage (ZT)
• Permanent or semi-permanent
residue cover
• New varieties for stress tolerance
and/higher resource use efficiency
• Furrow irrigated raised bed (FIRB)
technology
• System of rice intensification (SRI)
• Direct seeded rice (DSR)
• Double no-till (DNT)
• Permanent no-till
• Precision farming techniques
• Use of leaf color chart (LCC)
• Rice wheat crop manager (RWCM)
CA based RCTs : Potential way for
sustaining productivity

8. How are They Related?
• Any new technology delivered to farmers that produces the same or more with less
input is an RCT
• Examples of RCTs in general
– New, higher yielding varieties with good quality and resistances/tolerances to diseases
and insects
– A new pest control practice that controls weeds or insects or diseases more efficiently
and/or more cheaply
– A new fertilizer management practice that provides more yield for less fertilizer
– A more efficient irrigation system that saves irrigation water but maintains or increases
crop yields
Conservation Agriculture (CA) and
Resource Conserving Technologies (RCTs)

9. 1. No-tillage
2. Laser land leveling
3. Direct seeding of rice
4. Leaf colour chart for N
5. Crop diversification
Conventional RCTs
Resource Conserving Technologies (RCTs)

10. Tillage
Conventional Unpuddled Raised bed Zero-tillage
Resource conservation technologies in rice
Crop establishment
Transplanting Direct-drill-seeding

11. Direct Seeded Rice (DSR)- A Promising Resource Conserving
Technology: Water Efficient and Cost Effective

12. Direct Seeded Rice
Save labour
Save water
Save energy
Increase farmer profit
Allows timely planting
Dry drill-seeding without puddling Wet drum-seeding after puddling

13. • Puddling
• Transplanting
• Continuous flooding
Puddled soil
(Not good for soil structure)
• Tedious and labor intensive
• Drudgery and back problem
Traditional Rice Production System (CT-TPR)
Future Goal’s:: Avoid all the above practices, for efficient resource use efficiency
Practices deteriorates soil structure, labour intensive,
and adverse affects on the succeeding non-rice crop

14. Water shortage
Labor
shortage
Soil health
issues
Economics
Causes of shift to direct-seeded rice (DSR)

15.  Wet DSR
- Broadcasting and Drum seeding on puddled soil
 Dry Seeding of rice on non-puddled soil (RT-DSR)
 Zero-till direct-seeded rice (ZT-DSR)
 Direct seeded rice on Beds (Bed-DSR)
Drum DSR ZT-DSR Bed-DSR
Type of DSR

16. Resource-Conserving Technological Options: Rice
Tillage/Crop establishment
Zero-tillage/drill-seeding
Zero-tillage/drill-seeding with controlled traffic
Minimum (1-2 passes)-tillage/drill-seeding
Minimum-tillage/bed-planting
Puddled/drum-seeding
Improved Technological options for Rice
Farmer’s practice: Puddled/ transplanting

17. DSR with co-culture sesbania
17
Cover Crop / Brown manuring

18. Rice grain yield, inputs use and costs and net income under conventional
puddled transplanted rice, reduced tilled direct-seeded, zero-tilled, direct-
seeded rice (average of three year)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
CT-TPR RT-DSR ZT-DSR
Farmer no.
Grain yield (Mg/ha)
N applied (Kg/ha)
CE cost (US$/ha)
Seed cost (US$/ha)
Fertilizer cost (US$/ha)
Herbicide cost (US$/ha)
Irrigation cost (US$/ha)
Net income (US$/ha)

19. Grain yield, Cost of cultivation and Net return of rice under different CA
based practices (Three year average: 2008-9 to 2010-11)
(BHU)

20. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Chandauli Ballia Ghazipur
Yield(tha-1)
CT
UTPR
RTZT
ZT
DZT
Fig: Pooled rice grain yield influenced by different CA based - crop establishment options in farmer participatory approach during 2016
in Eastern Uttar Pradesh (No. of Farmers: Ghazipur- 20, Ballia- 24, Chandauli- 10)
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
Chandauli Ballia Ghazipur
NetReturn
(Rsha-1)
Experimental Sites
CT
UTPR
RTZT
ZT
DZT
Fig: Pooled net return of rice influenced by different CA based - crop establishment options in farmer participatory approach
during 2016 in Eastern Uttar Pradesh (No. of Farmers: Ghazipur- 20, Ballia- 24, Chandauli- 10)

21. • Immediate water inundation after seeding
• Surface crusting adversely affects seedling emergence due to
insufficient rains
• Late commencement of rains and early withdrawal
• Weed infestation
• Provide opportunities for early crop establishment to help crop
survive stresses
Addressing Challenges of DSR

22. Plant population after 10 days of de-submergence influenced by IR64 -AG lines .
*Vertical bars represent ±SEM.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
PlantPopulation(No./m2)
Evaluations of IR 64-AG lines under different methods of establishment of
direct seeding and seed rate in rainfed lowland ecology of Eastern U.P.
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
120.00
140.00
Plant Population/m2
Establishment
Systems
Varieties Seed Rate
(BHU, 2014-16)
Establishment
Systems
Varieties

23. • Use sensible/proper crop rotation.
• Use clean and good quality seed.
• Use herbicide rotation to avoid herbicide tolerance.
• Use appropriate and good quality herbicide.
• Proper spray technique should be followed during spraying.
• Use sufficient crop residue in the field.
• Maintain proper plant stand in the field.
• Use balanced fertilizer.
• Proper water management (alternate weting & drying).
• Use proper rouging in the field.
• Avoid much soil disturbance/(plouging) in the field to avoid
excessive weed seed emergence.
Integrated weed management options

24. For Broad Leaf
2, 4-D (Na salt) 80 WP / 58 EC (Amine salt) (POE) - 0.5kg ai/ha
Metsulfuron 20 WP (POE) - 4 gm ai/ha
Carfentrazone 40 WG (POE) - 20 gm ai/ha
For Grassy Weeds
Butachlor 50 EC (PE) - 1.5 kg ai/ha
Thiobencarb 50 EC (PE) - 1.5 kg ai/ha
Anilofos 30 EC (PE) - 0.4kg ai/ha
Pendimethalin 30 EC (PE) - 1kg ai/ha
Oxadiargyl 80 WP (PE) - 90 gm ai/ha
Pretilachlor 50EC (PE) - 0.5kg ai/ha
Pretilachlor 37 EW (PE) - 0.55 kg a.i./ha
Bispyribac 10 SL (early POE) - 25gm ai/ha
For Sedge
Pyrazosulfuron 10 WP (early POE) - 20 gm ai/ha
Chlorimuron10%+metsulfuron10% (early POE) - 2+2 gm ai/ha
Herbicidal options for weed management in rice
24

25. For Grassy Weeds
Pendimethilin 30 EC (PE) - 1kg ai/ha
Clodinofop 15 WP (POE) - 60 g ai/ha
Sulfosulfuron 75 WG (POE) - 25 g ai/ha
Fenoxaprop 10EC (POE) - 120 g ai/ha
Metribuzin 75 WP (POE) - 250 g ai/ha
Isoproturon 75WP(POE) - 0.75-1.0 kg ai/ha
For Broad Leaf Weeds
2, 4-D 80 WP/58 EC (amine salt) (POE) - 0.5kg ai/ha
Metsulfuron 20 WP (POE) - 4 g ai/ha
Carfentrazone 40 WG (POE) - 20 g ai/ha
For Grassy and Broad Leaved Weeds
Sulfosulfuron (75%) + metsulfuron (5%) - 30+2 g/ha
Clodinafop (15%) + metsulfuron (1%) - 60+4 g/ha
Sulfosulfuron (25%) + Carfentrazone (20%) - 25+20 g/ha
Herbicidal options for weed management in wheat
25

26. The CA based RCTs can help in mitigating
and adapting to climate change

27. DSR
TPR
DSR mature earlier over TPR : facilitate climate
mitigation

28. Direct dry- seeded Puddled transplanted
Direct dry-seeded rice is more tolerant
to water stress: Climate change adaptation

29. Zero Tillage – A cost effective and input use efficient technology

30. Zero Till (ZT) –Wheat Seeding
 Reduced costs (Rs 2000-2500/ha) due
to savings in fuel and labor
 Timely planting of kharif and winter
season crops, resulting in higher yields
 Lower density of herbicide resistance in
comparison to traditional tillage.
 Significant irrigation water savings (up
to 15-20%)
 Improved input use efficiency because
of the right placement of seed and
fertilizer nutrients
 Better plant stands
 Less burning of crop resides
Advantages of Zero Tillage

31. Advantages
Reduced
 costs
 Weed Infestation
 Soil Compaction
 Water Requirement
Timely planting
Improved
 Organic Matter
 Input use efficiency
 Plant stands
 Yield & Profitability
Double No- Till

32. Input Use (Rice)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010
Seed Cost Fertiliser Cost Herbicide
Cost
Irrigation
Cost
DNT FP
BHU
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010
Grain yield
(kg/ha)
Cost of
cultivation
(Rs/ha)
Gross return
(Rs/ha)
Net return
(Rs/ha)
DNT FP
Yield and Economics
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010
Grain yield
(kg/ha)
Cost of
cultivation
(Rs/ha)
Gross
return
(Rs/ha)
Net return
(Rs/ha)
DNT FP
DNT= Double No-Till
FP= Farmers Practice

33. • Helps early sowing
• Saves water, labor and diesel
• Increases fertilizer use efficiency
• Reduced soil erosion
• Improves soil organic C
No-tillage is a win-win
technology
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
Initial2002
Wheat2002-03
Rice2003
Wheat2003-04
Wheat2004-05
Rice2005
Wheat2005-06
Rice2007
OrganicC(%)
Tilled
No till

34. Fig 1 : Effect of conservation agriculture (CA) and conventional tillage
(CT) systems on rice and wheat yield (t/ha) in farmers'participatory trials
during 2002-03 to 2009-10 in Eastern U.P.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
Year
Yield(t/ha)
CA-Rice
CT-Rice
CA-Wheat
CT--Wheat

35. Fig 2 : Effect of conservationa agriculture (CA ) on gain in yield (t/ha) of
rice and wheat over conventional tillage (CT) systems in
farmers'participatory trials during 2002-03 to 2009-10 in Eastern U.P.
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
Year
GaininYield(t/ha)
Rice
Wheat

36. 0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
15Nov
22Nov
29Nov
5Dec
12Dec
19Dec
15Nov
22Nov
29Nov
5Dec
12Dec
19Dec
15Nov
22Nov
29Nov
5Dec
12Dec
19Dec
15Nov
22Nov
29Nov
5Dec
12Dec
19Dec
15Nov
22Nov
29Nov
5Dec
12Dec
19Dec
15Nov
22Nov
29Nov
5Dec
12Dec
19Dec
15Nov
22Nov
29Nov
5Dec
12Dec
19Dec
15Nov
22Nov
29Nov
5Dec
12Dec
19Dec
2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
Yield(tha-1)
Date of seeding in different years
Wheat yield (t ha-1) under different seeding dates during 2002-03 to 2009-10 in CA and CT systems in
eastern U. P.
Conservation Agriculture Conventional Tillage

37. RCTs provide opportunity for site placement of fertilizer
with improved nutrient use efficiency

38. Crop without residue Healthy soilResidue retention
Residue retention help in enhancing NUE
through organic carbon and soil biological activity

39. BED PLANTING- A water saving technology, offers an
opportunity for diversification and system intensification

40. Initial Emergence of Crop in Bed Planting
 Saving irrigation water (20-25%)
 Fewer weeds, and these can be
controlled mechanically
 Facilitation of seeding into relatively
dry soils and post sowing irrigation
 Better plant stands and more
vigorous seed
 Saving in seed by 15-20 per cent
 Less lodging
 Better drainage, which result in less
water logging and crop damage
 Improved rainwater conservation
 Improved crop productivity
Advantages of Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed System (FIRBS)

41. RiceWheat
Wheat Mungbean
Permanent FIRB (Residue managed)

42. Rice Transplanter
An Agriculture machine used for transplanting
seedlings to the field
Reduces the time taken to transplant seedlings
 Allowing more time for Crop growth
Reduces the use of manual energy
 Paddy transplanter machines are available in 2,
3, 4 up-to 6 rows

43. Advantages: machine transplanting
• Fast and efficient (1–2 ha/day),
uses less labor and ensures
timely planting
• Reduces stress, work load, and
health risks
• Ensures uniform spacing and
plant density
• Seedlings recover fast, tiller
vigorously, and mature
uniformly

44. How to transplant rice by machine?
• Raise seedlings in special mat nurseries or in seedling trays. Use 18–25 kg of good seed per
100 m2 of nursery for each ha
• Seedlings will be ready for transplanting in 12–15 days after seeding (DAS)
• Ensure that fields are well-puddled and well-leveled
• Drain fields and allow mud to settle for 1–2 days after the final puddling
• The subsurface soil layers need to be hard enough to support the transplanting machine
• The soil is ready when a small “V” mark made in the puddled soil with a stick holds its
shape. At this moisture level, the soil can hold the seedlings upright
• Soil should not be so dry that it sticks to and interferes with planting parts or wheels of the
transplanter
• Load the seedling mats into the machine and transplant the seedlings at the selected
machine setting

46. AGRONOMIC BENEFITS
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Time saving and less
labour requirement
Higher efficiency
Reduction of costs
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
 Reduction in soil erosion
 Improvement of water quality
 Improvement of air quality
 Biodiversity increase
 carbon sequestration
SOIL HEALTH BENIFITS
 Improvement of soil
productivity
 Organic matter increase
 Soil water conservation
 Improvement of soil
structure
Benefits of CA based RCTs

47. Zero tillage
Surface seeding
Boro rice
Diversification
Rice fallows- Potential area for sustainable
intensification and diversification

48. • Simple tool which is a proxy for leaf N is
used as an indicator of leaf colour.
• Right time of N application
• Generally critical value for semi dwarf high
yielding varieties is 4.0. If the average value
fall below 4.0, top dress N fertilizer (20-30
kg/ha) to correct N deficiency
Benefits
• Reduce pest/disease pressure
• Reduce N leakage into environment
• Helps to synchronize N supply, crop
demand and enhance N use efficiency
Leaf Colour Chart (LCC)

49. Site specific nutrient management (SSNM):
A technology for enhancing nutrient use efficiency

50. RWCM is a decision support system
tool developed for SSNM
It is a plant based SSNM approach to
optimize the supply and demand of
nutrients according to their need for
higher NUE
It has been observed that it save the
substantial quantity of the fertilizer
and increase the yield
Rice wheat crop manager (RWCM): A potential
tool for managing nutrient in rice wheat system

51. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Ghazipur Ballia Chandauli
Yield(tha-1)
Experimental Sites
FFP
SFR
STVR
RWCM
Fig. Pooled grain yield of rice influenced by nutrient management options in farmers
participatory on farm trails during kharif 2016 in different district of Eastern Uttar
Pradesh. (No. of Farmers: Ghazipur- 9, Ballia- 8, Chandauli- 8)

52. Laser Land Leveling is a process of smoothing the land surface
from its average elevation using laser equipped with drag buckets.
This practice uses tractor & soil movers that are equipped with
GPS/laser guided instrumentation so that soil can moved either
by cutting or filling to create desired level.
Advantages
➢Increases nutrient use efficiency
➢Improves application and distribution efficiency of irrigation
water
➢Increases crop productivity
➢Helps in weed management
Laser Land Leveling

53. Functioning of laser land leveler

54. Sensible crop/ varietal selection for different rice growing environments
Irrigated
oEarly
oMedium
oLate
Rainfed upland
oLong growing- favourable/unfavourable
oShort growing- favourable/unfavourable
Rainfed lowland
o Shallow favourable
o Shallow submergence-prone
o Shallow drought-prone
o Shallow submergence-prone and drought-prone
o Medium deepwater logged
Deepwater
oDeepwater
oVery deepwater
Tidal wetland
oTidal wetland with perennially fresh water/ saline water
oTidal wetland with acid sulphate soil/peat soils

55. Production technology for upland rice
Varieties –
For plains: N-22, Govind, NDR-118, N-97, Sahbhagi dhan, Shusk samrat, Swarna shreya, DRR-
42, DRR-43, DRR-44, DRR-50, Sukhadhan 5, Sukhadhan 6
For hills : Majhera 3, VL 206, VL dhan 163
Seeding time – In plains, plant after first rain in June 3rd week. Use organic manure before
ploughing. In hills in March-April on residual soil moisture.
Seed rate – 40-60 kg/ha. Use pure seeds.
Seed treatment – Bavistin or thiram @2-3 gm/kg seed or any mercurial fungicide.
Method of sowing – In rows 20 cm apart through Seed drill/ ZT Ferti-drill/Power tiller or plough or
using chonga method. It facilitates weeding and hoeing. Apply P & K based on
soil test before seeding.

56. Cont..
Weeding – First- 15-20 days after seeding and second 30-35 days after seeding
keep fields weed free.
First top dressing – 20-40kg N/ha, need based after second weeding.
Drought management – Do inter-culturing and weeding during drought to
reduce moisture loss.
Plant protection – Apply as need based.
Crop rotation –
Plains : Rice-mustard/Barley/gram/lentil/rainfed wheat.
Hills- Rice-wheat-Marua-falow.

57. Production technology for rainfed lowland rice
Varieties –
 Shallow rainfed lowland (up to 25 cm water depth): Mahsuri, Pankaj, Radha
Rajshree & Jal lahari, Mashuri, Bina dhan 11
 Medium- deepwater, (up to 50 cm water depth): Madhukar, Chakia 59 Sudha
Savita, Jalpriya
 Submergence prone or flash flood areas: Madhukar, Janaki, videhi, Jal lahari,
Barh avrodhi, Savitri, Swarna-sub1, Samba-mahsuri-sub1, IR-64 sub-1, CR
1009-sub1, Beena Dhan-11
Seed rate –
 40-50kg/ha for transplanted rice.
 40-60kg/ha for direct seeded rice
Sowing time –
 May end to mid June in nursery.
 Direct sowing in line after first rain May end till mid June.

58. Cont...
Transplanting -
Depends on water accumulation in field after rains but 25 to 35 days old
seedling should be used. Aged seedling up to 50 days can be transplanted
without much reduction in yield.
Fertilizer -
o For Pankaj, Radha, Swarna and Samba-sub1 apply 120 kg N, 60 kg P and 40
kg/ha, 30 kg N, whole P and K as basal, rest Nitrogen 20, 40 and 60 days after
transplanting (DAT) in 3 equal doses (30 kg N each time)
o For Mahsuri and Rajshree apply 80 kg N, 40 kg P and 20 kg K/ha. 20 kg N and
total P and K as basal. Rest Nitrogen in three equal doses (20 kg N each) 20, 35
and 55 DAT
o Basal doses helps in both early root growth and early tillering. So it must be
applied. In medium deep or submergence prone areas, 20 kg N should be used
as basal, prior to line sowing.

59. Cont...
Line sowing and line transplanting-
In medium-deep waterlogged and flash flood areas, line sowing through seed
drill/ ZT ferti-seed drill at 20 cm apart should be practiced. In
transplanting, 20 x 15 cm spacing should be done in shallow rainfed
lowland areas.
Weed management -
Need based herbicide application and hand weeding prior to fertilizer top
dressing should be done.
Khaira control –
In zinc deficient areas, apply 25 kg zinc sulphate as basal (sufficient for 4
crops) or spray 0.5% zinc sulphate mixed with 0.25% lime and 2% urea,
twice 15 and 30 DAT
Plant protection – Need based.
Crop rotation – Rice-late sown wheat/lentil/linseed/gram.

60. Production technology for deepwater
Varieties –
Deepwater (50-100cm) : Madhukar, Chakiya 59, Janaki, Sudha, Savita,
Jalpriya
Very deepwater/floating rice (100 cm): Jalmagna, Jalnidhi, Varidhi
Seed rate – 70-80 kg/ha in March sowing. 50-60 kg/ha in May sowing.
Sowing – Direct seeding in line 20 cm apart.
Fertilizer – 20 kg N/ha as topdressing in June third week i.e. after first weeding.
Weed management – Need based herbicide application/ weeding after first rain.
Plant protection – Need based

61. Cont...
Cropping system –
• Mixed cropping of mungbean, sesame, forage sorghum/maize, in March
sowing.
• Late sown wheat in years of low rainfall after rice harvest.
• Surface seeding/Para cropping of lentil/linseed/gram in years of low
rainfall.
• Boro rice cultivation during post-flood/stagnant residual water.

62. BORO RICE- A promising option for increasing production and
income from flood prone/ water logged/ rice-fallow areas with
appropriate ground water development

63. Boro rice cultivars
Traditional cultivars: Local boro
Improved high yielding varieties
Early duration (170 – 180 days) : Jyoti Prasad, Bishnu Prasad, Saket-4, Prabhat, Richarya,
Pant-12, and Gobind
Medium duration (185–200 days): Gautam ,Krishna Hansa, IR 64, IR64 sub-1 Sarjoo-52,
Pant10, HUR105
Others improved varieties grown for irrigated condition
Agro-techniques for boro rice production
Transplant the seedlings when
 Seedlings have requisite height (18-20 cm)
 Temperature is favorable (Mean Daily13-14 0
C)
 The field has adequate water

64. State wise popular cultivars/ varities for boro rice
State Popular old varieties Developed / new varieties
West Bengal
CB-1, CB-2, Latisal Patrai-23,
Kalma-222, Jhorha Sal, Raghu Sal
IR-36, Khitis, IET-2233, Ratru, IET-826,
4786, IET-1444, IR-64, Lalat Khitish,
Shankar, Kalinga III, Chinsura hybrid 3
Assam
Boro-1, Topo Boro, Machhaw
Boro, Jangali Boro, Janawi Boro,
Agani Sal
Mahsuri, Krishna, Bala, BR-68, China,
Jaya, Joymati, Jyoti Prasad, Bhishnu
Prasad
Meghalaya
Rasi, MR5, CH-988, Paigam, CH-
1039
IR-36, Vijay
Orrisa Parijat, Lalat, Samarat Pathara, Khandgiri, Udaigiri, Nilgiri
Bihar
Traditional Boro tall stemmed
cultivars
Pusa 2-21, Pusa-33, Saket-4, Jaya,
Gautam, Prabhat, Richarya
Eastern U.P. Traditional boro cultivars
TN-1, Rasi, IR-36, IR-8, Saket-4, IR-64,
Krishna Hansa, Sarjoo 52

65. Cultural practices
Time of nursery seeding
Last week of October to
1st week of November
Time of transplanting
Mid January to
mid February
Age of seedling and height at
transplanting
80-90 days, 18-20 cm
Fertilizer requirement
120-150 kg N + 60-75 kg
P2O5 + 50-80 kg K2O
Harvesting April – May

66. Seedling management
Sow the seeds in October-November to avoid the cold
period. This insures that seedlings have sufficient growth
before winter
Raise seedlings near river banks swampy lands or in the
periphery of chaur/tal lands
Prepare the seedbed in low-lying area near the source of
irrigation
Grow seedlings for boro even in shade
Frequent watering of the nursery to avoid cold injury

67. 
Add sufficient organic matter to the seedbed (1-1.5 kg/m2)
Dust the seedling leaves periodically with fuel wood ash,
straw ash, cattle dung ash etc
Shake off the dew drops from the tip of seedlings at every
mornings during cold stress
Place a polyethylene sheet cover just above the seedlings
at night to avoid yellowing

68. • Boro-deep water rice (DWR) system
• Utera cropping of DWR with boro rice
• Establishment of boro rice in deepwater/flood prone
(Fallow- boro/mustard- boro- fallow)
• Boro-boro ratoon
• Rotational rice-fish farming system (Boro-DWR+ Fish)
Boro rice based cropping / farming systems

69. • Rice- Wheat/Chickpea/Pulses
• Rice- Groundnut/Mustard
• Rice- Rabi Maize/Rabi maize+ Gren gram/ Cowpea
• Rice-Wheat- Green gram/vegetable
• Rice- Potato- Wheat
• Rice- Potato+Maize- Boro rice
• Rice- Sugarcane
• Rice- Vegetables
Rice based cropping system in irrigated condition

70. • Rice-Chickpea
• Rice-Lentil
• Rice-Mustard/Linseed
• Rice-Barley
• Rice – Wheat
• Rice – Pea
• Rice- Maize
Rice based cropping system in upland condition

71. Cropping system options for specific situations
Deep Water/Very Deep Water
Pre-flood crop mixture-DWR
DWR-post flood crops
DWR-Boro rice

72. Surface Seeding
Wheat/Barley
Lathyrus/Lentil/Chickpea
Faba bean
Linseed/mustard/safflower

73.  High value crops (vegetables,
maize, cucurbits)
 Zero till wheat
 Surface seeded wheat
 Boro rice
Diara Land

74. Better bet agronomical options can help the farmers’
 To meet the food demand
 To improve soil health and protect the environment
 To provide remunerative returns

75. Take Home Lessons
LOCAL
TOOLS LOCAL
PEOPLE
LOCAL
NEEDS

76. Climate smart CA based management
practices involving appropriate varietal
(STRVs)/crop selection, minimal soil
disturbance, residue retention and sensible
diversification/intensification are the way
forward to increase:
• Resource use efficiency/sustainability
• Productivity/profitability
Conclusion