With the government schedule to hold a mega convention during July 9 -10 in Kolkata which will focus on increasing agricultural productivity in the eastern India, agricultural research institutes in the region are expected to play key role in the mission. The Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) is a premier institutes engaged in developing new techniques and seeds for enhancing rice production in the region since 1950s. TK Adhya, director, CRRI, spoke to FE’s Sandip Das about challenges faced in augmenting rice output in the region. Excerpts:
What are key challenges faced by eastern Indian states in relation to increase yield?
Eastern India comprising states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chattisgarh and eastern parts of UP accounts for 61% of the total rice area and 51% of the total rice production in the country. The yield levels in the region (except West Bengal) are still lower than the national average of 2.27 tonne per hectare and stagnant. This zone generally, experiences high rainfalls and severe floods as well as drought almost every year and as a result, the crop loss is considerably high. To meet the rice production target of 120-125 million tonne by 2010, it is necessary to increase the productivity levels of rainfed rice-growing eastern region substantially without adversely affecting the natural resource base. The task is quite challenging since rice cultivation in this area is associated with a number of climatic and biotic constraints.
What are the plans for increasing output?
While it is not uncommon to produce yield of paddy up to 6 tonne per hectare in medium to low land situation and 3 tonne per hectare in upland by adopting improved production technologies coupled with adoption of situation specific high yielding varieties, there is still a large yield gap between the present average rice yield and the yield potential of modern rice varieties developed for different ecosystems of this region. This region alone has the enormous potential to produce annually another 20 million tonne of extra rice.
Any specific methods to be adopted to augment output?
Major portion of the increased rice production has to come necessarily from the higher rainfall with low irrigation areas of eastern regions of about 8-10 million hectare. Productivity increase of boro (winter) rice may step up rice production in this zone in the years ahead. A large number of high yielding varieties suitable to the fragile rice ecosystems of eastern India are available which can replace the traditional types and increase average yield levels to 3-3.5 tonne per hectare.