About

• Direct seeding is a crop establishment system wherein rice seeds are sown directly into the field, as opposed to the traditional method of growing seedlings in a nursery, then transplanting into flooded fields.

• Types of DSR:
  • Dry Seeding: Seeds are sown directly into dry soil, followed by irrigation or pre-monsoon rains. 
  • Wet Seeding: Pre-germinated seeds are drilled into puddled (wet) soil. 

Procedure of DSR

• Paddy seeds are directly sown, roughly 20-30 days prior to when they would have been transplanted. 
• The field is irrigated and laser levelled(levelling ground or an object utilising a laser beam)  prior to the seeding process which is carried out using a seed drill. 
• The seeds are then treated by soaking in a fungicide solution for eight hours, then dried for half a day before sowing. Treatment of seeds is crucial.
• The first round of irrigation is carried out 21 days after sowing, followed by 14-17 more rounds at 7-10 day intervals, depending on soil type and the quality of the monsoon. The final irrigation takes place 10 days before harvest. 

Benefits of DSR

Direct seeded rice is seen to be one of the most efficient, sustainable, and economically-viable rice production systems. It offers the following benefits:

• Reduces water consumption:
  • The traditional method requires 3,600 to 4,125 litres of water to grow every kilogram of rice. It also requires 25-27 rounds of irrigation in all. DSR reduces the water consumption in cultivation by 15% to 20%.
• Reduces labour by eliminating seedling uprooting and transplanting
• Reduces cultivation time, energy, and cost of cultivation.
• Lowers Greenhouse gas emissions
• Mechanized DSR provides employment opportunities for youth.
• Increases total income of farmers by reducing the cost of cultivation.

Factors for the successful implementation of DSR

Soil suitability is crucial for the successful implementation of DSR. There are two factors here.

• Soil Texture: DSR is best suitable for heavy or medium-to-heavy-textured soils. Farmers should avoid DSR in light-textured soils. Heavy-textured soils contain more clay and less sand, whereas light-textured soils have less clay and more sand. Light-textured soils do not retain water well. 
• Iron content of the soil: Soil with severe iron deficiency, and weed problems must not be cultivated using this technique. Lack of iron content can severely impact yields and lead to major financial losses for farmers. Sometimes, farmers might even have to transplant the crop anyway, after a month or so, leading to DSR losing its labour-saving benefits.

Current constraints

• Higher seed rates 
• Seeds being exposed to birds and pests 
• Weed management
• Higher risk of lodging ( plants that lean excessively or fall over)
• Risk of poor or non-uniform crop establishment

Sources

• https://dsrc.irri.org/our-work/what-is-dsr
• https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/direct-seeding-rice-punjab-9395604/