Rice Day Celebrated at ICAR Research Complex, Barapani

17th October, 2011, Barapani

The ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region celebrated the ‘Rice Day 2011’ under the theme ‘Improved rice production technologies available to farmers’ highlighting the technological solutions to farmers of the region due to climatic aberrations across the country in general and in the region in particular.

“Rice is the principal food crop of the North Eastern Region. Already the region is suffering from 1.77 million tonnes of rice deficiency other than low average productivity of 1.72 t/ha. The ‘rice day” is an attempt to make you aware about quality seeds, improved technologies and balanced nutrients for making productivity higher”, said Dr. SV Nagchan, Director ICAR Research Complex, Barapani, Meghalaya to farmers.

“The rice day prominently focused on adaptation and mitigation measures to climate change, management practices like system of rice intensification (SRI), integrated crop management (ICM), direct seeding, and conservation agricultural approach (reduced tillage, residual management and crop diversification) in rice”, said Dr. G.C. Munda, Head of the natural resource management division at the ICAR Complex.

Swimgkom, a farmer from Kyrdem village inquired about appearances of crops perceived differently at farmers’ fields and ICAR fields during showcasing of various rice varieties at ICAR agronomy division’s fields, Barapani, RI-Bhoi district. They also tried to know how to grow more suitable rice varieties which could bear drought, floods as well as other short and long dry spells. Many asked how to treat rice seeds before transplanting.

The weather in the region is showing aberrant conditions in the recent past; especially rainfall patterns have witnessed markable changes for example, the drought of 2009 and excess rainfall of 2010-11. Explaining suitable varieties under various altitudinal areas, scientists informed that short duration suitable upland rice varieties are IURON 514, Bhalum-1-2-3-4, while vivek Dhan-82, VL Dhan 61 are effective for lowland in the region.

To fight against the early season drought, modified nursery mat followed by SRI is found to be effective; mid season drought needs rain water harvesting schemes such as jalkund at farmers’ fields.  

(Source: NAIP Sub-Project on Mass Media Mobilization, DKMA with inputs from ICAR Research Complex for NEH region, Barapani)