By Sarvesh Shukla, Anirban Nath, Neeraj Tyagi, Swati Nayak, Mosharaf Hossain
While resistant to change and wary of risk, more and more rice farmers are taking small steps to adopt more sustainable cultivation methods such as direct-seeded rice, and they are discovering its economic benefits.
Chandauli District, known as the Rice Bowl of Uttar Pradesh, has been grappling with a severe labor crisis for several years, significantly impacting its rice productivity. With labor shortages, particularly during peak transplanting periods, and increasing cultivation costs, farmers in the region are in search of more efficient and sustainable rice farming methods. The traditional transplanting method, which is both labor-intensive and water-demanding, is no longer viable for many farmers, especially as the region faces erratic monsoon rains and depleting water resources.
Mr. Shashikant Roy, a 63-year-old farmer from Amara village in the Barahani block of Chandauli, has been engaged in agriculture for more than 30 years, cultivating a total of 48 acres—14 acres of his own land and the remainder rented. Confronted with persistent labor shortages and rising transplanting costs, Mr. Roy has decided to explore more labor—and water-efficient methods.
He learned about direct-seeded rice (DSR) as a potential solution. After receiving preliminary training from the local Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Mr. Roy was given a seed drill machine and applied the DSR method on 2 acres of land.
Despite some initial success with DSR, he found that the yields from the varieties he traditionally cultivated, such as MTU7029 (Swarna), were lower under DSR than the conventional puddled transplanted rice method. Through the KVK, he learned about efforts by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to identify rice varieties suited for DSR for his district under the Scale Direct Project.
In 2023, through the local non-government organization Sustainable Human Development Association, Mr. Roy received 15 kg of Swarna Shreya seeds, an aerobic rice variety known for its high yield. IRRI had tested Swarna Shreya under dry DSR conditions in eastern Uttar Pradesh and observed its superior performance. Guided by the IRRI team, Mr. Roy planted Swarna Shreya using mechanized dry DSR in 1 acre of his land.
The results were remarkable, with the variety yielding 6.5 metric tons—surpassing any yield Mr. Roy had achieved even with traditional transplanted methods. In addition to the higher yield, Mr. Roy saved significantly on labor and irrigation costs, which are typically much higher using the traditional method.
Mr. Roy is an active Chandauli Kala Chawal Farmers Producer Company member, which numbers 600 farmers. Encouraged by his initial success, Mr. Roy has advocated for the method, actively promoting it among his fellow farmers. The positive outcomes from DSR, particularly with DSR-specific varieties, motivated Mr. Roy to expand the practice to 5.5 acres of his land in the 2024 kharif season.
To support his effort, IRRI provided Mr. Roy with seeds of PR126, another promising variety rice variety suited for DSR. Known for its high yield and fine grain quality, PR126 has already shown great success under DSR establishment in Punjab. Mr. Roy is hopeful it will perform equally well on his farm under mechanized DSR.
Mr. Roy’s journey from conventional transplanting to adopting DSR illustrates the transformative impact of innovative agricultural practices in overcoming labor and water shortages. By adopting DSR-fit varieties like Swarna Shreya and PR126, Mr. Roy boosted his yields and significantly reduced traditional methods’ labor and irrigation costs. His success inspires other farmers in Chandauli and beyond, offering a sustainable path forward in an increasingly challenging agricultural landscape.
