Author(s):

VM Chandana, MK Singh, Aakash and Ajay Kumar

Abstract: Gains or losses in grain yield and water-use efficiency of aerobic direct-seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) must be considered before promoting this technology in areas where this is not common. In the northwestern Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) of South Asia, irrigation water for rice production is becoming scarce because of depleting surface and groundwater resources. Assessing the scope for gains in water productivity requires an understanding of basic biological and hydrological crop-water relations. How much more water will be needed for agriculture in the future is governed, to a large extent, by links between water, food and changes in die. The amount of water required for field crops and its relation to yield dominates the equation on the need for additional water for food. Exploring ways to produce more rice with less water is essential for food security. Water-saving rice production systems, such as aerobic rice culture, System of Rice Intensification (SRI), raised beds and Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), can drastically cut down the unproductive water outflows and increase Water-Use Efficiency (WUE). The water crisis is threatening the sustainability of the irrigated rice system and food security in Asia. Our challenge is to develop novel technologies and production systems that allow rice production to be maintained or increased in the face of declining water availability.

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