by Bidhan Mohapatra, Ashok Kumar, and Virender Kumar
Mrs. Supriya Das, a 49-year-old woman farmer from Bada Gumula village in Ganjam district, Odisha, has set a remarkable example of innovation and empowerment in agriculture. With the support of the IRRI and Government of Odisha Direct-Seeded Rice in Odisha (IRRI-GoO-DSR-Odisha) Project, she is revolutionizing the way her village approaches farming by championing mechanized seeding of rice and sequential crops layered with potential varieties/hybrids and tailored agronomy, and also scaling the innovations. In addition to agriculture, Supriya also leads women’s empowerment through socio-political interventions.
A journey of strength
Strength and determination are in the background of Supriya’s story. The loss of her husband, Mr. Laxman Das, in 2020, was a challenging moment in her life, but rather than stepping back, she preferred to carry forward the legacy of her husband’s passion for agriculture. With over 20 years of farming experience, she stayed committed to her family and motherland. Her two well-educated sons, one with an MBA and the other with B.Tech inspired by their mother’s resilience and dedication are also now actively supporting farming.
For Supriya, agriculture is more than just an occupation; it is her way of life and a matter of great satisfaction and pride. About 75% of her family’s income comes from farming, and she skilfully manages 20 acres during the Kharif season 2024 and 16 acres during Rabi 2023-24, growing crops like rice, vegetables, green gram, and other pulses. Her expertise extends beyond traditional farming practices, as she is also involved in integrated farming, including livestock, pisciculture, poultry, and vermicomposting.
Breaking new ground with mechanized seeding
A turning point in Supriya’s farming journey came with the introduction of mechanized seeding under IRRI-GoO-DSR-Odisha Project. In the Rabi season of 2023-24, she used mechanized seeding for green gram for the first time, planting 16 acres. The results were impressive. Compared to traditional broadcasting methods, which often resulted in low yields and lower profits, mechanized seeding of green gram increased her yield by 233%, going from 0.31 tons/ha to 1.07 tons/ha, even with locally available seeds Virat and Shikha. This not only improved her net income by ₹50,010/ha but also showcased the potential of new mechanized farming techniques to other farmers in the region.
Impressed by the performance of rabi crops and concerned about the Kharif rice cultivation for its high cost of cultivation, rice nursery management, labour scarcity, and drudgery, Supriya again sought support from the DSR-Odisha project to demonstrate mechanized direct-seeded rice (mech-DSR) in Kharif 2024 on 20 acres of her land, layered with cultivars like Sampada, Arize 6555 ST, and Sarala. After the crop was successfully established, she was delighted with the reduced labour requirements, minimized monsoon-related risks, and significant cost savings. Enthusiastic about her experience, she actively participated in various events to share her insights. Being meticulous in maintaining financial records, Supriya calculated that mechanized DSR reduced the cost of rice establishment by 55% and overall cost of cultivation by 43% compared to manual puddled transplanted rice (PTR).
The project conducted a crop cutting experiment (CCE) in Supriya’s mech-DSR field with Sampada variety. The recorded grain yield at 14% moisture was 6.08 tons/ha. Since Supriya had done mech-DSR across all 8 hectares of her rice field without any other method, we compared its performance with the puddled transplanted rice (PTR) method (traditional practice) she used in Kharif 2023 with the same Sampada variety. The results showed that mech-DSR increased yield by 20% compared to PTR ( 5.06 tons/ha). In summary, the reduced cost of cultivation (43%), higher yield (20%), and more grain price (7%) led to a net income increase of Rs. 85,770 per hectare over her traditional rice production practice.
As a people’s representative, Supriya wanted other farmers in her region to see and understand the performance of this remarkable technology; so that they could also adopt mechanized seeding practices to tackle existing challenges in rice farming. More importantly, she aimed to help them increase their earnings and empower themselves. That is why she supported DSR-Odisha Project Team in organizing various agricultural extension events at her farm, serving as an experience-sharing platform for many other farmers.
Experience Matters
Supriya Das’s adoption of mechanized crop establishment reflects her steady progress in using agricultural technology, driven by long practical experience. In 2001, she started mechanized land preparation to solve problems like the shortage of bullocks, time-consuming plowing, and delays in field preparation, which boosted her farm’s efficiency. The use of an electric open-d drum thresher in 2014 improved post-harvest processes and reduced grain losses. In 2019, Supriya moved to mechanical weeding, and by 2023, she switched over to power-based methods, cutting labour costs and increasing efficiency. In 2022, she adopted a combine harvester, reducing labour costs during peak seasons and facilitating quicker field turnover for seeding the next crop early.
These experiences led Supriya to adopt mechanized crop establishment for Rabi green gram in 2023-24 and now rice in Kharif 2024. She credits precise sowing in mech-DSR, reduced risks and drudgery (which is higher in rice nursery raising and transplanting), lower costs and labour demands, and higher grain yield as key drivers for this shift. Her positive past experience with mechanization has further helped increase her confidence in using new technologies, improving both productivity and profitability on her farm.
A role model for women and farmers alike
Supriya’s story goes beyond farming and agricultural innovation – it is about empowerment. As the president of the Ganjam Zilla Harijan Adivasi Unnayan Mahila Sangha, as well as the President of SHG Federation, she has been actively involved in uplifting women from underprivileged communities. Her leadership extends beyond her household, encouraging other women to participate in farming and take on leadership roles in their communities.
Supriya sees a very positive role of women in agriculture as farm managers and service providers. She is committed to scaling the mechanized seeding technology and increasing the area of mechanized green gram cultivation to 25 acres in the coming Rabi season of 2024-25. Moreover, she is working to convince 20-25 other farmers in her village to adopt the technology, potentially bringing 50 acres under mechanized green gram cultivation besides her commitment to also scale mech-DSR in the near future.
Overcoming challenges with innovation
Despite initial reluctance among some farmers in her village towards intensive cropping and mechanized practices, particularly for legumes, Supriya is undeterred. She understands the challenges but views them as opportunities for growth. With plans to purchase a multi-crop planter and provide custom hiring services to other farmers, she is determined to lead her community toward a more sustainable and profitable future.
Supriya acknowledges the immense potential of mechanized seeding technologies. Reflecting on her journey, she is impressed by the impact of mech-DSR for rice and mechanized seeding for non-rice crops on her farm. She refers to the multi-crop planter as a “sarvoshadhi”, a remedy for all challenges (one medicine for all diseases), believing that this technology holds the key to addressing many of the issues faced by farmers in her village.
A vision for the future
As Supriya Das looks to the future, her goals are clear. She wants to expand the use of mechanized farming techniques not just for her farm but for the entire village and even in the region. By opening a custom hiring center (CHC) and providing services to other farmers, she aims to make the technology accessible to everyone, along with allied mechanization services targeting higher system-level productivity. Her dedication to sustainable agriculture and her passion for empowering others makes her a true role model.
To help her achieve her dream, the DSR-Odisha project provided comprehensive training, equipping her as a service provider through hands-on training, field days, exposure visits, stakeholder workshops, and traveling seminars. The project envisions her as a key agent in scaling up mechanized seeding practices in Ganjam, Odisha.
Supriya’s success story highlights the power of innovation, resilience, and community spirit. In the years ahead, her journey will inspire many other farmers, especially women, to embrace changes and take a leading role in transforming agriculture in their communities.
