From The Hindu Archives, February 25, 1976: Steps to free rice growth from weather constraints

Madras, Feb. 24: The Indian Rice Development Council which met here to-day focused attention on factors that can free rice production from the vagaries of weather.

Some measures were chalked out to minimise the impact of the climatic behaviour which was particularly felt more in the kharif season according to Dr. G.S. Kalikat, Agricultural Commissioner, Government of India, who presided over the discussions. Nearly one-third of the rice area, including a vast expanse in the Gangetic belt, was rain-fed and small deviations from the normal cultivation practice which can off-set the influence of weather would be worthwhile, he said. 

One of the measures thought of was to have optimum plant population to make up for the low output of individual plants.

Raising community nurseries and distributing seedlings instead of seeds has also been recommended. This would eliminate the timelag between the period of water-arrival and the time of transplanting and make for fuller utilisation of the available rainfall.   

It was also found necessary to design proper implements to prepare large areas quickly for planting or sowing and distribute them to farmers. Wherever possible, tractors, power-tillers and like equipment should be pressed into service to get the land ready in the shortest time possible.

Efforts will be made to improve the crop management capacity of farmers so that with less inputs they could get more yield.

Tamil Nadu has the highest yield of rice per hectare in India during the current year, producing 2200 kg per hectare. The all India average is just half of this.