Strategies for improving production in rice based cropping systems B. Gangwar Project Director Project Directorate for Farming Systems Research, Modipuram, Meerut (U.P.)

Major concern Increase in human population (1.2 Billion by 2020) Decline in per capita availability of land (0.11 ha by 2020) Stagnation in production ( MT) Food demand (280 MT by 2020) Pulses and oil seeds are short in supply Major predominant cropping systems are cereal based caused second generation problems

Major Cropping Systems in India Rice – wheat (10.5 m ha) Rice – rice (5.89 m ha) Cotton – wheat (1.09 m ha) Soybean – wheat (2.23 m ha) Maize – wheat (1.86 m ha) P. millet - wheat (2.26 m ha)

Crop Management Approaches for Improving Production Site specific crop diversification Site specific tillage and crop establishment Site specific nutrient management Site specific water management Site specific weed management including pests

Site specific crop diversification

Diversification of rice-wheat  Area under Rice-wheat: 10.5 m ha.  Av yield: 4.71 t/ha(REY).  Potential range of diversified systems t/ha.  Expected gain if 10% area is diversified : 24.0 mt.

Diversification of Rice- Rice  Area under Rice- Rice : 2.98 m ha.  Av yield: 4.81 t/ha.  Potential range of diversified systems t/ha.  Expected gain if 10% area is diversified : 3-5 mt.

Site specific tillage and crop establishment

Effect of Tillage/Crop establishment in Rice (hybrid) Based Cropping Systems(REY t/ha) Treatment (Tillage Practices) Rice- wheatRice- chickpeaRice- mustard Direct-seeding (dry bed) Drum-seeding (wet bed) Mechanical transplanting (puddled) Mechanical transplanting (unpuddled) Manual transplanting (puddled) Gangwar et.al.(2006)

Effect of planting techniques on productivity of rice based cropping systems Cropping systemsREY (t/ha)Productivity(kg/ha/day) FBBBFFBBBF Rice - wheat Rice - mustard Rice - groundnut Gangwar et.al.(2005)

Site specific nutrient management

NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES IN INDIAN SOILS Nitrogen - Low in 228 districts, Medium in 118 districts, High in 18 districts. Phosphorus - Low in 170 districts, Medium in 189 districts, High in 17districts. Potassium - Low in 47 districts, Medium in 192 districts, High in 122 districts. Sulpher - Low in 130 districts. Magnesium - Kerala, AP, Parts of Tamil Nadu and Very acid soils. Zinc - More than 50 % soils. Iron - In most of calcareous soils, Mainly in groundnut,sugarcane, sorghum and upland rice. Boron - Parts of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Karnataka.

Negative Nutrient Balance in Rice-Wheat System in Indo- Gangetic Plains

ECONOMIC RESPONSE OF RICE-WHEAT SYSTEM TO MAJOR NUTRIENTS

RICE-RICE SYSTEM RESPONSE TO MAJOR NUTRIENTS

Economic Response Of Rice-Rice System To Major Nutrients

YIELD MAXIMIZATION Effect of fertilizer doses, organic manure and plant population on rice-rice system yield (t/ha) South Zone, Karamana ( ) TreatmentsMean grain yield of rice (4 years) IIITotal Fertilizer doses (kg/ha) F 1 Rec. dose ( ) F % ( ) F % ( ) Farm yard manure (t/ha) M o control M Plant population (spacing-cm) P 1 20 X P 2 15 X

TreatmentsMean grain yield of rice (4 years) IIITotal Fertilizer doses (kg/ha) F 1 Rec. dose ( ) F % ( ) F % ( ) Green manure (t/ha) M o control M Plant population (spacing-cm) P 1 20 X P 2 15 X East and South Eastern Coastal Zone, Bhubneshwar ( )

Influence of secondary and micronutrients on the total productivity (kg/ha) of different cropping systems TreatmentsBhubneswarMaruteru Rice-rice T 1 :Recommended NPK for kharif and rabi every year T 2 :T kg/ha T 3 :T kg/ha T 4 :T kg/ha through ZnSO T 5 :T kg/ha through ZnSO

Zone: Southern & High Rainfall Zone (Tiruneveli) Major Constraints: Micro-nutrient (Zinc deficiency) Prevailing system: Rice-rice Kharif rice (I)Rabi rice (II)Yield (kg/ha)% increase IIITotal T 1 Farmer practice kg NPK/ha Farmer practice kg NPK/ha T 1 + ZnSo 25 kg/ha Full package ( kg NPK/ha) CD (0.05)

Zone: South Konkan Coastal Zone (Ratnagiri) Major Constraints: Nutrient management Prevailing system: Rice-groundnut Kharif riceGroundnutYield (kg/ha)% increase IIITotal T kg NPK/ha kg NPK/ha T kg NPK/ha kg NPK/ha Full package CD (0.05)

Zone: Coastal Midland (Trissur) Major Constraints: Nutrient application Prevailing system: Rice-rice Kharif rice (I)Rabi rice (II)Yield (kg/ha)% increase IIITotal T 1 Farmer practice kg NPK/ha Farmer practice kg NPK/ha T 2 T 1 + cow 5 t/ha T 1 + cow 5 t/ha T 3 Recommended practice ( kg NPK/ha) Recommended practice ( kg NPK/ha) T 4 T 3 ( 1 / 3 as basal + 30 kg LCC-3) T 3 ( 1 / 3 as basal + 30 kg LCC-3) T 5 T 3 ( 1 / 3 as basal + 30 kg LCC-4) T 3 ( 1 / 3 as basal + 30 kg LCC-4) CD (0.05)

Performance of site-specific nutrient management as compared to farmer's fertilizer practice under rice-wheat cropping system Tiwari et.al. (2006)

Performance of site-specific nutrient management as compared to farmer's fertilizer practice under rice-rice cropping system Tiwari et.al. (2006)

Site specific water management

Effect of water management treatments on rice yield TreatmentsRice yield (t/ha) Water use in R-W system(ha.Cm.) Saving (%) DP HC DP-Irrigation on disappearance of water HC- Irrigation at hair line crack stage

Site specific weed and pest management

Effect of cropping systems on dry weight of weeds at 30 DAS Cropping systemsWeed dry weight (g/m 2 )Total KharifPre. rabiRabiPre. kharif Rice-wheat Rice-wheat-greengram Rice-wheat-sesbania Rice-potato-wheat

Effect of intensification on Phalaris minor in wheat crop Cropping systemsIst yearIInd yearIIIrd yearMean Rice-wheat Rice-pea-wheat- greengram 47 (55.2 %) 26 (77.2 %) 18 (86.5 %) 30 (74.3 %) Rice-potato-wheat14 (86.7 %) 12 (89.5 %) 5 (96.2 %) 10 (91.5 %)

Effect of interruption once in 3 years on Phalaris minor in succeeding years at Modipuram Cropping systemsIInd yearIIIrd yearMean Rice-wheat (E) Rice-berseem (F)50 (56.1%)62 (53.4 %)56 (54.8 %) Rice-mustard-greengram 61 (46.5 %)69 (48.1 %)65 (47.6 %)

Agronomic Management based on Regional Constraints (On Farm) Zone: North Eastern Zone (Viridhachalam) Major Constraints: Weed Management Prevailing system: Rice-rice Kharif rice (I)Rabi rice (II)Yield (kg/ha)% increase IIITotal T1 No weedingNo weeding T2 2.5 lit./ha mixed with 50 kg sand on 5 th DAT and one hand weeding at 30 DAT 1.25 lit./ha mixed with 50 kg sand on 5 th DAT and one hand weeding at 30 DAT Full package CD (0.05)

CONCLUSIONS  The diversified rice based systems proved to be more efficient than existing rice based systems and calls for adoption of strategies as presented above.  The quantum jumps in total farm production are achievable with use of improved management practices under diversified systems as identified.