Dry or Semi Dry Upland Rice Cultivation in India

July 20, 2021 Agrovista

Dry or Semi-Dry Upland Rice Cultivation in India

In India, rice is cultivated on two types of soil, i.e., upland and lowland. The rice cultivation system depends largely on the situation of the land, type of soil, irrigation resources, availability of laborers, intensity, and distribution of rainfall, etc.

Table of Contents

The following are the principal systems of rice cultivation:

1) Dry or Semi-Dry Upland Cultivation

a) Broadcasting the seeds

b) Drilling or sowing the seed behind the plough

2) Wet or Lowland Cultivation

a) Transplanted in puddled soil

b) Broadcasting the seeds in puddled soils

Here we will discuss only dry or semi-upland cultivation of rice

Dry or Semi-Dry Upland Cultivation of Rice;

Large areas of the states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and some parts of Andhra Pradesh are under rainfed upland conditions.

There is a lack of irrigation facilities, and the crop depends entirely on rain. In such areas, farmers generally grow short-duration (up to 100 days) indigenous varieties with little input and harvest only 10–12 quintals of paddy per hectare. By using improved dwarf varieties and new technology, the farmers can achieve higher yields. The following are some important points of cultivation

Selection of Varieties:

Short-duration varieties of up to 100 must be selected.

Field Preparation:

After harvesting the Rabi crops in April-May, the fields should be ploughed with a soil-turning plough. This is helpful in weed eradication and brings improvement in the water-holding capacity of the soil.

The field should be prepared, and bunds should be made around the field just after the first shower of the monsoon. This will stop the loss of rainwater due to runoff.

Seed and Sowing;

a) Broadcasting

When the field is in the right condition, broadcast the seeds. Mix seeds in the soil with the help of a local plough or disc harrow. Use about 100 kg of seed per hectare.
b) Sowing Seed behind the Plough or Drilling
Drill the seed with a seed drill or behind the plough with the help of a funnel in rows after applying fertilizer. The row-to-row distance should be 20 centimeters. About 60 kg of seed is sufficient for one hectare

Fertilizer Application;

1) A good crop of upland rice may be taken by applying 60 kg of nitrogen, 30 kg of phosphorus, and 30 kg of potassium per hectare

2) The total quantity of phosphorus and potash, and 25% of nitrogen, should be drilled into the soil at the time of land preparation

3) A Ferti seed drill may be used for sowing seed and placement of soil

4) After 35-40 sowing or at the tillering stage, top-dress 50% of the total nitrogen. The remaining 25 % of nitrogen may be top-dressed at the panicle initiation stage

Weeding and Hoeing

In upland rice cultivation, weeds are the major problem; hence, effective weed control is very important from the beginning. Apply Banthiocarp at 2 kg ai per hectare six to seven days after the seeding of rice. It should be followed by one manual weeding 40-45 days after sowing.