News: Punjab Farmers are using direct seeding of rice(DSR) technique to grow paddy instead of traditional ‘transplanting’ practice due to labour shortage following an exodus of migrant labourers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Facts:
- Direct Seeding of Rice(DSR): It refers to the process of establishing a rice crop from seeds sown in the field rather than by transplanting seedlings from nursery.
- How is it different from a conventional method? In transplanting, farmers prepare nurseries where paddy seeds are first sown and raised into young plants.These seedlings are then uprooted and replanted 25-35 days later in the main field with standing water.
- Benefits of DSR: a) Water savings b) Low Labour Cost and energy (power) c) Reduced methane emissions d) Early crop maturity and e) could be a solution to the issue of stubble burning.
- Disadvantages: a) Seeds are exposed to rat and bird attacks b) Sowing needs to be done timely so that the plants comes out properly before the monsoon rains arrives and c) Seed requirement is also high.
