Paddy acreage down in kharif season
Recently, India has seen a decrease in the area under paddy crop, while the total crop coverage has increased.
The total area sown under Kharif crops has increased as compared to the previous year (period: June to mid-July). In contrast, the area under rice has decreased by 17.4 per cent as compared to last year (as per data till July 15 this year).
The reason for this is the lack of monsoon rainfall in the rice growing regions of North India. These regions are: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Cause for concern: India is one of the largest exporters of rice in the world. India accounts for more than 40% of the world’s rice exports. Thus, in case of any shortfall in production, the options for import of rice are limited.
Rice Cultivation in India:
- It is a Kharif crop. It requires high temperature (greater than 25 °C) and high humidity and rainfall (more than 100 cm) for its cultivation.
- Alluvial clay has good water holding capacity. Therefore, the best yield of paddy grows in this soil.
Method of Rice Cultivation :
- Transplantation: Seeds are first sown in nursery. When 3-4 leaves appear, the plant is planted in the main field.
- Drilling Method: One person plows with a plow, another person sows the seed.
- Direct-seeding method: Rice seeds are sown directly in the field.
- Rice Intensification System: It is a method of increasing the productivity of irrigated rice. In this, yield is increased by making changes in the management of plants, soil, water and nutrients, especially by better root growth.
Source – The Hindu
