They have recommended select varieties for sowing in different regions having specific ecosystems and soil conditions. While recommending varieties, irrigated regions, rain-fed areas and watershed areas have been given due consideration. Different resistant varieties have also been recommended for pest dominated and disease prone areas and for saline and alkaline regions of the country.

ICAR has urged the state agriculture universities and the agricultural extension department to deploy enough extension workers to train farmers in use of these improved varieties. The Union agriculture ministry has also decided to activate krishi vigyankendras (KVKs) spread over the country.

For the major kharif crop, rice, about 48 different varieties have been recommended. Improved varieties for other crops have also been recommended like five for maize, six for sorghum, 22 for pearl millet, three for small millet, eight for cotton and seven for sugarcane.

ICAR has emphasised timely sowing as delayed sowing reduces yield. Optimun plant population should not only be ensured by using quality seeds, but also through fungicide treatment, recommended seed rate and gaps filling. Balance use of NPK fertilisers and micronutrients alongwith use of organic manures, green manures and bio-fertilisers have also been recommended. ICAR has further suggested use of integrated pest management technology to ensure crop protection.

ICAR has suggested utilising summer fallow period to raise pre-kharif dual use green gram/sole green manuare crops, dhaincha and sunhemp and incorporating the 8-9 week old biomass just before land preparation for rice sowing. About 40-50 kgof zinc sulphate per hectre should be applied in zinc deficient soil and about 20-25 kg of sulphur per hectre should be applied in saline and sodic soils. Higher dose of nitrogen and zinc should also be applied in case of saline soil.

For integrated management of rice tungo virus (RTV) in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, varietal component of sowing pre-kharif and kharif crops in combination with vector control by use of pesticides have been recommended. This involves sowing of RTV resistant variety, Edagaru in AP and Swarnavari in Tamil Nadu in the pre-kharif period. Growing of IET 9994 (Nidhi) and Vikramarya or alternatively cultivation of non-rice like black gram followed by growing of Vikramarya is also suggested with effective vector control in nursery phase of susceptible varieties.

Regarding the management of five rice gall midge biotypes identified in different regions, sowing of resistant varieties like Abhaya, Rasmi and Vikram have been recommended. Farmers are also adviced toapply granules of carbofuran or fipronil at the rate of 0.75 kg ai/hectre to counteract the menace of gall midge.

For containing the occurrence of white backed plant hopper (WBPH) and bacterial leaf blight (BLB) on rice crop in Punjab and Haryana, the sowing of the resistant variety, HKR 120 has been recommended. Control measures like formation of alley ways at the time of planting, application of nitrogenous fertilisers in three splits, draining of water after damage to crops is caused and need based application of ethofenprox or monocrotophos as sprays or application of carbofuran granules before flowering has been suggested.

In Andaman & Nicobar Islands, ICAR has recommended paddy-cum-fish culture in fresh water. Planting of short duration maize cultivars in rainfed areas and long duration maize cultivars in irrigated areas have been recommended. ICAR has also recommended inter-cropping of sorghum CSH-6 with pigeonpea in the ratio of 2:1 in low rainfall areas and sorghum CSH-9 with pigeonpea in theratio of 3:3 in high rainfall areas having heavy soil.

Inter-cropping of pearl millet with clusterbean in Rajasthan and Gujarat, with green gram in Gujarat and UP, with pigeonpea in Karnataka, Maharashtra, AP and MP and with groundnut and pigeonpea in Tamil Nadu have also been suggested. ICAR also suggested implementing varietal schedule for maximising sugar recovery from canes and productivity in sub-tropical zone, use of IISR developed cutter planter, moist hot air treatment of sugarcane see for management of red hot, ratoon management technology and micro propogation for rapid seed multiplication.