Direct Seeding of Rice

Why in news?

• Direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique may be used in Punjab instead of the traditional transplantation of paddy due to the shortfall of agricultural labourers due the pandemic.

What is Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR)?

• In the conventional method of cultivation called as transplantation method, farmers prepare nurseries where the paddy seeds are first sown and raised into young plants.
• These seedlings are then uprooted and replanted 25-35 days later in the puddled field.
• In DSR, pre-germinated seeds are directly drilled into the field by a tractor-powered machine.
• There is no nursery preparation or transplantation involved in this method. Farmers have to only level their land and give one pre-sowing irrigation.
• Compared to conventional method DSR can save water and manage with less labour. However the seed requirement and need for levelled land is much higher.

Prelims Question:

Consider the following statements regarding Direct seeding of rice method:
1.It is also called as transplantation method of rice cultivation.
2.It is highly labour intensive compared to conventional method.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to Prelims question