Direct-seeded rice (DSR) was cited as a solution to water scarcity, methane emissions, soil erosion, labor shortage, and increasing cost of inputs in rice cultivation, according to the Federation of Seed Industry of India.
However, the adoption of DSR remains at only 20% of the total rice cultivation area in India and requires increased promotion, particularly where farmers use water-intensive traditional rice puddling.
DSR could prove a game-changer without affecting farmers’ livelihood if promoted properly, experts said.