India to revamp rice cultivation technique to save water, cut labour costs, reduce methane emissions
Summary
The direct seeding technique is capable of reducing water consumption by up to 35% and cutting methane emissions by 30%. It will benefit states with water-stressed regions and overexploited aquifers – Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh – and parts of eastern India.
New Delhi: India is changing the way rice is cultivated in the country.
The government plans to implement a technique known as direct seeding of rice (DSR) in over 10 million hectares of farmland as part of its strategy to shift towards more sustainable agricultural practices and reduce carbon emissions. The move is aimed at aligning with India’s broader climate goals, especially in reducing emissions from rice farming, which is one of the most water- and energy-intensive crops.
However, the initiative faces two key challenges: low yield and the reluctance of farmers to accept the new method of rice cultivation in about 25% of the country’s paddy fields. Yet, officials are hopeful the benefits of DSR will eventually help overcome this initial resistance.
“Direct seeding of rice is a water-saving and climate-smart alternative. We have identified 10 million hectares where this can be scaled up. The challenge now is to close the productivity gap with research-led solutions," said Dr. ML Jat, secretary in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education and director-general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
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Dr. Jat said even though DSR is already practised on a significant scale, the yield from a large part of the area under it is low and well below the national average. He added that the government’s focus is not only on expanding the area but also on improving productivity through scientific intervention.
Traditional rice sowing involves several steps—nursery preparation, ploughing, puddling, and transplanting seedlings in flooded fields. Puddling – the mixing of soil and water in cultivation – is of particular concern from an environmental perspective because it leads to the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. DSR refers to the cultivation method by which seeds are sown directly into the field without transplanting seedlings, saving water, labour, and time compared to traditional methods.
This shift towards DSR is part of the agriculture ministry’s policy to gradually reduce a significant area under conventional paddy cultivation, currently at over 43 million hectares, the highest ever. This year, the area under DSR would be about 5 million hectares.
Less water
By promoting DSR, the government hopes to tackle multiple challenges—mitigating carbon emissions, easing pressure on depleting groundwater resources, and maintaining rice production levels through scientific and technological interventions.
The total area under paddy cultivation in FY25 was 43.42 million hectares and production was 120.68 million tonnes. The DSR technique is capable of reducing water consumption by up to 35% and cutting methane emissions by 30%. States with water-stressed regions and overexploited aquifers – Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh – and parts of eastern India are expected to be the key beneficiaries of this transition.
According to the Global Methane Budget 2024, India was the second-largest emitter of anthropogenic (caused by activities of humans) methane in 2022, contributing about 9% of global emissions. China led with 16%, followed by the US at 7%, Brazil at 6%, and Russia at 5%
"Currently, on an average, rice production in the country is 3-3.1 tonnes per hectare. In case of DSR, the production is 250 kg per hectare lesser than the national average, so farmers are averse to taking up the technique," said Dr. Raman Meenakshi Sundaram, director of ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Hyderabad.
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Productivity can be enhanced by using better seed varieties, partial or full mechanisation, laser levelling and good herbicides, Sundaram added.
For the moment, though, farmers are hesitant to opt for DSR because of low awareness and new technology.
"Since this is a new technique, many farmers are a little bit reluctant to opt for it. So, what they are doing is if they have 10 acres, they opt for 4 acres for the DSR technique while the remaining 6 acres is under the conventional transplantation method," said Puneet Singh Thind, a farmer from Ambala district in Haryana.
Labour costs
Policymakers see DSR as a critical piece of India’s larger climate and sustainability agenda. The 10-million-hectare push marks one of the most ambitious land-use shifts in recent years, signaling a serious attempt to move away from input-intensive farming without compromising on food security.
“We are targeting a production increase of 10 million tonnes even as we reduce the area under conventional rice. That’s the level of transformation we’re working towards," Dr. Jat said.
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The DSR mission is also expected to lower labour costs, which have risen steadily, and ease pressure on state procurement systems by encouraging region-specific cropping choices in the long run. The major states where DSR is gaining popularity include Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
On 14 May, Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said it has set a target of bringing 500,000 acres under DSR this kharif season. The state government offers financial assistance of ₹1,500 per acre to farmers who opt for DSR.
"Last year, the total area under DSR was 253,000 acres in Punjab and 24,000 farmers were practising this method. This year, the government has set a target of 500,000 acres," confirmed Jaswant Singh, director of Agriculture Punjab.
