DIRECT-SEEDED RICE (DSR) GAINS TRACTION AMID EL NIÑO-INDUCED MONSOON CONCERNS

Why in the News?

● Growing Adoption: Farmers are increasingly adopting Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) technology due to water scarcity, rising labour costs, groundwater stress, and below-normal monsoon rainfall associated with El Niño, promoting agricultural sustainability and water resource management.

● Water-Efficient Cultivation: The adoption of herbicide-tolerant (HT) basmati varieties is enabling wider use of DSR while reducing irrigation and labour requirements, supporting sustainable agriculture and environmental sustainability goals.

DIRECT-SEEDED RICE (DSR)

●  Definition: Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) is a method of rice cultivation in which seeds are directly sown in the main field without raising nurseries, puddling, or transplanting seedlings, enhancing soil health and nutrient management.

●  Advantages: DSR reduces water consumption by about 30–35%, lowers labour requirements, shortens crop duration, reduces methane emissions and greenhouse gas emissions, cuts cultivation costs, and minimizes the carbon footprint and water footprint of rice production. This climate change mitigation approach also reduces paddy straw burning, converting agricultural waste and agricultural residues into valuable resources for ethanol production, supporting energy security and alternative fuels development.

●  Herbicide-Tolerant Varieties: The technology uses herbicide-tolerant (HT) rice varieties, such as Pusa Basmati-1985 and Pusa Basmati-1979, which can tolerate imazethapyr for effective weed management while maintaining crop diversification options.

●  Technology: These HT varieties have been developed through non-genetically modified mutation breeding, involving alteration of the Acetolactate Synthase (ALS) gene, enabling tolerance to herbicides while supporting sustainable agriculture practices.

●  Significance: DSR promotes climate-resilient agriculture, improves water-use efficiency and water resource management, conserves groundwater, and supports sustainable rice cultivation under changing climatic conditions. The technology contributes to carbon neutrality goals by reducing carbon intensity of agricultural production. Additionally, broken rice and agricultural residues from DSR cultivation can be utilized for grain-based ethanol and cellulosic ethanol production, supporting biofuel policy objectives, fuel blending programs, and transportation fuel diversification. This integration addresses the water-energy-food nexus while advancing energy independence, renewable fuel standard compliance, and climate goals. The approach also benefits rural development, agricultural policy implementation, and public distribution system efficiency through improved crop yields and resource optimization. DSR supports advanced biofuels development, including anhydrous ethanol and hydrous ethanol for flex-fuel vehicles, contributing to gasoline replacement strategies and improved fuel economy. The technology aligns with renewable portfolio standards, bioenergy program objectives, and energy policy goals while potentially qualifying for ethanol tax credit incentives. By utilizing energy crops principles and converting agricultural waste into sugarcane ethanol alternatives or corn ethanol supplements, DSR enhances energy security and reduces reliance on fossil-based transportation fuel, improving octane rating options for fuel blending applications.

EL NIÑO

●  Definition: El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), characterised by abnormally warm sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.

●  Impact on India: El Niño generally weakens the Southwest Monsoon, leading to below-normal rainfall, drought conditions, reduced reservoir levels, and stress on agriculture.

●  Agricultural Effects: It adversely affects kharif crop production, groundwater recharge, irrigation availability, and overall food security due to moisture deficiency.

●  Global Impacts: Beyond India, El Niño influences global weather patterns, causing floods in some regions, droughts in others, heatwaves, and marine ecosystem disturbances.

●  Importance: Monitoring El Niño helps improve weather forecasting, crop planning, disaster preparedness, and climate adaptation strategies.

INDIAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE (IARI) ●  About: The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), popularly known as the Pusa Institute, is India’s premier agricultural research institution under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). ●  Establishment: It was established in 1905 at Pusa (Bihar) and later shifted to New Delhi following the 1934 Bihar earthquake. ●  Functions: IARI conducts research on crop improvement, climate-resilient agriculture, water-efficient farming, biotechnology, soil science, and sustainable agricultural practices. ●  Major Contributions: It played a pivotal role in the Green Revolution by developing high-yielding crop varieties and continues to develop improved rice, wheat, and basmati varieties, including herbicide-tolerant cultivars. ●  UPSC Relevance: Important under Agriculture, Food Security, Climate-Resilient Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Agricultural Research Institutions.