Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) UPSC

Direct seeding of rice (DSR) 

About Direct Seeding of Rice

• Direct seeding of rice refers to process of establishing a rice crop from seeds sown in field rather than by transplanting seedlings from nursery.

• 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 main field with standing water. 

• It ensures a uniform plant stand and gives rice crop a head start over emerging weeds. 

• In DSR, water is replaced by real chemical herbicides. In transplanting, standing water acts as herbicide and prevents growth of weeds by denying them oxygen in submerged stage. 

Advantages of Direct seeding of rice :

• Saving irrigation water, labour, energy, time and reduces emission of greenhouse-gases. 

Disadvantages of Direct seeding of rice :

• High weed infestation, Evolution of weedy rice, Increase in soil borne pathogens (nematodes), Nutrient disorders, Exposure to birds and rats incidence, Rice blast, Brown leaf spot etc.

Recent Developments in Direct Seeding of Rice

- Punjab and Haryana could face a shortage of labourers to undertake transplantation of paddy in upcoming kharif season.

- This now has encouraged them to adopt DSR in place of conventional transplanting.