Status Paper on Rice in Maharashtra. *ADR, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Karjat , Maharashtra, India

Transcription

1 Status Paper on Rice in Maharashtra B. L. Thaware *, R. L. Kunkerkar and H. A. Shivade. *ADR, Regional Agricultural Research Station, Karjat , Maharashtra, India Page 1

2 I. NAME OF THE STATE: MAHARASHTRA II. INTRODUCTION : Maharashtra is located in the western part of India along the Arabian Sea. It lies between to 22 6 N and to E. The total area of Maharashtra State is 307,000 square kilometres, which is 9.36% of the country. Considering the area and population, Maharashtra state is the third largest state in India. The population of the state is 80 million which is 9.47% of the country s total population In Maharashtra rice is the second important crop of the people, which is grown over an area of lakh hectares with an annual rough rice production of lakh tones. The average productivity of the state is 2.01 t/ha. Maharashtra ranks 13 th place in rice production in country. The average productivity of the Maharashtra state is low as compared to other rice growing states viz. Panjab, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh etc. The region wise area, production and productivity in the State are as below. Sr. No. Region Area (lakh ha) Rice / Rough rice production (lakh tones) Rice /Rough rice productivity (t/ha) 1. Konkan / / Western Maharashtra (Rice growing districts) / / Marathwada (Non traditional rice growing area) / / Vidarbha / /1.14 Page 2

3 Total / /2.01 Ref : Maharashtra State Statistics Dept. Pune ( ). The area (7.32 lakh ha) of rice crop is more in Vidarbha region. The highest productivity was observed in Konkan region i.e t/ha (3.65 t/ha for rough rice). Marathwada region is the non-traditional rice growing area. Due to the erratic and less rainfall in Marathwada region, the average productivity of rice crop is lowest i.e t/ha (0.59 t/ha for rough rice). III. RICE PRODUCTION SCENARIO IN THE STATE: Rice is the second important crop after Jowar in Maharashtra State. The total area under rice crop remained stable around 15 lakh ha and production around 24 lakh tones with 1.7 to 1.9 t/ha productivity during last 15 years in the state. The Agricultural Universities in the state has released total 54 high yielding varieties, 4 rice hybrids and developed improved package of practices for cultivation of rice crop since The decade wise progress in production of rice in state indicated bellow. Table: Means of Area, Production and Productivity of rice during the decades of Maharashtra State Particulars to to to to Area ( 000 ha) Production ( 000 mt) Productivity (t\ha) Page 3

4 IV. GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATOR: a. Climate: Maharashtra has typical monsoon climate, with hot, rainy and cold weather seasons. Tropical conditions prevail all over the state, and even the hill stations are not that cold. Dew, frost, hail can also be happened sometimes according to the seasonal weather. Summer: March, April and May are the hottest months. During April and May thunderstorms are common all over the state. Temperature varies between 22 C- 39 C during this season. Rainy: Rainfall starts normally in the first week of June. July is the wettest month in Maharashtra, while August too gets substantial rain. Monsoon starts its retreat with the coming of September from the state. Winter: Cool dry spell, with clear skies gentle breeze and pleasant weather prevails from November to February. But the eastern part of Maharashtra sometimes receives some rainfall. Temperature varies between 12 C-34 C during this season. Maharashtra state is divided in to seven meteorological sub-divisions : 1) North Konkan: - The climate is warm and humid with more than 2500 mm of rain. The maximum and minimum temperature are 30 0 to 31 0 C and 22 0 to 24 0 C respectively. This sub-division consists of Thane, Raigad, Mumbai, Navi-Mumbai districts. The general topography is hilly to undulating but mostly less than 300 m in altitude. 2) South Konkan:- This sub-division consists of Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts. This region receives very high rainfall ranging between 2,000 to 4,000 mm, 90% of it during June to October ( days). The relative humidity varies from 90-95% in Kharif and 80-85% in Rabi season. The average rainfall received in district Ratnagiri (3,713 mm) is relatively higher than in district Sindhugarh (3,564 mm). The mean, Page 4

5 minimum and maximum temperature varies from 19.9 to 34.0 oc in Ratnagiri and from 22.7 to 31.2 oc in district Sindhudurg. 3) North Madhya Maharashtra:- This meteorological sub-division covers Pune, Nasik, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar districts. 4) South Madhya Maharashtra:- Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur districts reckoned under this meteorological sub-divisions. 5) Marathawada :- This division consists ofaurangabad, Jalna, Beed, Nanded, Osmanabad, Latur, Parbhani, Hingoli districts. 6) West Vidarbha :- This met- subdivisions consists of Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal, Washim districts. 7) East Vidarbha :- Nagpur, Wardha, Chandrapur, Bhandara,Gadchiroli, Gondia districts comes under East Vidarbha meteorological sub-division. b. Soil type 1. Black soils: These are the most important soils covering the maximum area in the state. They are derived from Deccan trap and are found in all districts except Ratnagiri district and parts of Chandrapur district. These soils have good potash content, fair to less than fair phosphates and a low nitrogen and organic matter content. These are clayey soils and their clay content varies from 30 to 60 per cent and above. The upper and lower parts of the profile do not substantially differ in their clay content. The pore space varies from 40 to 60 per cent. They are mildly alkaline in reaction with ph ranging from 7.2 to 8.5. According to the topographical situation, they vary in depth from a few cm on steeper slopes to more than 60 cm in valleys and can thus be classified as a) shallow black soils found on the ridges, b) medium black soils as noticed in the intermediate positions and c) deep black soils in lowlying situations. Page 5

6 The shallow black soils are lighter or dull grayish black in colour and their depth is about 30 cm. They are usually quite low in fertility. The medium black soils are more clayey than the above and their depth is around a meter. The deep black soils are mainly developed on alluvial material along the courses of big rivers like Tapi, Godavari, Bhima, Krishna, etc. and are observed on low-lying or flat topography. These are highly fertile soils. 2. Red soils: In western Maharashtra, these soils are observed in the western portion of Pune district and also in Thane and Raigad districts. These soils are formed from mixed parent material such as granite, gneiss, schist, trap, etc. On hill slopes, the slopes are coarse, sandy in nature while in valleys they are clay loams. The soils of the hill slopes may be only 9 to 45 cm in depth while those of the flat lands and valleys are deeper than 60 cm. Their ph is slightly on the acidic side. Paddy is the main Kharif crop while in rabi season, crops like rabi jowar and pulses are taken on deeper soils. 3. Lateritic soils: Because of the forest vegetation and warm humid climate, the Deccan trap has given rise to laterites and lateritic soils in the southern part of Raigad, most of Ratnagiri, western parts of Satara, Sangli, Nasik and Kolhapur districts. Because of alkaline reaction of the percolating water, the silica from the original rock disintegrates leaving a residue of sesqui-oxides in the rock as well as in the soil. Intense leaching accompanied by high rainfall removes all the bases from soil giving it a distinctly acidic character with a ph 5.0 to 6.0. The soils are usually loamy in texture, fairly deep and with low retention of moisture. The clays are mostly of the keolinitic type. The laterites have three varieties of soils, viz., reice soils, warkas (light) soils and garden soils. The rice soils are generally found in lowlying areas which receive the eroded soils from the upper reach and are usually rich in organic matter. The warkas soils which are on hill slopes are shallow and eroded soils, coarse in texture and yellowish red in colour. Nagli (Eleusine coracana) is the principal crop grown on these soils; it responds Page 6

7 well to N and P fertilizers. The garden soils are light, easily workable, yellowish to brownish in colour and mostly support areca nut and coconut plantations. 4. Alluvial soils: These soils are of two types, a) alluviums along the main rivers like Tapi, Godavari, Bhima, Krishna etc. b) Coastal alluvium as noticed on the coastal side of Thane and Raigad districts. The former are more clayey and the latter more silty and sandy in nature. 5. Forest and hill soils: These soils are also derived from trap and occupy the mountainous terrain in the west in the districts of Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur and in the east in Chandrapur district. As the rainfall in this region is comparatively high (1200 to 2000 mm), the soils are low in base status and neutral to slightly acidic in reaction. These soils of the Western Ghats are known as kumris, and when terraced, they can be put under paddy of hill millets. The soils of Chandrapur district are locally known as bardi, retadi, etc. and thus indicate their coarseness. These soils are mainly put under hill millets. 6. Saline alkali soils : Depending upon the causes of their formation, these are also of two types viz., a) coastal saline soil, and b) saline-alkaline soils of the inland region. The coastal saline soils all along the west coast in the districts of Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Thane and Raigad. In the immediate vicinity of the coast or creeks, the soil impregnated with salts (NaCl) from sea to the extent of 0.2 per cent. In spite of the high rainfall to the extent of about 2000 mm and above in these areas, they are suitable only for growing saline resistant rice varieties which is the common crop of the region. These soils are locally known as khar or khajan lands. Government has constituted a special kharland development board for reclaiming these areas by putting up high embankments along the creeks to prevent the ingress of sea water and subsequently by flooding and draining the soils. The saline-alkaline soils of the inland areas are developed as a result of various causes, such as 1) rise of subsoil water level due to indiscriminate irrigation over a long Page 7

8 period of time, 2) use of subsoil water level due to indiscriminate irrigation over a long period of time, 3) Occurrence of impervious subsoil 4) salt bearing subsoil strata. c. Rainfall Rainfall in Maharashtra differs from region to region. Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, receive heavy rains of an average of 2,000 to 4,000 mm annually. But the districts of Nasik, Pune, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Satara, Sangli, Solapur and parts of Kolhapur get rainfall less than 500 to 700 mm. Rainfall particularly concentrates to the Konkan and Sahyadrian Maharashtra. Central Maharashtra receives less rainfall. However, under the influence of the Bay of Bengal, eastern Vidarbha receives good rainfall about 1100 to 1600 mm in July, August and September. d. Agro-climatic zones: Zone-1 : Very high rainfall zone with lateritic soils (VRL) Page 8

9 This zone includes the whole Shindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts, the western border strip of Chandgad, Ajra, Gargoti, Radhanagari, Bawada and Shahuwadi talukas of Kolhapur district and Mahad and Poladpur talukas of Raigad district. The climate is warm and humid with more than 2500 mm of rain. The maximum and minimum temperature are 30 0 to 31 0 C and 22 0 to 24 0 C respectively. The dense vegetation of moist, deciduous forest and tree savannah has profound effect on the formation of soils. The general topography is hilly to undulating and the soil depth varies from less than 30 cm on hill slopes to about 100 to 150 cm in valleys. The soils are derived from laterites which are developed on the top of besalts by the process of laterization. The texture is sandy loam to clayey loam. Paddy, nagli (Eleusine coracana) and hill millets like wari (Panicum miliaceum) and sawa (Panicum miliare) are the main crops grown. In heavy soils, paddy is followed by wal (Dolichos lablab). Zone-2 : Very high rainfall zone with, non-lateritic soils (VRN) This zone comprises of the whole of Thane district, remaining parts of Raigad districts and western parts of Igatpuri, Trimbak, Peint and Surgana talukas of Nasik district. The climate is slightly warmer and more humid than zone 1 and the mean maximum and minimum temperatures are also higher. The general topography is hilly to undulating but mostly less than 300 m in altitude. Soils derived from the deccan trap are non-lateritic and are formed under conditions of intense leaching. The depth varies from one to four feet. Crops grown are about the same in Zone 1, but in heavy soils, rabi crops like wheat and gram are also taken. Zone -3 : Ghat zone (Gh) It includes the unevenly narrow strip running from north to south along the crest of the Sahyadri range having about 1,000 m altitude towards western i.e. seaward side and up to 600 m towards the eastern slopes of these ranges. The area included under Page 9

10 this Zone comprises of the hilly, high hilly terrain round about the ghats of Amboli, Fonda and Amba in Kolhapur district, Koyana and Mahabaleshwar in Satara district, Lonavala and Khandala in Pune district, Kalsoobai hills in Akola taluka of Ahmednagar district and Igatpuri and Trimbak in Nasik district. The high-lying hilly terrains have more than 5000 mm rainfall and are mostly covered by deciduous to semi-deciduous forests. The maximum and minimum temperatures are the lowest among all the zones. The soils are warkas which grow inferior hill millets like wari, sawa and oilseed corp like niger. Zone 4: Transition -1 with red to reddish brown soils (TR1) Immediately on the eastern side of the Sahyadri ranges, this zone is narrow northsouth strip running through the western hilly flank of Kolhapur district, western part of Shirala taluka of Sangli district, central strip of Patan and Madha talukas of Satara district, western part of Bhor, Welhe and Paund talukas, central part of Vadgaon and western strip of Khed, Ambegaon and Junnar talukas in Pune district, western side of Akola taluka in Ahmadnagar district and eastern part of Igatpuri taluka and central part of Trimbak, Peint and western boundary of Dindori talukas and the whole of western half of Surgana taluka of Nasik district. The rainfall is between 1700 to 2500 mm. The soil are mainly red to brown with vary in depth and texture. The main crops grown are paddy, Nagli and Niger. Zone 5 : Transition 2 : with grayish black soils (TR2) This comprises of eastern strip of Kolhapur district, Shirala taluka of Sangli district, central strip of Satara district, central part of Bhor and eastern part of Paund taluka in Pune district, central portion of Akola taluka in Ahmadnagar district, western boundary of Sinner taluka, central portion of Nashik district, eastern part of Igatpuri taluka and western part covering Akkalkua of Akrani taluka, western part of taloda, Nandurbar and Sakari taluka in Dhulia district. Page 10

11 The rainfall ranges from 700 mm to 1750 mm. Summers and winters are warm than Zone 3 and Zone 4. Soil are grayish black in colour and of varying texture dependent upon local topography. Zone 6 : Scarcity Zone The vast area in the mid eastern Maharashtra is traditionally known as famine area of the state, it comprises of Jat, Kavthe mahankal and Atpadi talukas of Sangli, Indapur, Daund, eastern part of Ambegaon talukas of Pune, Eastern part of Satara district, Middle and eastern talukas of Ahmadnagar and whole of Solapur district excluding eastern part of Barshi, Solapur and Akkalkot taluka. It is bounded by isohyte700 mm on both the sides. Soil is calcarious, grayish black in colour and varying depth and textures. Zone 7: Assured rainfall with mainly khirif cropping (ARK) This zone includes the remaining parts of Solapur, Osmanabad, Bid, Aurangabad and Jalgaon districts, Akola district, Amravati district excluding the eastern part of Chandur and Morshi talukas, western half of Parbhani district and southern Nanded district. The rainfall on western side is 700 mm and increases up to 900 mm on eastern side. The cropping pattern is more of Kharif type and the yields are higher than those of Zone-6. The soils are more or less similar to those of Zone- 6 and the topography is almost flat to rolling plains. Under assured rainfall conditions, the clayey deep soils pose a problem of temporary water-logging. Zone 8: Moderate to moderately high rainfall with soils formed from trap (MR) It includes the remaining parts of Nanded, Parbhani, Akola and Amravati district, whole of Yeotmal and Wardha districts, whole of Nagpur district excluding the eastern strip covering parts in Umred, Nagpur and Ramtek talukas and western part of Chandrapur district. This is predominantly a Kharif tract with a rainfall of 900 mm on the western side increasing upon 1,250 mm on the eastern side. The soils are similar to those of Zone- 6 and Zone-7. The problem of temporary waterlogging also exists in this region. Kharif Page 11

12 crops like cotton, sorghum, groundnut, tur, soyabean etc. and rabi crops like wheat, gram and linseed are grown. Zone 9: High rainfall with soils formed from mixed rocks (HRM) The whole of Bhandara district and the remaining parts of Nagpur and Chandrapur districts are included in this zone. It forms the extreme eastern part of the state. It has higher rainfall than Zone-7 and Zone-8 and has warmer climate than these two zones. The rainfall is above 1250 mm and is little beyond 1700 mm on the far eastern side. The natural vegetation is of deciduous open forests with thickets. The soils are derived chiefly from mixed parent rocks like granite, gneiss and schist. They are yellowish brown to red in colour and coarse in texture. The predominant crop is paddy in Kharif season and other crops like wheat, gram, linseed, rabi jowar and lakh are also grown in rabi season. V. RICE PRODUCTION SCENARIO Maximum productivity is observed in Konkan region and it contributes % of total rice production in the state. Vidarbha region covers large area under rice cultivation than other regions but it has low productivity than Konkan and Western Maharashtra regions. There are major four regions of Maharashtra state where the rice crop is grown. The region wise area, production and productivity in the State are as below. Sr. No. Region Area (lakh ha) % Area in the state Rice / Rough rice production (lakh tones) Rice /Rough rice productivity (t/ha) 1. Konkan / / Western Maharashtra / / Marathwada / / Vidarbha / /1.14 Page 12

13 Total / /2.01 Ref : Maharashtra State Statistics Dept. Pune ( ). VI. DISTRICT WISE RICE ECOSYSTEMS OF THE MAHARASHTRA Table: The different districts under these ecosystems and the predominant varieties under each ecosystem are as follows. Sr. No. Ecosystem Districts 1. Rainfed lowland Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane, Kolhapur Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia and some 2. Rainfed upland parts of Nagpur, Kolhapur & some part of Raigad, Osmanabad, Nanded, Parbhani 3. Irrigated Nasik, Nagar, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Page 13

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19 VII. CROPPING SYSTEM ZONE-WISE Rice base Cropping Systems followed in Maharashtra State: Zones North Konkan Coastal Zone Following are the rice base Cropping Systems followed in the state Irrigated : Rice Rice, Groundnut, Mustard, Maize, Vegetable Rainfed : Rice Fallow, Dolichusbean, Horsegram, Redgram, Greengram, Bengalgram, Cowpea South Konkan Coastal Zone Irrigated : Rice Rice, Groundnut, Pulses, Vegetable Rainfed : Rice Fallow, Pulses Western Ghat Zone Irrigated : Rice Gram, lentil, peas, wheat, Mixed pulses, Vegetable Rainfed : Rice Fallow, Pulses Sub Mountain Zone Irrigated : Rice Gram, Pulses, peas, wheat Rainfed : Rice Fallow, Pulses Eastern Vidarbha Zone Irrigated : Rice Rice, Pulses Rainfed : Rice Fallow, Pulses VIII. RICE GROWING SEASONS AND REGIONS In Maharashtra State, where the principal rice crop is cultivated under rainfed conditions during Kharif, the rural poverty is very high and the economic condition of the farmers depends on the rainfall during the monsoon season. In Marathwada region, area under rice comprises of Page 19

20 90000 ha which is cultivated completely as a drilled and rainfed crop, In Konkan region, rice is grown in rabi-summer season on a meager area i.e ha which comes under Rajnala and Kal project of Raigad district. Rice growing regions are broadly divided in to two groups in the state. Traditional rice growing region: In this region rice crop is cultivated under assured rainfall condition. This region consists of 23 districts in the state as given below. 1) Konkan : Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri & Sindhudurg 2) Vidarbha : Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Nagpur, Wardha, Washim Amravati and Yavatmal 3.) Western Maharashtra: Kolhapur, Satara, Pune, Ahmednagar, Nashik & Nandurbar. Dhule, Jalgaon, Solapur, Sangli Non-traditional rice growing region: In this region mostly rice crop is cultivated by drilling the seed in black soil under rainfed or irrigated condition. There are six districts under this region viz., Osmanabad, Parbhani, Nanded, Hingoli, Latur and Beed where rice is grown in some parts of the district. Region wise rice varieties grown in Maharashtra State Zone Districts Rice Varieties Konkan Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg Karjat-184, Karjat 2, Karjat 3 Karjat 4, Karjat-5, Karjat-6, Karjat-7 Palghar 1, Palghar 2, Panvel 1, Panvel 2 Panvel 3, Phondaghat 1, Ratnagiri 24, Ratnagiri 711, Ratnagiri 73, Ratnagiri 1, Ratnagiri 2, Ratnagiri 3, Ratna, Jaya, Mahsuri. Sahyadri, Sahyadri 2, Sahyadri 3, Sahyadri-4, Proagro, Suruchi, Swarna, Gujrat-11, Rupali Vidharbha Bhandara, Chandrapur, SKL 6, SKL 7, PKV Ganesh, Page 20

21 Western Maharashtra Gadchiroli, Gondia and some parts of Nagpur Nasik, Nagar, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur SYE 1, SYE 4, SYE 5, HMT Sona, Rupali, PKV Makrand, PKV HMT, SYE 75, Chinoor Amb-157, Kolamba, Chibbur K-42, Waksal-207 Zinia-31, ACK 5, Indrayani, Pawana Kundalika, VDN 12327, RDN Phule Radha, Bhogawati, Jalgaon 5, Sahyadri, Sahyadri 2, Sahyadri 3, Sahyadri-4, Ratnagiri 24, Ratnagiri -73, Ratnagiri-1. Marathwada Parbhani, Osmanabad, Nanded Darana, Tulajapur-1, Prabhawati, Ambika Sugandha, Terana, Parag, a. Season-wise varieties/ hybrids Season Kharif Varieties / Hybrid Karjat-184, Karjat 2, Karjat 3, Karjat 4, Karjat-5, Karjat-6, Karjat-7, Palghar 1, Palghar 2, Panvel 1, Panvel 2, Panvel 3, Phondaghat 1, Ratnagiri 24, Ratnagiri 711, Ratnagiri 73, Ratnagiri 1, Ratnagiri 2, Ratnagiri 3, Ratna, Jaya, Mahsuri. Walai, Bela, Patni, Damga, Botwel, Sahyadri, Sahyadri 2, Sahyadri 3, Sahyadri-4, Proagro, Suruchi, Swarna, Gujrat-11, Rupali, SKL 6, SKL 7, PKV Ganesh, SYE 1, SYE 4, SYE 5, HMT Sona, Rupali, PKV Khamang, PKV Makrand, PKV HMT, SYE 75, Chinoor, Amb-157, Kolamba, Chibbur K-42, Waksal- 207, Zinia-31, Satya, Suhasini, Surya, ACK 5, Indrayani, Pawana, Kundalika, VDN 12327, RDN-185-2, Phule Radha, Bhogawati, Jalgaon 5, Sahyadri, Sahyadri 2, Sahyadri 3, Sahyadri-4, Ratnagiri 24, Ratnagiri -73, Ratnagiri-1, Darana, Tulajapur-1, Prabhawati, Ambika, Sugandha, Terana, Parag. Page 21

22 Rabi Karjat-184, Karjat 3, Karjat 4, Karjat-7, Ratna, Jaya, Bela, Sahyadri 2, Sahyadri-4, SKL 6, SYE 1. X. RECOMMENDED PACKAGE OF PRACTICES a. Traditional Cultivation Practices Region Transplanting Konkan and Vidarbha region Direct seeding Non-traditional rice growing area of Marathwada and Western Maharashtra. Dibbling In scarcity zone (Zone-6) of the state. Rahu Used during natural calamities at the time of sowing. b. Modern Important agronomical practices recommended for rice cultivation in Maharashtra State. Particulars Direct seeded Transplanted Broad casting (Rahu) Drilling Dibbling Local HYVs Hybrids Seed rate (Kg/ha) Age of seedling Spacing (cm) x10 Random 15x15 20x15 15x15 20x15 Page 22

23 No. of seedlings/ hill Fertilizer dose (kg/ha) N P 2 O K 2 O Average grain yield (q/ha) Four Point Agro Technique in Rice Crop Recycling of rice plant residues (Rice hull, Ash and straw) Application of rice hull ash to seedbed for growing rice 0.5 to 1.0 kg/m2 seedbed before sowing of rice seed Incorporation of rice straw into soil during 2.0 t/ha Glyricidia Green 2.0 t/ha Green leaf biomass Control planting of Rice Seedling Row to row 25 cm x 15 cm plant to plant Deep placement of Urea-Diammonium phosphate (Urea-DAP) Briquettes after controlled transplanting of rice 170 kg Urea- DAP briquettes per hectare Each briquette 2.5 gm Placement 7 to 10 cm in 56 kg/n and 30 kg P 2 O 5 per hectare dose Benefits Fertilizer use efficiency Increase up to 70% Eco-friendly Reduction in fertilizer use Increase in yield up to 20 % Page 23

24 Use of Biofertilizers : 1. Application of Blue Green 20 kg/ha at 8-10 DAT. 2. Application of 4-5 q/ha at 10 DAT. Drum seeder: Drum seeder is equipment used for direct sowing of seed. Drum seeder is of 175cm long with drum length of 30 cm which allows spacing between row to row 20 cm. The sprouted seeds can be used in the drum. Drum seeder is made up of Plastic material so it is light in weight so two persons can draw this seeder easily. Also the adjustment for seeding and spacing is possible. Drum seeder detachable so it can be easily transported from plot to another plot. Price of Drum seeder is Rs.3500/- only. c. Most popular rice varieties/hybrids of the state List of popular rice varieties is presented in Table no. 3 Zone Popular varieties/ Hybrids Konkan region Karjat-184, Karjat 3, Karjat-5, Karjat-7, Palghar 1, Panvel 1, Ratnagiri 24, Ratnagiri 1, Ratna, Jaya, Mahsuri, Sahyadri, Sahyadri 2, Sahyadri 3, Sahyadri-4, Suruchi, Swarna, Gujrat-11, Rupali Vidharbha Western Maharashtra Marathwada SKL 6, PKV Ganesh, SYE 1, HMT Sona, Rupali Amb-157, Indrayani, Pawana, Bhogawati, Sahyadri, Sahyadri 2, Sahyadri 3, Sahyadri-4, Ratnagiri 24, Ratnagiri -73, Ratnagiri-1. Terana, Parag d. Post-harvest operations Threshing: The crop is harvested close to the ground when about 90 per cent of the grains in the panicle are grey in colour ( Straw colour). Delayed harvesting causes considerable loss by Page 24

25 shattering of grains resulting in considerable loss in yield and increased percentage of broken rice in hulling and due to damage by rats and birds. The right stage of harvesting is when the ears are nearly ripe and the straw slightly green. The crop is generally cut with a sickle by manual labour or with a mechanical reaper, self propelled harvester, etc. and dried in the field for 3-4 days. The combine harvester is available for harvesting, threshing, winnowing and cleaning of seeds. The crop is threshed by hand beating or by pedal thresher or by mechanical thresher. Drying: Seeds are dried up to 13% moisture Storage: Paddy grains are stored in Kangi, Bags, Bin. Paddy straw is stored in heep. IX. TRADITIONAL CULTIVARS/VARIETIES GROWN, IF ANY IN THE STATE Traditional cultivars: Botwel, Mhadi, Walai, Bela, Patni, Bhadas, Kalarata, Bhurarata, Kolamb, Kolpi, Jiresal, Kala girga, Ghansal, Kothimbari Sal (Bodga), Champakali, Krishna Sal, Tambada jog, Ambemohar, Kasbai, Thilsa, White Luchai, Chinoor, Halga, Zinia. Indigenous technical knowledge (ITKs): These traditional cultivars are cultivated in specific geographical area of the state, the transplanting and dibbling are the popular methods for cultivation, the use of fertilizers is very low. The area under traditional varieties is meager but specific features like fine, scent and nutritional value. This cultivars are cultivated for the local market home consumptions and religious occasions. i) Rab : Rab is an age-old practice followed in the Konkan region in which farmers burn the piece of land where rice nursery is to be raised. It was found that per cent farmers adopted the Rab preparation method for raising rice seedlings. There was a variation in the material used for Rab due to ecological aspects, vegetation, availability of material and location of the fields. It was also found that the material like dry leaves, cow dung, dry grass, branches of trees, byre waste, etc. were used for Rab. Rabbing is a practice which consists of burning cow-dung cakes, tree- Page 25

26 lopping, leaves, grass etc. by making layers on the paddy seed-bed area. Rabbing is a sort of partial sterilization of the soil. It improves the physical structure of the soil and increases availability of nutrients in the soil. The practice is, therefore beneficial in raising vigorous seedlings but it involves wastage of valuable organic matter, which can preferably be used in compost making. The system of rabbing is mostly confined to North Konkan and the Maval tract of Maharashtra State. Attempts have been made since 1905 to substitute this wasteful method by using manures, and chemical fertilizers. In the opinion of per cent farmers, the Rab helps control the weeds, while and per cent farmers opined that the Rab helps to better germination of seed and is helpful in getting healthy seedlings, respectively. With regard to the effect of Rab on the crop, majority (94.92 per cent) of the respondents expresses that the yield per unit area increased due to the Rab preparation. ii) Method of sowing/ Random transplanting : Rice crop is traditionally grown as a transplanted crop. Farmers are transplanting rice at random without following specific spacing. The opinion of farmers about line transplanting was not only expensive but time consuming. Research was conducted in medium black soil to find out an alternative to this method. The other methods used were drilling, dibbling and broadcasting of sprouted seed. It was observed that rice crop raised by transplanting method produced significantly higher grain yield over the remaining methods of cultivation. Now farmers are convinced about higher yield performance by following line transplanting. iii) Deep transplanting: Generally farmers are transplanting rice very deep hence that affects the tillering ability and ultimately total yield. iv) Use of more number of seedlings per hills: Farmers were using more than 5 seedlings/ hills, however 3-4 / hills are giving equal results v) Ulkatni and Awatni : Ulkatni and Awatni are two local practices followed in Khar lands of Thane and Raigad districts. In Ulkatni the clods are turned upside down with the help of crobar in the months of April-May, Page 26

27 while Awatni is a practice of putting the rice seedlings in the field alongwith the mud ball from the seedbed. It was observed that both the methods of preparatory tillage were effective. Hence, instead of Ulkatni which was done manually, ploughing could be done after harvest of Kharif rice in reclaimed Khar lands. Awatni was significantly superior to the regular practice of transplanting provided the population is maintained in case of Awatni. Superficial planting in Awatni avoids contact of tender seedlings with the salty portion of soil and thus avoids mortality of seedlings. Germplasm resources: The germplasm of local cultivars is maintained by the farmers and Rice Research Stations of that region. Medicinal value: Mhadi, Bela, Walai having the medicinal and rich nutritional value. XII. BYPRODUCTS OF RICE SPECIFIC TO THE STATE a. Usage: Traditional byproducts of rice in the state are pej for children, Poha, Bhadang, Kurmura, Papad, Mirgund, Laddu, Rice bran oil, Rice bran for poultry feed, Rice husk for brick kilns. b. Market value: The market value of rice is increasing day by day. The above traditional byproducts are available at local as well as urban markets like malls. The value of product to product the poha is ranging ranging from Rs. 30/- to 40/- per kg. c. Milling industries: The milling industries are located in Konkan, Vidarbha and Western Maharashtra regions. Vidarbha and Western Maharashtra having large number of milling industries with improved machineries. In Konkan region Raigad and Thane districts having the good quality milling industries also having parched rice, beaten rice industries and in Sindhudurg district for parboiled rice milling they uses hullers. XIII. SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES IN RICE SECTOR OF THE STATE 1) Food Security Mission: For promotion area under rice cultivation, Food Security Mission mandated six districts from Maharashtra state. It includes demonstrations, seed supply Page 27

28 on subsidy, integrated pest management, integrated nutrient management, farmers training and farm mechanization. The action plan of National Food Security Mission-Rice is given below. a. Demonstrations on System of Rice Intensification (SRI) b. Demonstrations of Hybrid Rice Technology c. Assistance for distribution of Hybrid Rice Seed d. Assistance for distribution of HYVs Seed e. Seed Minikits of HYVs of Rice f. Incentives for Cono-weeders, Rotavators, Pump sets, Power weeders, Knapsack sprayers and other implements g. Assistance for Plant Protection chemicals and Bio-agents h. Farmers training i. Award for best performing districts. 2) Upland Paddy Research Scheme: To increase the area under paddy cultivation in non-traditional region of Maharashtra the Upland Paddy Research Scheme is implemented at Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani. Under this scheme different breeding, agronomic and plant protection experiments were carried out at Parbhani, Udgir, Tuljapur and Basmatnagar locations of rainfed rice ecosystems. XIV. STATUS OF RECENT METHODS/ TECHNOLOGIES a. SRI Need for SRI i. Requires less seed rate (6 to 8 kg seed/ha) ii. iii. Nursery can be raised in small area 1.5 to 2 guntha for one hectare area, 12 to 15 days old seedlings along with mud boll transplanted single seedling at 25 x 25 cm in kharif. Inter culture operation easily carried out with the help of cono weeder or rotary hoe. Page 28

29 iv. Number of tillers increased/ plant. v. Unavailable soil nutrients available due to good microbial activities. vi. Each plant get sufficient light hence produced healthy crop. vii. Low intensity of insect pest. viii. Crop mature 8-10 days ahead. Spread of SRI and date of Adoption Major area is lowland and midland where rice is cultivated in the konkan region. Farmers are not ready to adopt SRI due to heavy rainfall and use of days old seedlings for transplanting. However, from5-6 years SRI trials were conducted on university farm on upland & midland situation in kharif and rabi season. However, on upland situation very few farmers egar to adopt SRI under guidance of NGO, Agril. Deptt. & Agril. University extension workers (KVK). Organizations (Public/Private/NGO s/any other) working on SRI adoption and their approach and role In Vidhrbh, Western maharashtra, Konkan region some of the organizations working for the promotion of systems of Rice intensification (SRI) following organization starting to work on SRI i.e. NABARD, Agril. Universities (KVK) NGO groups like. i. Rural communes in Raigd, Ratnagiri, Thane districts. ii. Sakav Gramin Vikas Sanstha, Raigad district. iii. Jiwhala Gramin Vikas Sanstha, Raigad district. iv. BAIF-MITRA Raigad, Thane, Ratnagiri districts. v. Centre for Experimental learning (CEL) Ratnagiri district. vi. Matrumandir- Ratnagiri district. vii. Parivartan- Ratnagiri district. viii. Syngenta Foundation- Thane district. ix. Gomukh Sindhudurg, Thane, Pune districts. x. Chaitnya- Pune district. xi. Gramin Yuva Pragatic Mandal- Bhandara district. xii. Amhi Amachya Aarogyasathi - Gadchiroli, Chandrapur districts. Page 29

30 xiii. Swayamsevi Janata Sahayak Mandal- Satara district. Impact of SRI : a. Increased yield over traditional farmer s practice, i.e. random transplanting with 6-8 seedlings /hill. b. More number of tillers (16-30 tillers/plant) c. Matures 8-10 days ahead line transplanting (20 x 15cm) d. Reduce the cost on purchase of seed. e. Reduce the interculturing cost. Modification of SRI (package of practices for SRI and its differences form standard transplanting) with scientific data/ explanations Nursery raising Age of seedlings Community nursery advised Kharif days old seedling Rabi old seedling Spacing (Unit population) 25 x 25 cm (6 to 8 kg/ha) Use of manures and fertilizers Only Organic Organic + Inorganic only Inorganic only Use of cono weeders (No. of times) Water management Organic + inorganic 2 to 4 times as per weed intensity In high rainfall area good drainage facility on upland Cost of cultivation (Benefit Cast ratio) Any other modifacation specially suited for the In addition to chemical fertilizer or Urea-DAP Page 30

31 location Any scientific information and pooled data (one or two tables with reference) briquette 50 % org. manure application suggested. enclosed b. Hybrid rice Recommendations for cultivation of Sahyadri rice hybrid: Particulars Package of practices Seed rate 20 kg/ha Age of seedling at transplanting 25 days old seedling with 5 to 6 leaf stage Seedlings per hill 1 to 2 seedlings/hill Organic manure (Basal) 10 t/ha FYM or Green manure Fertilizer dose in three split 1. Basal NPK in kg/ha 2. Tillering stage : 25 kg N/ha 3. Panicle immergence stage : 25 kg N/ha Spacing 20 x 15 cm Water requirement 90 to 130 cm Harvesting 90 to 95 % maturity of grains and store at 12 to 14 % moisture in grain. Impact assessment of hybrid rice: In Maharashtra, Konkan region cultivates the more hybrid rice than other regions about 45,000 ha area covered under hybrid rice in the state. The seed of hybrid rice mainly produced and distributed by Mahabeej and other private companies in the state. Dr. B. S. Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli having the Public-Private partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for seed production and distribution. The impact of hybrid rice technology was assessed by Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad and The Society for management of Agriculture Projects, Kanpur in the state of Maharashtra. The observations are as below. Page 31

32 1. Net profit of Rs. 5000/- to 6000/- per hector by cultivation of hybrids in Maharashtra. 2. In hybrid rice seed production, net profit ranged from Rs.30,000/- to 40,000/- per hector in the state. 3. Hybrid rice seed production generate additional employment of 65 person days per hector and most of them are women. 4. There is no adverse impact of hybrid rice cultivation on environment. 5. In the process of development of hybrid rice more emphasis should be given for market preference. Thus hybrid rice technology is gaining popularity in the state of Maharashtra. The area under hybrid rice is gradually increasing in the state. The hybrid rice technology is observed to be an option for increase in rice productivity and economic upliftment of rice farmers. Some of the bottle necks in wide spread of hybrid rice technology are small and fragmented land holdings less barrowing capacity of farmers, varied agro ecological conditions and varied preferences for grain qualities in the region, state and the country. In traditional rice growing areas, the rice is the only crop of lively hood to the farmers. Some financial support is needed in the form of inputs or supportive prices to the produce for wide spread of hybrid rice technology and upliftment of poor rice farmers in the state and country. c. Aerobic rice Marathawada region having scanty ranfall distribution hence there is scope for cultivation of aerobic rice. The research strategies for region needs to be straingthened. d. Any other Four Point Agro Technique in Rice Crop: This technology is very useful to the farmers having marginal land holding and high rainfall area, having heavy leaching losses of fertilizers. The most of the farmers are using this technology because of its fertilizer use efficiency (70 %) and increasing in yield (20%). Page 32

33 XV. INSTITUTES INVOLVED IN RICE DEVELOPMENT IN THE STATE AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION Organisational set-up for research in Maharashtra Rice breeding work was started in the former Bombay state at Karjat (now in Raigad district) in Soon afterwards, the Agricultural Research Station at Ratnagiri started to serve the south Konkan region. The Igatpuri station was started in 1940 for work on fine grained scented rice varieties. The work at Radhanagari started in The stations at Igatpuiri, Radhanagari and Vadagaon serve the Maval tract where fine-grained scented varieties are commonly grown. The Station at Panvel was started in 1949 for improving salt resistant rice varieties of north Konkan coastal areas. At present rice research is being carried out at 14 rice research stations under the four agricultural universities of the state. The lead center for rice research in Maharashtra is Regional Agricultural Research Station, Karjat, Dist. Raigad. It co-ordinates the research work carried out at fourteen research stations under the control of four Agricultural Universities of the state. Research centres working on rice in Maharashtra. Name of the University Region Research centres working for rice research Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Dist. Ratnagiri Konkan Karjat (Lead centre),palghar, Panvel (saline soils), Ratnagiri, Phondaghat Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Dist. Ahmednagar Western Maharashtra Radhanagari, Kolhapur, Karad, Vadgaon, Igatpuri Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani Marathwada Parbhani, Tuljapur (for rainfed & irrigated black soil) Dr. Punjabrao Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola Vidharbha Sindewahi, Sakoli Page 33

34 List of varieties / hybrids recommended for Maharashtra State. Sr. No. Name of Research station Variety Year of release Grain Type Yield (t/ha) Days to maturity Recommended area Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli 1 Karjat Karjat Medium Slender 3.0 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State 2 Karjat Long Slender 4.0 to Assured rainfall regions of Maharashtra 3 Karjat Short bold 3.0 to Bacterial blight endemic pockets of the Konkan region 4 Karjat Long Slender 4.0 to Assured rainfall regions of Maharashtra 5 Karjat Short Bold 4.5 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State 6 Karjat Short Slender 3.0 to Konkan region 7 Karjat Long bold 4.5 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State 8 Karjat Short Slender 3.5 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State 9 Karjat Long Slender 4.0 to to 120 Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State Page 34

35 10 Sahyadri (Hybrid) 1998 Long Slender 6.0 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State including Kharland Sr. No Name of Research station Variety Year of release Grain Type Yield (t/ha) Days to maturity Recommended area 11 Sahyadri-2 (Hybrid) 2004 Long Slender 5.5 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State 12 Sahyadri-3 (Hybrid) 2005 Long Slender 6.5 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State. Irrigated plains of 13 Sahyadri-4 (Hybrid) 2006 Long Slender 6.0 to Hariyana and Punjab West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh in transplanted conditions 14 Palghar Palghar Medium slender 4.0 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State 15 Palghar Short slender 3.0 to Konkan Region 16 Panvel Panvel Short bold 3.5 to Coastal saline soils of Konkan region Page 35

36 17 Panvel Long Slender 3.3 to Coastal saline soils of Konkan region 18 Panvel Short bold 4.5 to Coastal saline soils of Konkan region 19 Ratnagiri Ratnagiri Short slender 3.5 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State 20 Ratnagiri Long slender 4.0 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State Sr. No Name of Research station Variety Year of release Grain Type Yield (t/ha) Days to maturity Recommended area 21 Ratnagiri Long bold 4.5 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State 22 Ratnagiri Short bold Ratnagiri Long Bold 4.5 to Ratnagiri Short bold 4.5 to Assured rainfall region of M.S. on 25 Ratnagiri Long Bold 4.5 to lowland of rice growing areas 26 Ratnagiri Long Konkan and W. Page 36

37 slender Maharshtra region. 27 Phondaghat Phondaghat Long slender 4.5 to Rice growing areas of Maharashtra State 28 Vadgaon Indrayani 1987 Long slender 4 to Pawana 1988 Long slender 3.5 to Rice growing areas of western Maharashtra 30 Kundalika 1988 Short slender 3.5 to State 31 Phule Maval 1998 Long bold 4.0 to Phule Samruddhi 2007 Long slender 4.0 to Sr. No. Name of Research station Variety Year of release Grain Type Yield (t/ha) Days to maturity Recommended area 33 Radhanagari RDN Short slender 3.0 to Western Maharashtra 34 Phule Radha 2004 Short slender 3.5 to Rice areas of M.S. growing 35 Bhogawati 2004 Long 3.5 to Rice growing Page 37

38 slender 4.0 areas of M.S. 36 Igatpuri Darana 1980 Long bold 3.5 to Upland 37 College of Agriculture Kolhapur ACK Short bold 4 to Suitable for rice growing areas of state 38 Sakoli SKL Long slender 4 to Bhandara Chandrapur districts & 39 SKL Long slender Eastern part of Vidarbha 40 SKL Long slender 4.0 to Eastern part of Vidarbha 41 PKV Ganesh 2003 Medium slender Eastern part of Vidarbha 42 Sindewahi SYE Short bold 4.0 to Paddy growing areas of Vidarbha 43 SYE Short slender 4.5 to Paddy growing areas of Vidarbha Paddy growing 44 SYE Short bold 4.5to tract Maharashtra of State 45 SYE Medium slender 4 to Paddy growing areas of Vidarbha Page 38

39 Sr. No. Name of Research Center Variety Year of release Grain Type Yield (t/ha) Days to maturity Recommended area 46 SYE Short bold 4.5 to Paddy growing areas of Vidarbha 47 PKV Makrand 2003 Medium slender 3.5 to East Vidarbha 48 PKV HMT 1998 Short Slender 4.0 to East Vidarbha 49 PKV Khamang 2007 Short Slender 3.5 to East Vidarbha 50 Parbhani Prabhavati 1984 Medium slender Marathwada region 51 Parag 1994 Long slender 3.9 to Upland areas 52 Tuljapur Ambika 1984 Long slender Marathwada region 53 Terana 1989 Long slender Drilled rice area of Marathwada region 54 Avishkar Long slender Drilled rice area of Marathwada region Page 39

40 XVI. CONSTRAINTS IN RICE PRODUCTION a. Biotic stress. Major Diseases and Insect pests occurred in M.S. : Major Diseases: Diseases Rice blast Bacterial Leaf Blight Sheath blight False smut Causing organism Pyricularia orizae Helminthosporium oryzae Rizocionia solani Ustilaginoides virens Major Pest/Insects: Pest/Insects Yellow stem borer Brown plant hopper (BPH) Leaf folder Army worm Economic threshold level (ETL) 5 % dead hearts during vegetative, 2 % white ears 5-10 hoppers / hill 4 % folded leaves 4-5 larvae m -1 crop row Gall midge 5 % silver shoots b. Abiotic stress Agro climatic constraints: Agro climatic envisages both soil and atmosphere condition of region. Page 40

41 The soil of rice growing area in the state shows a lot of variation in respect of their physio-chemical properties & hence in nutrient availability. The 65,000 ha area is under saline soils in coastal Konkan region and about 1 lakh ha in Marathwada region is affected due to iron chlorosis. Agriculture in Konkan is characterized by the preponderance of extremely small sized holdings. The average size of the holding is 2.30 hectares. Inadequate coverage under high yielding varieties, Poor soil fertility, Inadequate and poor water management, Low fertilizer use and poor fertilizer use efficiency, Incidence of pests and diseases, Dry spells at critical stages, Poor resource base of farmers. The eastern part of Vidarbha, suffers heavily due to nature and erratic rains during Kharif season. This is the major rice growing area under state having low productivity. Insufficient sunlight about 2-3 hr/day due to cloudy weather during crop growth period adversely affects the productivity. Four districts of the Konkan region comprises 35% area of the state receives very heavy rainfall cm in short period, results in erosion of soil along with added nutrients as well as added fertilizers. Heavy rains in Konkan region deplete plant nutrients. Scanty and erratic rains affect rice crop growth in Vidarbha region. Increase in salinity at critical crop growth period due to dry spells in coastal saline soils of Konkan region c. Institutional constraints Lack of well equipped rubber sheller mills and pearler rice mills. XVII. STRATEGIES AND MODERN TECHNIQUES TO ENHANCE RICE PRODUCTION Research: Collection and maintenance of rice Germplasm. Evolution of high yielding, semi dwarf, fertilizer responsive rice varieties with different duration and grain types suitable for different ecosystem. Page 41

42 Evolution of photo insensitive rice varieties of different duration with good milling and cooking qualities and resistant to different biotic and abiotic stresses. Development of New Ideotypes with higher harvest Index to enhance the yield levels of rice. New plant type will be designed to have fewer tillers, none of which will be unproductive, long panicle, each with grains and more than 95% spikelet fertility, thicker, sturdier stems, thicker dark green and errect leaves and a vigorous root system. Development of Basmati type, aromatic rice varieties preferably with short and long slender grain type with good milling and cooking qualities. To develop nutrition rich rice varieties by using biotechnological approaches. Development of high yielding rice varieties with fine and coarse grain type and early duration for Rabi / summer season. Development of rice varieties resistant to brown plant hopper, gall midge, stem borer, blast and bacterial leaf blight through marker assisted selection. Evolution and evaluation of high yielding rice hybrids through Indica x Japonica crosses with good milling and cooking qualities and resistant to different biotic and abiotic stresses Improvement in parental lines for developing new heterotic combinations Evolution and evaluation of new cytoplasmic genetic male sterile (CMS) lines with good milling and cooking quality and desirable floral traits of different cytosterility sources. This will extend broad genetic base of the cytoplasmic male sterile lines, so as to prevent any possible catastrophe due to outbreak of biotic stresses like insect pests or diseases. Evolution of genotypes tolerant for submergence during early growth phase. Seed production: Production of nucleus, breeder and foundation seed of released rice varieties. Identification of suitable areas for hybrid rice seed production in the state Production of nucleus, breeder and foundation seed of parental lines of released rice hybrids. The MOU with private seed business companies for large-scale seed production of high yielding Promotion: varieties and newly released rice hybrids. Transfer of rice technology from the research farm to farmers field is as important as developing the varieties and hybrid. Hence demonstration and training programme will be arranged on farm Page 42