Assam Rice

7/30/2019 Assam Rice

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RICE IN ASSAM

Status Paper on Rice in Assam

T. Ahmed*; S.K. Chetia, R. Chowdhury and S. Ali

*Chief Scientist

Regional Agricultural Research Station

Titabar-785625

Assam, INDIA


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RICE IN ASSAM

I. INTRODUCTION

Assam is one of the seven states of northeast India, which is located between 24

0

N and28

018

/N latitudes and 89

0.4

/E and 96

00

/E longitudes. The State is surrounded by Arunachal

Pradersh, Nagaland, Manipur and Myanmar in the East Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya in the

South Bangladesh and West Bengal in the West and Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh in the North.

The state is surrounded by many hills in all directions. The total geographic area of Assam is 78523

sq. km with a population of 2.6 crores as per census 2001.

The two main rivers viz., the Brahmaputra and the Barak flow through the state with 40 and

7 major tributaries each, respectively. The Brahmaputra valley occupies about 5.6 million ha with 24

administrative districts while the Barak valley is about 0.7 million ha with 3 districts. The

Brahmaputra flows from the east (Sadiya) to west (Dhubri). The altitude at Sadiya is 134 m while in

Dhubri it is 35 m. The Brahmaputra valley is an alluvial plain having varying topography. The Barak

River flows from east to west through undulating plains. There are two hill districts viz. Karbi

Anglong and North Cachar Hills in the state occupying about 1.5 million ha. The hills constitute a

part of the Barail and the Meghalaya ranges with maximum altitude of about 1000 m above mean

sea level. Thus the state has three distinct physiographic units - the plains, the plateaus and the hills.

The state has its climatic and physiographic features favourable for rice cultivation and the

crop is grown in a wide range of agro-ecological situations. It is grown from hill slopes of Karbi-

Anglong to very deep-water areas of North Lakhimpur and Dhemaji during very wet humid months

to drier period of the year. Wide variation of physiographic features and climatic characteristics

have resulted three distinct growing seasons of rice viz., ahu (Feb /March - June /July), sali (June

/July - Nov /December) and boro (Nov /December -May /June). To match with diverse land

situations encountered with varying growing season, diverse varieties are traditionally grown in the

state since unknown past. Ahu or autumn rice is grown during February/March to June/July and it

covers 4 lakh hectares (16 percent of gross rice area) to contribute 11 percent of rice production.

This class of varieties are photoperiod insensitive and can be grown as early ahu as pre-flood crop in

flood affected areas where as normal ahu is grown in the areas where risk of flood is minimal.


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RICE IN ASSAM

Table 1 : Agricultural classes of indigenous rice in Assam

Seasonal class* Growing season Duration Remarks

A. Ahu

(Autumn rice)

March/April 80-130 Photoperiod insensitive, early

maturing usually broadcast, grown

under variable water depth (0-25cm).

In Barak valley, ahu rice is further

classified as Dumai, Murali and

Chengri.

Dumai

80-90 Generally grown broadcast, Red

kernelled

Murali

90-100 -do-

Chengri

90-100 -do-

Ahu

(transplanted)

>100 Grown transplanted

B. Sali (winter

rice)

June/July

Nov.Dec

150-180 Photoperiod sensitive, long duration,

grown transplanted under variable

water depth (0-30cm) There are sub

classes like sali, lahi and joha based

on the grain characteristics

Sali

150-180 Coarse grained called sail in Barak

valley


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Lahi

150-180 Medium grained

Joha

150-180 Scented, fine grained

Boro

150-180 Glutinous or sticky rice, called birain

in Barak valley

Chakuwa

150-180 Soft rice with low amylose content

Asra

April/May

Dec./Jan

240-270 Medium deep water rice, grown

broadcast or transplanted in the low

lying areas, can endure water

depth100 cm. Sown at the time

when ahu rice is sown and harvested

at the time when sali rice is

harvested.

C. Boro

(Summer rice)

Nov.-May/June 180-200 Photoperiod insensitive, cold tolerant

at the vegetative stage, grown

transplanted, traditionally in the beel

and marshy land situation with

minimal or no tillage.


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*Based on

the time of

harvest.

III. ZONAL INFORMATION

a. Climate: By and large the climate of Assam is subtropical with warm humid summer and

cool dry winter. Due to its large variation of physiography, the state has a very wide variation of

climatic conditions.

Climate of North East (NE) India, including Assam is distinct from that of the rest of India due

to special features like topography, alternating pressure cells over NE India and Bay of Bengal,

predominant maritime tropical air mass, the roving periodic Western disturbances and the Local

Mountain and valley winds. The climate of the Brahmaputra and Barak valley are characterized by

hot and wet summer and mild to moderately cold dry winter.

India enjoys a typical monsoonal climate and Assam is no exception. Four distinct seasons

viz., Pre-monsoon (March-May), Monsoon (June-September), Post-monsoon (Oct-Nov) and winter

(Dec-Feb) are quite obvious in the State. Pre-monsoon is not very hot in this State. Rainfall starts

generally from the 3rd

week of March and the weather becomes pleasant. During winter and pre-

monsoon seasons, due to western disturbances bring precipitation in the region.

The State gets more than 60% of the annual precipitation during monsoon season, which

starts in the 1st

week of June. Because of the movement of the trough line towards north of India

(around Himachal) or due to weak depressions in Bay of Bengal, sometimes the monsoons get

weaker after it starts blowing. This leads to a dry spells of 7-15 day duration during the season. It is

called monsoon break and is deleterious to the crops, particularly to the standing paddy crop. The

season is characterized by flood, inundation and water logging. Almost along the Brahmaputra and

Barak valley, the ground water level comes to the surface. The monsoon season receives maximum

amount of rainfall (62-65 % of annual rainfall) followed by pre-monsoon (20-23%), post-monsoon (6-

8%) and winter (2-3%) season.

D. Hill Rice

(Jhum)

Mar/April to

Sep/Oct.

210-250 Photoperiod insensitive. Grown in

hills slope as direct seeded.


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b. Soil Type

Soil of Assam are described as to have been originated from residual or transported

materials. The residual material is derived from the rocks of Archeans age which consists mainly of

gneiss, schists and granites. The transported type consists of material brought from flowing rivers

from Himalaya and Assam. pH

ranges from acidic to heavily acidic in most of the areas. The low pH

status is due to the leaching of bases under the influence of heavy rainfall.

The major soil groups identified are : Recent Riverine, Old Riverine, Old Mountain, Non

Laterized, Laterized. The salient features of soil groups are presented in Table 2.

Table 2: Major soil groups and the area

Major Soil

Group

Soil Type Feature of the Soil Area (Districts)

Recent riverine Alluvial

(Entisols)

Sandy loam, Silty loam Sivasagar, Kamrup, Goalpara

Old riverine Alluvial

(Inceptisols)

Sandy loam to loam,

Silty clay loam Silty clay

and clay

Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Sivasagar &

a part of Golaghat,

Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Darrang,

Nalari, Kokrajhar, Barpeta,

Dhubri, Nagaon, Kamrup &

Goalpara.

Old Mountain

valley

Alluvial

(Alfisols)

Heavy/Low

permeability

Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, Darrang,

Nalbari, Barpeta, Kokrajhar,

Nagaon, part of Karbi

Anglong, Dibrughar, Jorhat,

Golaghat, Cachar and

Karimganj


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Non laterized Red Soil

(Ultisols)

(a) Ferrugenous Red

Soil Loamy having

granular

structure

(b) Ferrugenous

gravelly soil,

Small gravels

Karbi Anglong, North Cachar,

Kamrup, Goalpara, Cachar,

Karimganj

Laterized Red Soil

(Ultisols)

(a) High Land

Laterized

(b) Ground Level

Laterized Red Soil

(c) Pear Beel Soils

Low lying areas, Cachar &

some part of Kamrup and

Goalpara

C. Rainfall distribution: Rainfall distribution follows a typical monsoon pattern with peak

precipitation during monsoon and scanty rainfall in winter. The highest rainfall occurs during July-

August. A rain-shadow belt comprising Karbi Anglong and Nagaon extending partly to Golaghat is

conspicuous during the season. Monsoon rainfall in this belt is about 750-1100 mm which then

increases in all directions. During the season, Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone (UBVZ), Lower

Brahmaputra Valley Zone (LBVZ) and the Barak valley receive respectively 1500-2500 mm, 1000-

3100 mm and 1300-2300 mm of rainfall. Monsoon is withdrawn normally around 20th

October.

During post-monsoon season the Hills Zone receives the least rainfall. UBVZ, LBVZ and Barak Valley

receive 160-200 mm of rainfall. Winter is the driest period. Local circulations and western

disturbances bring some precipitation. During pre-monsoon season thunder storms and local

convectional currents produce cumulus clouds. Hailstorms are common feature during the season.


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The annual rainfall over Assam is as high as 3900 mm in the extreme northwest and extreme

northeast hilly tracks of the state. The Barak valley also receives rainfall between 2000 and 4200

mm. except the rain shadow belt of Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts, where the annual rainfall is

around 1000 mm, the rainfall in other parts of the Brahmaputra valley and the Barak valley varies

from 2000 to 3900 mm. The rainfall gradually increases from the rain shadow area towards the

upper and the Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zones as well as Barak Valley Zone.

Excepting the central part and a part of the lower Brahmaputra valley the rest of Assam has

dependable rainfall and in these areas potential evapotranspiration (PET) is less than the

precipitation for greater part of the year. PET varies from 995 mm Dibrugarh to 1722 mm in Nagaon

in the Brahmaputra valley and 1186 mm in the Barak valley.

The average maximum temperature ranges from 23.60C to 31.7

0C and minimum

temperature varies from 10.00C to 24.2

0C. The average minimum temperature is about 10

0C in

December/January while maximum of 320C is attained in July/August. However, the minimum

temperature drops to as low as 60

C while maximum shoots up to 370

C in some years. On an

average, the relative humidity is more than 80% in almost all the locations of Assam throughout the

year. Even during dry winter months, the average relative humidity is never below 75% in the

region.

The state receives 4 hours sunshine/day during kharif and 6 hours in rabi. Average solar

radiation indicates that the radiation interception is only 36-38% of the sunshine hours during June

to August due to overcast sky while during November to February it is 70-74%. During winter

months too, the radiation interception is low due to foggy weather.

d. Agro-climatic zones

Based on the rainfall pattern, terrain and soil characteristics, Assam has been delineated into

six agro-climatic zones viz. North Bank Plain Zone (Darrang, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji districts),

Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone (Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia districts), Central

Brahmaputra Valley Zone (Nagaon, Marigaon districts), Lower Brahpamutra Valley Zone (Goalpara,

Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Kamrup, Nalbari, Barpeta districts), Barak Valley Zone (Cachar,


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Karimganj, Hailakandi districts) and Hill Zone (North Cachar Hills, Karbi Anglong districts) with 18.37,

20.40, 7.08, 25.75, 8.9 and 19.4% respectively of states total area .

Table 3 : Agro-Climatic Zones of Assam.

No. Agro-climatic

Zones

Districts Area

Km2

Area

percent

Popula--

tion

Percent

Headquarter of

Regional

Station

A. North Bank

Plain Zone

Lakhimpur, Sonitpur,

Darrang, Dhemaji,

Udalguri

14421 18.4 16.7 North

Lakhimpur

B. Upper

Brahmaputra

Valley Zone

Dibrugarh, Tinsukia

Sivasagar, Jorhat,

Golaghat

16013 20.4 22.21 Titabar

C. Central

Brahmaputra

Valley Zoner

Nagoan, Morigaon 5561 7.1 11.5 Shillongani

D. Lower

Brahmaputra

Valley Zone

Dhubri, Borpeta, Chirang,

Baksa, Bongaigaon,

Goalpara, Kokrajhar,

Kamrup(R &M), Nalbari

20222 25.8 34.7 Gossaigaon

E. Barak Valley

Zone

Cachar, Hailakandi,

Karimganj

6962 8.9 11.7 Karimganj

F. Hill Zone Karbi Anglong, North

Cachar

15222 19.4 3.2 Diphu


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e. Rice & cultural heritage in the State

Assam is traditionally a rice growing area. Rice plays a pivotal role in the socio-cultural life ofthe people of the state. The crop has enormous diversity in the region, which has resulted due to

highly variable rice growing ecosystems. Besides, the region is inhabited by a large number of ethnic

groups whose preference also varies from one another. All these factors are responsible for

evolution of a large number of varieties in the region. Most of these have been in use from time

immemorial with traditional method of preparation. Unknowingly people have selected many useful

cultivars, which have commercial value in the present day world in which people prefer to have

varieties of tastes. Some of the special classes of rice in the state include joha or aromatic rice, bora

or waxy rice and chokuwa or soft rice.

Joha ( aromatic rice): Joha rice in the state are short to medium slender/bold grained unlike

Basmati rice which are long slender grains. This indigenous cultivars cook non-sticky and tasty while

cooked Basmati grains remain separated. The elongation ratio of joha rice is 1.4 times. However,

aroma of this class of rice is as high as Basmati. The price of this class of rice is high as compared to

any other rice in the domestic market. Joha rice is used in the preparation ofKheer (payas), polao

and other vegetarian and non-vegetarian items. Similar aromatic varieties are also found in many

S.E. Asian countries. Bora or waxy rice: The waxy rice or glutinous rice known as bora in vernacular,

is grown by the farmers of the state to meet up their domestic consumptions. This class of rice is

required to prepare a number of food items during any festival, religious occasions and ceremonies.

Many communities in the region also prepare high class rice beer out ofbora rice.

Glutinous rice also has an enormous diversity in the region. The grain of the glutinous rice

are opaque and cooked sticky due to its chemical constituent known as amylopectin, a component

of the starch. They also cook easy and preparations can be preserved for long time. Traditionally

many items are prepared. Mention may be made about pithas (biscuit like confectionaries) chira

(flaked rice), hurum (expanded waxy rice), Sunga chaol (roasted rice inside bamboo internode),

Sandohguri(fried rice powder) and rice beers.


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Glutinous rice seems to have attracted many companies outside the state for preparation of

instant and packet food, battery component etc. There is also possibility for preparation of glue,

beverages etc. Till now Food and Chemical Company, Varodara, PICRIC, New Delhi, Emami Food

Products,Mumbai demanded for glutinous varieties from AAU.

Chokowa or soft rice : This is another class of rice used for instant preparations. Similar class

of rice is also not known in other parts of the world. Its preparations are very popular in community

feasts and festivals in Assam. Komol chaol(soft rice) are prepared from this class of rice by boiling

paddy followed by one drying and then dehusking them is very common and popular in rural Assam.

This preparation can be preserved for quite long time and can be consumed instantly by soaking the

rice either in cold or hot water for a brief period of time and then consumed with sugar or molasses,

milk or curd and even with salts and oils and pickles. These preparations seems to be useful for

sailors, travelers, mountaineers, defense personal etc. However, not much have been done so far

either in research or popularising them elsewhere in the country. Rice powders and flake rice

prepared from chokowa rice are very tasty and preferred by the local people of the area.

IV. RICE PRODUCTION SCENIREO

a. Area

Salior winter rice is dominant crop of the State covering17 lakh hectares (71 percent of rice

area) and contributing 73 percent of the total rice production. Saliclass mainly includes normal Sali

(Sali with coarse grain, Lahi with medium grain), Joha (scented), Chakua (semi glutinous), Bora

(glutinous), Late Sali,Asra (up to water depth 100 cm), Bao (deep water or floating rice). Asra and

Bao are sown at the same time (March/April) as normal ahu crop though harvested in

November/December as any other Sali crop. Asra and Bao have the capacity to withstand water

stagnation or flood to various levels where as late Saliis mainly suitable as post flood crop in flood

endemic and also when ahu crop is delayed due to late occurrence of monsoon in flood free double

cropped areas. Out of 17 lakh hectares ofSaliareas 12 lakh hectares come under flood free shallow

lowland. Shallow lowland is as good as irrigated areas and high yielding varieties like Ranjit, Bahadur

etc. can be fitted well and thus productivity of rice can be increased.


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Boro or summer rice is traditionally grown in low-lying areas during November to May. But

with the installation of irrigation facilities particularly in the flood prone areas, the rice crop can be

shifted from risk prone Saliareas to risk free season. In Assam boro and early ahu are grown in drier

season and expansions of areas under these crops are the key to raise the productivity of rice in the

State.

Direct seeded ahu and sali rice is grown under rainfed condition while transplanted ahu and boro

crop are grown in fields with irrigation facilities. Under rainfed ecosystem the crop is grown in

upland (un-bunded), shallow lowland (0-30cm water), semi-deep (50-100 cm), deep- water

(>100cm) conditions

b. Production :

The state is producing 4069986 MT of rice during 2008-09 from an area of 2484126 hectares

of land area. The highest total production was recorded during sali2924223 MT, followed by boro

771753 MT, ahu 374010 MT.

c. Productivity; Ecosystem wise

The highest productivity was recorded in boro (summer rice), 2142 kg. per hectare followed

by Sali (winter rice) 1674 Kg. per hectare, ahu (autumn rice) 1084 Kg per hectare. The area,

production and average yield of rice of Assam during 2008-09 is presented in the following table 4.

Table 4: Area, production and average yield of rice of Assam during 2008-09

Particulars Autumn rice Winter rice Summer rice Total

Area

(hectares)

350649 1773211 360266 2484126

Productivity

(Kg./hectare)

1084 1674 2142 1638

Production

(MT)

374010 2924223 771753 4069986


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d. Yield gap and its reasons

Though a number of technologies have been generated for the fragile rice growingenvironment of the state, most of them have not become popular in such situations. The rice yield

in demonstration plots have been substantially more than the yield obtained by the farmers in their

field. Therefore there is possibility of increasing the yield level in the farmers field.

Table 5: Yield difference between Research Station and Farmers field demonstration yield in

Assam ( Kg/ha)

Variety Season Research station yield FLD yield

Ranjit Sali 5500 4500

Bahadur Sali 5400 4500

Luit Late Sali 3500 3000

Jaymati Boro 4500 5500

Lachit Ahu 4000 3500

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Researchstation yield

DemonstrationYield

Farmer's yield

5.5

4.5

2.7

Yield gaps of rice in Assam


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The reasons for the yield gap is presented below-

1. Vagaries of monsoon with weather aberrations.

2. Frequent flooding and water inundation in plains.

3. Periodic droughts in between showers in critical growth stages.

4. High incidence of insect pest due to high humidity.

5. Non adherence of recommended package and practices.

6. Inadequate availability of quality seeds.

7. Low light intensity during the Kharifseason.

8. Lack of awareness about the new varieties/technologies.

e. Major contributing factors in different ecologies

In Assam, rice is grown throughout the state in wide range of seasons, soil type and water

regimes. Flood is the major problem in the state, which affect all the three classes of rice. Salirice is

damaged in its vegetative stage while ahu and boro get affected during their reproductive and

maturity stage due to inundation of low lying areas. Nearly 4 lakh hectares rice is chronically flood

prone and in some years, the flood affected area is around 10 lakh hectares. Although all the

districts have flood prone areas, yet Morigaon, Nalbari, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Cachar and Karimganj

districts have substantial low lying areas hit by flood every year. Submergence due to inundation

causes mortality of tillers and the extent of yield loss depends on the intensity and the duration of

flood.

Although Assam receives very high amount of rainfall, yet its distribution is erratic over

seasons and years. Rainfed ahu rice suffers from prolonged drought due to late arrival of monsoon

while transplanted sali is affected by intermittent drought due to rainless periods during growing

stages of the crop. Drought causes substantial yield loss in rice when it occurs in panicle initiation

stage of the crop. There is a rain shadow area in the adjoining Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts

(e.g. Lanka, Hojai, Lumding, etc.). Sarupathar Sub-Division of Golaghat district (foothills of Nagaland)

encounters regular drought in saligrowing season causing severe yield loss.


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A large area under salirice is low-lying and ill drained. Such areas get inundated either due

to flood or rain water in the beginning of the season and remain submerged with more than 30 cm

of water throughout the growing period. Continuous water logging causes problems for the farmers

in preparing the land, transplanting, fertilizer application and sometimes in harvesting too. Due to

continuous submergence, the soil remains under reduced condition and many toxic chemicals and

gases are produced which affect the plant growth. Due to constant submergence, tillering remains

low, iron toxicity symptoms appear on the leaves, attack of sheath blight is more and the plants

lodge during reproductive stage. All these factors are responsible for yield reduction in rice grown in

such areas.

Boro is the most productive season for growing rice in Assam as the sky remains clear during

crop growing period and is risk-free so far as flood and drought are concerned. Farmers are

encouraged to take up its cultivation in the season when irrigation facilities are available. However,

the main environmental factor limiting boro rice cultivation is the cold stress. Cool water and air

temperature affect the seedling growth, tillering ability, plant height and crop duration and cause

yellowing of leaves and high sterility (Pathak et al1990). Minimum temperature falls down to as low

as 100

C in the vegetative stage and 150

C during PI that are detrimental for obtaining potential yield.

The effect of cold is more severe in the districts of Upper Assam (Golaghat, Jorhat, Sivasagar,

Dibrugarh, Tinsukia). Therefore, boro rice is traditionally not grown in these districts.

Cold also affects the late salirice in reproductive stage causing poor panicle exertion, grain

sterility and grain discoloration and deformation. Late salirice comes to flowering in late October or

November when the air temperature is around 150

C, which is detrimental in the reproductive stage.

Effect of cold is seldom felt in ahu crop in the seedling or early vegetative stage causing stunted

seedling growth and yellowing of leaves.

It is a well established fact that temperature and solar radiation influence rice yield directly

by affecting physiological processes involved in grain production. Solar radiation requirement for

rice plant differs from one growth stage to another. In Assam, average bright sunshine hours (BSH)

is less as compared to other states of the country due to overcast sky in summer and foggy forenoon


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in winter. The average BSH in sali season (June-November) is 5.1 h/day while in ahu (March-July)

and boro (Nov-May) is 4.7 and 6 h/day respectively. depicts average BSH/day at different growth

stages of rice in Assam. The insufficient solar radiation is the most important factor responsible for

low productivity of rice in the State.

Assam soil is acidic and rice is grown under submerged condition of the soil after puddling.

The reduced condition of soil and low pH favour reduction of Fe3+

to Fe2+

and higher uptake of iron

(Fe2+

) can cause iron toxicity in rice plants showing symptoms of bronzing, low tillering, yield

reduction, etc. The problem is seen usually in the rice fields with prolonged waterlogging in sali

season. Continuous welling up of iron rich underground water through STWs for growing of boro

rice might aggravate the physiological problems in the non-traditional areas.

There are more than 20 species of insects that attack rice plant in Assam. Among them, stem

borers attack the rice in all the seasons. There are three peaks of appearance of this pest. March-

April peak is the major one followed by that of September and June-July.

The first peak damages ahu and boro crop causing dead hearts and white ear heads

respectively in the field. June/July peak affects sali rice in its seedling and early vegetative phase

causing dead hearts and ahu rice in its reproductive phase. The September-October broods infest

salirice in reproductive stage showing white ear heads.

Rice hispa is endemic to some pockets particularly in the low-lying areas in saliseason. Gall

midge is known to attack late-planted sali crops in particular while rice bug attack is very high in

ahu, boro and early maturing salivarieties.

Hot humid climate of Assam favours harbouring of a number of insect pests and diseases in

the rice crop. Intensive cultivation of susceptible modern HYVs, overlapping growing seasons, use of

high doses of chemical fertilizers and unjudicious use of plant protection chemicals have changed

the pest and disease scenario in the State. Many of the diseases of rice, which are now of concern,

were of least importance a few years back. Blasts, sheath blight, bacterial leaf blight are a few


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important diseases of rice in Assam. Sheath blight, BLB, sheath rot, leaf scald and rice tungro virus

have assumed importance in recent years.

Two nematode species are important to rice in Assam Ditylenchus angustus causing ufra

disease and are menaces in deep water rice in Assam. Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Jorhat districts in

Assam are hot spot of ufra. The disease was recorded in 1977 in Assam for the first time. The

disease causes yield loss of 30% on an average. Another nematode viz. Meloidogyne graminicola is

destructive in upland ahu rice and seedbed. It can cause 32% yield loss in upland rice.

High rainfall and tropical climatic conditions favour luxuriant weed growth in the State. They

cause severe yield loss in rice crop if not managed properly. Weeds in direct seeded upland rice in

Assam cause yield loss to the tune of 65% and in lowland transplanted rice the loss is about 29%.

Ageratum conyzoides, Borreria articuleis, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus, C. iria, Echinocloa

crusgalli, Impereta cylindrica, Monochoria vaginalis, Oryza rufipogon are some of the important

weeds of rice in the State. Farmers usually adapt mechanical weeding practices in the rice fields. In

broadcast crop, interculture with bullock drawn rake (bindha) and hoeing are usually practised.

Although a number of herbicides have been recommended, yet their use in farmers field is limited.

F. Contribution to the GDP

Agriculture is the mainstay of a large majority of the population of Assam. As per 2001

census, 53% of total work force is engaged in agricultural activities. The contribution of agriculture

to Net State Domestic Product at current prices of the state is 26.4% in 2007-08 (advanced

estimates).

The agriculture in the state mostly depends on rainfall. One of the most serious problems

adversely affecting the states agriculture is the recurrence of devastating floods almost every year.

At present, rice occupies about two-third of the total cropped area in the state. Being the

single major source of agricultural GDP, rice plays a significant role in the state economy. Further, its

importance in the consumption basket (the average monthly consumption per capita is about 13kg)

also speaks volumes on the rice orientation of the state.


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V. Region-wise/district-wise rice ecosystems

The district wise area, production and productivity is presented in the Table 6.

VI. Rice production and economic analysis

Among the major crops of Assam (Rice, Wheat, Maize, Sugarcane, Pulse, Oilseeds, Jute,

Vegetables and Spices) percentage of area under winter rice, autumn rice and summer rice area is

43.32%, 8.95% and 9.48% respectively. Among the food grains, percentage contribution of

production of winter rice to the total food grain production is 66.48%, while it is 19.86% for summer

rice and 9.28% for autumn rice.

Annual percentage growth of area coverage, production and productivity of rice in Assam

from 2003-04 to 2007-08.

Area Production Productivity

-1.52% -2.92% -1.68%

Production and requirements of rice during 10th plan period and 1st year of 11th plan period

{figures in lakh MT}

Year Rice

Production Requirement Surplus/Defecit(-)

2002-03 37.38 35.89 1.49

2003-04 38.80 36.42 2.38

2004-05 34.70 36.94 -2.24

2005-06 35.52 37.46 -1.94

2006-07 29.16 37.97 -8.81


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2007-08 36.49 38.50 -2.01

VII. Rice and rice based cropping systems zone-wise

Rice is grown in varied eco-system viz.; rainfed/irrigated upland, lowland, flood-free and

flood prone, medium land, deep water and hill eco-system. Among the predominant crop

sequences, the following; via. Autumn rice-winter rice-mustard, winter rice wheat/mustard/pulses,

Jute-winter rice-vegetables and Autumn rice-winter rice are the main crop sequences followed in

the rice-based production system. It is observed that diversification is taking place over the years,

though the crop diversification index is heavily influenced by rice, which commands about 64 per

cent of the gross cropped area. The share of rice in GCA has decreased by about 12 per cent in the

last 50 years due to increase in the gross cropped area under other crops, hence the absolute rice

area in the state remained unchanged by and large. In a positive side, the increase in area under

boro rice has not only improved the utilization of rabi fallow, but enhance the cropping intensity to

about 145 per cent. The oilseeds, such as rapeseed and mustard, and vegetables like potato have

improved their position. Fibre crops particularly jute and mesta are the losers, whose absolute area

has declined. Area under wheat recorded an increase, especially during mid-1980s to mid-1990s,

thereafter started declining. Thus, changing cropping pattern made minimal impact in the sector.


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VIII. Rice growing seasons of different regions

Rice growing seasons of different regions along with approximate area, production andproductivity is presented in the following table.

Zone Area (000 ha) Production (000 ha) Priductivity (kg/ha)

Ahu Sali Boro Total Ahu Sali Boro Total Ahu Sali Bor

o

Tot

al

UB

VZ

29.08 369.1

7

5.24 403.5

1

35.25 608.5

8

9.10 660.3

9

142

2

166

9

195

7

163

7

CB

VZ

80.69 189.6

7

81.6

8

352.0

4

87.56 262.5

3

203.9

3

554.0

2

9.6

5

131

9

249

9

158

1

NB

PZ

130.4

6

294.4

8

31.1

9

454.4

6

106.7

8

381.8

3

26.49 514.3

6

749 130

5

121

8

114

8

LB

VZ

316.4

7

488.7

9

89.1

8

900.0

4

253.3

7

494.7

8

174.8

1

955.9

4

738 110

1

174

9

109

5

BV

Z

20.45 18.07 11.3

2

219.8

4

29.20 340.6

7

16.28 386.1

7

147

9

178

7

136

4

172

1

HZ 17.36 105.0

3

1.55 123.7 21.58 289.8

3

1.58 173.8

6

129

6

170

0

157

0

152

9

Source: Basic Agricultural Statistics, Department of Agriculture, Government of Assam


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IX. Recommended package of practices

Winter rice (Sali)

Varieties:

A. Transplanted normal Sali:

i) Semi dwarf : IR-36U,Jaya,Pankaj,Lakhimi,Bahadur,Piolee,Kushal,Moniram, Ranjit,Kmj 10-2-2, TTB

101-15

ii) Glutinous :Rangalee,Bhogalee,Aghoni, Kmj 3-144,Kmj 2-9-2

iii) Multiple cropping :Satya,Basundhara,

iv) Tall :Monoharsali,Mahsuri,Swarnaprova

v) Scented Rice : Keteki jaha.

B. Post flood transplanted (late Sali) :Manohar Sali,Biraj, Andrewasali,Solpona, Prasad bhog,

Govindabahog, Kmj-1-19-1

C. Direct Seeded late Sali:Sonamukhi, Luit, Kapilee, Dishang

N.B : .i)IR 50 is recommended for double cropped medium land rice areas where Jaya is grown as

ahu in Barak Valley Zone.ii)Varieties with plant height more than 130cm are consideredas tall

varieties

New variety recommended for unfavourable rainfed lowlands: Prafulla, Gitesh

New varieties recommended for rainfed, lowland flash flood affected areas:

Jalashree, Jalkunwari

New low input rice varieties recommended for lowlands: Gandhari, Mohan, Srimanta, Bharati


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Seed Selection:Seeds are put in plain water, stirred well, sunk seeds areselected and the floated

ones are rejected.

Seed Treatment:

A. Wet Method:After selection, the seeds should be soaked directly inone of the following fungicidal

suspensions for 24 hours. Onelitre of fungicide solution is required to treat one kg of seed.

Seed treatment

a. Wet method

Fungicide Concentration

Dithane M 45 2.5 g/L of water

Captaf 2.5 g/L of water

b. Dry method

Fungicide Concentration

Dithane M 45 2.5 g/kg of seed

Captaf 2.5 g/kg of seed

RAISING OF SEEDLINGS:

A. Normal practice :a)Preparation of seed bed: Land is thoroughly puddle and seed beds of 10m

length and 1.25m breadth are prepared with 30 cm gap in between the beds. The length of the bed

may vary according to convenience.

b)Manures and Fertilizers: In each seed bed 20-30 kg cowdung/compost, 80g urea, 80g SSP and 40g

MOP are to be applied and mixed well with the soil.


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c)Seed rate: Well germinated seeds are to be sown @ 650gto 1kg per bed depending on grain size.

Requirement of seed for transplanting one hectare of main field is 40 to 45 kg.

d)Water Management: Irrigation water should be applied in furrows to maintain saturated condition

in the surface soil of the nursery bed. However, standing water to a depth of 2-3cm should be

maintained at least 2-3 days before uprooting.

e)Plant protection in seed bed :i)As soon as one or two blast spots are seen,Carbendazim @ 1g/lit or

Ediphenphos @ 1 ml/lit of water is to be sprayed.ii)Root knot nematode: Same as in case of normal

ahu

.iii)Root dip treatment of seedlings: The uprooted seedlings are washed and then the root portion is

dipped in 0.02%solution of chlorpyriphos (1 ml/lit of water) along with1% urea (10g/lit of water) for

3 hours as protective measure against stem borer, gall midge and hoppers. Alternatively, carbofuran

@ 3g/sq.m or phorate or diazinon1g/sq.m is to be applied in the seed bed 5 to 7 days before

uprooting of seedlings or spray Chlorpyriphos 20 EC @0.02% in the seed bed 5-7 days before

uprooting.

B.Mat nursery for mechanical transplanting: The success of mechanical transplanting (i.e. using self-

propelled rice transplanter or manually operated mechanical transplanter depends upon the quality

of seedling. Therefore, all care should be taken to prepare good quality mat nursery. Preparation of

mat nursery is described below:

a. Materials required: Polythene sheet, wooden or iron frame, well pulverized & well-sieved soil,

FYM, sprouted andtreated paddy seed.

b. Preparation seed: Seeds are treated as per recommendation and kept immersed in water for one

night in a jute bag. Seed bags are taken out of water and kept in open air for sufficient period till the

length of sprouting becomes 1-2 mm. Lumps if any are broken gently to ensure uniform distribution.

c. Dimension of plot to accommodate seedling: A leveled plot of land free from any undulation and

grass, etc. should be selected to accommodate seedling bed. Three numbers of beds, with effective


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length of 16 m and effective width of 1 m, each are needed to prepare seedlings for 1 ha of cropped

area. Thedimension of the plot should be selected as per the seedling requirement.

d. Frame: Removable frame is used to ensure uniform mat size. The dimension of the mat frame

should be equal to the dimension of the tray of the machine. Wooden bar or mild steel bar (2.5cm

0.3 cm) may be used as the boundary of the frame.

e. Preparation of soil cow dung mixture: The soil crushed and sieved (particle size less than 4 to 5

mm) is mixed with FYM in the ratio of 2.1. The FYM is also crushed to ensure homogenous mixture.

The mixture should be free from stone or any other foreign objects.

f. Preparation of seedling bed: Polythene sheets (130 cm 1650 cm) are placed on the selected plot

of land. The frames are placed over the polythene sheet such that clear width remains100 cm.

Pulverized soil-FYM mixture is used to fill up the frame over the sheet to have a bed dimension 100

cm 1600 cm 1.5 cm. Wooden mallet may be used to level as well as to provide mild compaction

to the soil-FYM mixture.

g. Sowing of sprouted seeds: Sprouted seeds are uniformly sown in the soil bed at the rate of about1 kg/sq.m. Beds are sprinkled with water after sowing.

h. Water management: Beds are covered with light jute bag or straw and water should be sprinkled

on the bed for 4 days under covered condition so that soil never dries. The covers are removed after

four days. The sprinkling of water may need to be continued up to one week. After about one week

seedling would attain some height and water may be applied by flooding .The depth of water should

be half of the seedling height.

i. Uprooting of seedlings: Seedlings become ready for transplanting when its height becomes 15 cm

with 3 to 4 leaves. The seedling mats are then cut into pieces to be used for transplanter.

Field preparation: Field should be prepared thoroughly by ploughing 4 to 5times followed by

harrowing and laddering. Ploughing should be started at least 21 days ahead of transplanting so that

weeds are dried up/decayed.


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Land preparation by bullock drawn modified helical blade puddler: Modified helical blade puddler is

an improved bullock drawn implement of puddling operation. The weight of the implement is about

26 kg and it covers about 50 cm in one pass. It can be operated by all types of bullocks available in

Assam. One or two passes of puddler operation followed by one pass of mould board plough are

sufficient for obtaining good quality puddle soil. The puddler can cover 2 to 2.5 bigha of land per

day.

Considerations for efficient use of the modified helical blade puddler: The well ploughed field should

be covered with water at the time of puddler operation. To protect the sharpness of the blade the

implement should never be operated over stones or hard ground. At the end of its operation the

puddler should be properly cleaned and stored dry. Painting is advisable to avoid rusting.

Manures and Fertilizers: Well rotten FYM or compost @ 10t/ha has to be applied during field

preparation. In addition, the following nutrients are to be applied at rates given below in areas with

moderate fertility

In case of poor soil, the rates of fertilizers may be required to increase to the extent of 60:30:30

kg/ha N, P2O5 and K2Orespectively.Diammonium phosphate (DAP) in combination with rock

phosphate or alone at the recommended nutrient level (40:20:20)can be applied. In mono crop Sali

areas of Barak Valley Zone, sowing of dhaincha is recommended as green manuring crop before Sali

rice. The optimum doses for NPK for HYV ofsalirice is60:20:40 and 60:20:20 for low and medium

fertility classes of soil respectively in Hills zone.

Time of Application of Fertilizers :a) For short duration varieties(100-120 days).

i)Half of urea and whole of super phosphate and muriate of potash should be applied at the time of

final puddling. In standing water, urea along with super phosphate and muriate of potash can be

applied in pallet form .ii)Second dose (half) of urea should be applied at the time of panicle initiation

stage.

b) For medium and long duration varieties (120-150 days).i)Half of urea and entire quantity of super

phosphate and muriate of potash should be applied at the time of final puddling .ii)Of the remaining


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part of urea, half at tillering stage i.e. 20-30 days after transplanting and other half at panicle

initiation stage should be applied. iii)For long duration varieties under rainfed low land situation

with water depth between 30-50 cm, basal incorporation of prilled urea at 30 kg N/ha is

recommended. iv)Split application of potassic fertilizer half as basal and half at maximum tillering

stage is recommended for North Bank Plain Zone.

Number of Seedlings per Hill :i)2-3 seedlings for normal planting (July August)ii)4-6 seedlings for

late planting (September).

Depth of Planting:4-5 cm depth of planting should be maintained for all varieties.

Interculture:

i)To weedings should be given with paddy weeder or hoe at20 and 40 days after transplanting. ii)For

weed control: Pretilachlor @ 0.75 kg/ha or Anilofos is to be applied @ 0.4 kg/ha at 3 days after

transplanting.

Water Management :In salirice, application of 5 cm irrigation water 3 days after disappearance of

ponding water is recommended in medium and heavy soils.

Boro

a. Varieties/hybrids: Boro 1, Boro 2, Culture 1, Mahsuri, IR 50, Bishnuprasad, Jyotiprasad,

Jaymoti

b. Management: Time of sowing Nov/Dec; Time of planting Dec/Jan.

Land : Low lying typical boro areas or irrigated areas.

Seed selection: Seeds are put in plaibn water and healthy seeds are selected by rejecting floating

ones.

Seed treatment : Same as sali

Seed Bed : Flat seed bed of 125cm wide, 10m long with 30cm gap between two beds.

Seed rate : 40-45 kg/ha


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Age seedling: 5-6 leaf stage

Field Operation: 3-4 ploughing followed by laddering

Spacing: 20cmx20cm

Fertilizer N:P2O

5:K

2O = 60:30:30 kg/ha.

Water management: After 2-3 days of transplanting, 2 cm of irrigation water should be applied than

3 days after disappearance of ponded water against 7 cm water should be applied. Such

intermittent irrigation should be given up to 7 10 days prior to harvesting.

Weeding :Two weedings at 20 and 40 days after transplanting.

Ahu:

a. Varieties/hybrids

b. I) Semidwarf : Govind, IR 50, IR 36, Luit, Kopilee, Disang, Lachit, Chilarai, Jaya

II) Tall : Rongadoria, Banglami, Dubaichenga, Fapori, Guni, Ihajit etc.

Seed selection : Same as in boro rice.

Seed treatment: Same as in boro rice.

Seed bed: Same as in boro rice.

Manures/Fertilizers in seed bed: In each seed bed 20-30 kg cowdung or compost, 80 g urea, 80 g

SSP, 40 g MOP to be applied.

Seed rate : 40-45 kg/ha.

Plant Protection in seed bed: Application of Bavistin @ 1 g/L of water against blast: Furadon 3 G

granules @ 3 g/m2

against root knot nematode and stem borer.

Field preparation: 3-4 plouging followed by laddering

Fertilizer: Semi dwarf varieties ; N:P2O5:K2O = 40:20:20 kg/ha.


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Tall varieties: N:P2O

5:K

2O = 20:10:10 kg/ha.

Spacing: 15-20cm between rows, 10-15 cm between hills.

X. Indigenous technical knowledge (ITKs) specific to the state

To get rid of general pests confronted in rice field, farmers of Assam follow the following ITK

practices:-

To reduce the inial inoculums of general pests and disease, a few farmers used to burn the

straw and stubbles before initiate plouging of field operation. However, this burning operation is

not common, but it is based on the disease pressure experienced of the preceding years by a

farmer of specific locality.

For early germinaon the farmers used to cover the seeds with colocasia leaves due to which the

temperature raises and contributed in early germination.

They prefer to use aged seedling so as to debar early pest infestation

Before transplanng, seedlings are trimmed due to which eggs of pest like stem borer could be

eliminated easily and thereby reduce the pest pressure considerably .

Vermicaste are subjected to dip in kerosin oil for soaking and after a while these are placed in the

4 corners of rice field after establishment of seedling. This practice enable early pests control

(stem borer, case worm, leaf folder, stem rot sclerotic, gall midge etc.)

Bamboo perches are used in the rice field which allow the predatory birds to rest on it and

thereby able to prey the insect pests comfortably.

To contain the early pests, farmers used to apply leaves and twigs of some herbs such as, Posoa,

Eupatorium odoratum, bel, zizipus sp, and also peel of pummelo, orange, goat excretion etc.

Against case worm and rice hispa a technique is used whereby a kerosin dipped coconut thread is

slide over the crop canopy by two persons holding the thread at the two ends against each


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other. The larvae along with case fall on the water which could be drained off easily and hispa

repel as well.

Dead frog, fish, slug, snail etc used as cure to aract the rice bug and later on they were killed

mechanically, some farmers also used inside cover of the consumed ripen jack fruit with the

same intension to trap the insect and later mass killing is done. Fire torch at night also reduce

insect pest in the field more particularly the rice bug.

To reduce the aack of storage pests, farmers used neem leaf in the storage bin/structures in

several layers in between the seeds. Camphor is also used to reduce the attack of those pests.

Against rice bug, farmers used to keep saw dust or rice husk of at least 6 inch layer upon the seed

in storage structure. This will mislead the rice bug and seed become safe from egg laying.

Ghara neemextract kill insect of rice field.

Pieces of black colocana are applied to the rice field which control case worm infestaon.

Wood ash is applied in nursery beds aer sowing of seeds, which prevents birds for easily

uprooting.

Placing of scarecrow in field at seedling stage of rice and thereby prevent bird damage.

Tin sheets are ed with strings and flapped. Noise/reflecon of light confuse the birds. Also reel

of audio and video cassette are tied around nursery plots to prevent birds visit to rice field

during grain formation.

Leaves of Keturi/turmeric/toruwa kadam or bihlongni leaves is applied to rice field for controlling

rice hispa.

Plastering of bunds reduced seepage and also weed infestation thereby prevent disease like

sheath blight from spreading to main crop.

Farmers have believed that presence of ger beetle control the populaon of rice bug.


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Farmers use the leaves of Shera Tamul in the soil of rice field to prevent the attack of rice stem

borer.

Lukeworn water is sprayed on the seedling of boro rice which might enhanced growth of rice

seedling.

Neem seed is powdered and ed in a piece of cloth and allow it to dip in water for 24 hrs. The

filtrate can be used as insect repellent.

Walking inside rice field cure yellowing of rice.

Seeds of black cumin are kept near storage and house holds to prevent rodent aack. Black

cumin has repellant action on rodents.

A preparaon of colocasia (Kolakochu) extract along with fresh cowdung is used against case

worm.

Fresh cowdung preparaon @ 200 g/L is used either as spray or spray against Bacterial leaf

blight. Both Kresak and leaf blight phase are found to contain by this treatment.

XI. Byproducts/extended use of rice specific to the state

Varieties for special preparation/rice based products/medicines.

Rice is life for the people of Assam. Besides being a staple food crop, it is also used in various

festivals, religious and social ceremonies. A number of preparation are made out of rice. No function

is held without the preparations of rice. Three special classes of rice are grown to prepare special

dishes. They include bora (waxy rice), Chowkua (instant rice) and Joha (aromatic rice) classes of rice.


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I. Boro (waxy) class of rice:

This class of rice has very high amylopectin which confer stickiness in cooked rice. This

property is useful in preparations of several confections and dishes. Some of the important

preparations include.

a. Tilpitha Black sesamum with juggery or coconut powder is laid over dry rice powder and rolled

into cylindrical shape. This can be preserved for quite long time.

b. Ghilapitha Rice powder is mixed with juggery and scky preparaon is made. Small eatable

cakes are made in mustard oil.

c.

Sungapitha Rice powder is roasted in bamboo internodes in fire. The scky round piece is

eaten with milk or curd.

d. Chungachaol Instead of rice powder glunous rice is roasted in bamboo internode which can

be consumed raw or with milk or curd.

e. Chira Flaked rice is prepared from waxy rice variety parcularly from Bokulbora. It is

consumed with milk or curd.

f. Bhojabora Parboiled waxy rice with special technique is prepared. This is consumed as

breakfast food.

g. Hurum It is a special kind of preparation from waxy rice to be consumed with milk.

h. Rice beer Rice beer prepared out of waxy rice is thought to be of high quality amongst the

traditional consumers of the state.

Different communities prepare a large number of preparations during festivals and ceremonies.

II. Chokuwa : It is a special kind of rice used for preparation of instant rice called Komol chaol.Komol

chaol(soft rice) can be consumed without cooking merely by soaking them in water. The soaked rice

is eaten with milk or curd with juggery or salts.

III. Joha : Joha rice is short grain aromatic rice. Payash or Kheer and Palao are prepared out of joha

rice during ceremonies, pujas and special occasions. Kheeror Payash is prepared in milk with sugar.

Cooked joha rice with meat of pigeon is a special preparation in the rural areas of Assam while Polao

is common in urban areas.


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XII. Rice and commerce (exports and revenue generation)

Agricultural marketing is gaining priority in the State agriculture sector. There is a network of

224 regulated markets, 1175 rural and wholesale markets have been created in the State. Besides,

20 rural, wholesale markets and 50 rural hats being developed in 20 districts.

Moreover, first consignment of 17.50 MT organically produced aromatic rice (Joha rice)

already been exported to Europe and 14 MT sold in local market.

XIII. Special development programmes in rice sector of the state

No. Name of scheme Objective of the scheme

A. Centrally sponsored/central sector

1. Rastriya Krishi Vikash

Yojuna (RKVY)

For all round development of agriculture & allied sectors for

food security. Implemented from 2008-09

2. National Food Security

Mission (NFSM)

Development of Rice cultivation, Implemented in 13 districts.

Implemented from 2007-08

3. Agricultural Technology

Management Agency

(ATMA)

Strengthening agricultural extension system through ATMA

Implemented in 12 districts from 2006-07. Another 11 districts

covered under World Bank assisted project AACP.

4. Macro Management Mode

of Agriculture (MMMA)

Implementation of various schemes identified tomeet the states

requirement, Implemented 2000-01

5. Seed Village Programme To produce quality seeds to make state self sufficient in seeds.

Implemented from 2007-08 with direct involvement of farmers.


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B. State Plan

1. Tribal sub plan Development of Tribal Farmers

2. Scheduled Caste

Component Plan

Development of scheduled caste farmers

3 Specific Fund Scheme Distribution of raincoat to BPL farmers

Farmers award & Gaon Chalo Programme

4 Farmers Institute & FMTC

(Specific fund)

Infrastructure development of KVK for welfare of farming

community

5. Diaster Management

Programme

Assistance for natural calamity affected farmers

6. Fertilizer distribution tofarmers

Distribution of bio fertilizers tro farmers

7. Plan Protection Campaign Distribution of bio-pesticide and machinery equipments

8. Field Trial Station Development of Field Trial Stations for location specific trials.

9. Seed farm and Nursery Development of Seed farm & Nurseries

10. Soil and land use survey Soil survey and soil mapping

11. NAEP III Input distribution for cereals, pulse and oilseed

cultivation./Organic Farming

12. Assam Agricultural

Competitiveness Project

Activities like farm mechanization, irrigation, market

development etc. under World Bank assisted Project.


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13. Crop Insurance To help farmers under Crop Insurance Scheme

14. Agricultural Implements

(Assam Bikash Jyjana)

Distribution of tractor to farmers at 50% subsidy.

15. Mukhya Mantir Assam

Bikas Yojana

Distribution of Japi to farmers

16. 2435 agricultural

marketing

Assistance for activities under Agricultural Marketing

XIV. Status of recent rice production/technologies

a. SRI : SRI was introduced in Assam under the National Food Security Mission. The details is

presented below

Covarage area under SRI Demonstration since inception of the NFSM Programme

Sl.No. Year Araea under

NFSM- rice

district

Area under SRI (Schematic

provision)

Area under

farmers own

effortsNos. of

demonstration

Area under

SRI (ha)

1. 2007-08 1321980 200 80.00 60.00

2. 2008-09 1502983 2333 93.20 2030.00

Yield Analysis report under SRI demonstration

Sl. Variety used Average yield

under SRI

Average yield

under farmers

PC increase SRI

(over traditional


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No. (Ton/ha) and

tillers crops

field (other than

SRI)

method)

Yield

(t/ha)

Tillers

(Nos.)

Yield

(t/ha)

Tillers

(Nos.)

Yield (%) Tillers

(%.)

1. Luit/Ranjit/MTU

1001

5.4 40-60 3.5 10-12 54.28 >100

b. Hybrid rice : The area under the hybrid rice is increasing gradually in some pockets of Assam.

Under the NFSM, hybrid rice is also one of the component. The details are presented below

District wise area covered under Hybrid Rice (District under NFSM)

Sl. No. Name of district Name of the hybrid Area covered (ha)

1. Barpeta PAC 832/Sahidry/KRH 2 16107.67

2. Bongaigaon PAC 832/KRH 2 11408.00

3. Darang PAC 832/KRH 2/Sahidry 14303.67

4. Dhemaji PAC 832/KRH 2/ 8339.00

5. Goalpara ARIZEE 6444/KRH 2 14577.33

6. KarbiAnglong ARIZEE 6444/KRH 2 20431.00

7. Kokrajhar ARIZEE 6444/KRH 2/PHA 832 19309.33

8. Lakhimpur ARIZEE 6444/KRH 2 14743.67

9. Marigaon ARIZEE 6444/KRH 2 20981.33

10. Nagaon ARIZEE 6444/KRH 2/Sahidry 59281.33


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11. Nalbari ARIZEE 6444/KRH 2/Sahidry/PAC 832 18387.00

12. Sonitpur ARIZEE 6444/KRH 2/PAC 832 37466.00

13. Tinsukia PAC 832KRH 2 7587.67

Total 262823.00

Districts not under NFSM

Sl. No. Name of district Name of the hybrid Area covered (ha)

1. Cachar ARIZEE 6444/PAC 832 501.33

2. Hailakandi PAC 832/Sahidry 324.67

3. Karimganj ARIZEE 6444 420.00

4. Dhubri PAC 832 470.00

5. Kamrup (R+M) ARIZEE 6444/PAC 832/Sahidry 587.67

6. Baksa PAC 832 361.33

7. Chirang ARIZEE 6444/PAC 832 358.00

8. Udalguri PAC 832 459.33

9. Jorhat PAC 832 470.00

10. Golaghat PAC 832 455.00

11. Sivasagar ARIZEE 6444/PAC 832 468.33

12. Dibrugarh ARIZEE 6444/PAC 832 410.00


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13. N.C. Hills ARIZEE 6444 263.00

Total 5548.66

c. IPM/IDM

Leaf blast:

(a) Tolerant/ Resistant varieties : Bahadur, Maniram, Piyolee, Kushal, Luit, Kapilee, Culture-1, IR

36, Andrew Sali, Manoharsali, Jaya.

(b)Seed Treatment: Indofil M-45 @ 2.5 g/L

Captaf

(c) Split application of urea (60 kg N2/ha): at the time of final ploughing and later in three

equal splits at 20,40 and 60 DAP.

(d)ETL : 5-10% of leaf damage of transplanted crop and 2% neck blast infection.

(e)Spray: Carbendazim 50 WP @ 1 g/L , Thiophenate Methyl 75 WP @ 1 g/L ,

Hinosan @ 1 ml/L

Sheath Blight:

(a) Tolerant/Resistant varieties : Bahadur, Ranjit, Maniram, Piyolee, Kushal, Lakhimi, Pankaj,

Manoharsali

(b)Cultural practices: Affected leaves are to be removed and destroy

- Limited use of N2 fertilizer

- In endemic areas close planting to be avoided

- Clean cultivation.

(c) ETL : 6 to 7% infected plant.

(d)Spray : Bavistin @ 1 g/L, Contaf 2ml/L, Validamycin 2ml/L

Brown Spot:

(a) Resistant/Tolerant varieties: Mahsuri, Ranjit, Bahadur, Piyolee, Kushal

(b)Seed treatment : Indofil M 45 @ 2.5 g/L Captaf @ 2.5g/L


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(c) Potash fertilizer: Besides use of normal N,P,K dose of fertilizer (60:20:40),

extra 18-20 kg of Potash to be applied.

(d)Spray: Indofil M 45 @ 2.5 g/L.

Sheath rot:

(a) Resistant/Tolerant varieties: Bahadur, Maniram, Ranjit, Pankaj, Andrewsali

(b)Seed treatment: As above.

(c) Spray: Bavistin 1 g/L

Bacterial leaf blight:

(a) Resistant/tolerant varieties: Ranjit, Bahadur , Pankaj, Maniram, Piyolee, Mahsuri

(b)Seed treatment: Streptocycline/Agrimycin/Pusamycin @ 0.5 g/L

(c) N2 fertilization: To be applied at split doses @ 60 kg/ha. If BLB appears immediate skip off of

N2 fertilization and instead to be applied additional K @ 18 kg/ha.

d. INM (Integrated nutrient management) : Integrated nutrientmanagement (INM) package of

organic manure @ 1 t/ha (on dry weight basis) mixed inoculate of Azospirillium amazonenseA-10

and Bacillus megaterium P-5 @ 4 kg/ha (0.4 to 0.5 kg/bigha), rock phosphate @ 10 kg P2

O5

(56 kg/ha

or 7.5 kg/bigha), MOP @ 40 kg K2O/ha (67 kg Potash/ha or 9 kg/bigha)is recommended for rice in

rice-rice, rice-legume-rice and sole rice sequence. In low land kharifrice(Sali), incorporation of 45

days old dhaincha can substitute 50% of recommended NPK in Hills Zone.

XV. Organisations (Government and Non-government)

Some of the sister organizations/agency of Agriculture in the state are :

Crop insurance scheme launched by Govt. of India.

Krishan Credit Caredit through Banking system.

Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Service Project (ARIASP) introduced with

financial support from the World Bank.

Assam seeds corporation Ltd.

Assam Agro-industries Development Corporation Ltd. (AAIDC)


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Assam State Seed Certificate (ASSCA)

Assam State agricultural Marketing Board (ASAMB)

Assam Small farmers Agribusiness Consortium (ASFAC)

Agricultural and Processes Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

XVI. Constrains in rice production

The entire north eastern region experiences wide variation in soil and climatic conditions.

The state of Assam has been divided into 6 agro climatic zones based on variations in soil, climate

and cropping pattern, broad soil characteristics, annual average rainfall and irrigation available etc.

Problems of crop production vary with zones as the soil and climate vary from zone to zone.

However, there are still many constraints of rice production which are common to more than one

zones and types of rice culture. The problems of rice cultivation in Assam are manifold. Therefore, it

is the need of the hour to find out constraints which hinder high productivity to plan research and

development strategies in order to achieve as much of rice production potential as possible.

a) Biotic stress

The NE Region in general and Assam, in particular experiences the highest biophysical

constraints in the country which are mostly natural.

1. Availability of water in an uncontrolled manner

2. Frequent flooding and water inundation in plains

3. Heavy soil, water and nutrient losses due to heavy showers.

4. Erratic response to inputs making investment a risky venture

5. Periodic droughts in between showers in critical growth stages

6. High pests and diseases incidence due to high humidity.

7. High weed infestations in direct-seeded rice

8. High incidence of non-insects pests such as stray cattle, wild animals, birds, rodents etc.

9. High loss at or after harvest due to rainy days and at store.

10.Soil acidity and iron toxicity in pockets

11.Low light intensity during the kharifseason.


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b) Technological constraints

Farmers select local, improved local and modern varieties to suit to their specific land

conditions (uplands, medium lands, low lands and deep water area).

The major technological constraints are:

1. Shortage of labour during the peak period of operations.

2. Low draft power and low energy out put of bullocks.

3. Dependence on monsoon due to less area coverage under irrigation.

4. Spread of high yielding modern varieties is slow due to lack of assured water supply

5. Negligible nutrient consumption due to erratic response and high loses as a result of lack of

controlled water supply.

6. Delayed sowing and planting due to agro-energy crisis and weather aberrations.

7. Non-availability of inputs in time particularly quality seeds

8. Use of over aged seedlings due to delay in land preparation.

9. Irregularity in depth of sowing and planting resulting in uneven emergence and tillering.

10.Inadequate plant population because of broadcasting and random planting method.

11.Lack of soil health care through inclusion of legumes in rotation.

12.Lack of soil and water conservation measures in uplands.

c) Institutional constraints

The region have shown low level of productivity not because the farmers lack dynamism, but

because of the prevailing organizational, promotional and supporting services for practicing modern

technology.

1. Inadequate and erratic power supply.

2. Long channel of technology delivery system resulting in distortions of messages

3. Lack of single window delivery system for technology inputs and credits.

4. Lack of organizational set up to impart practical training to the practising farmers, youth and

farm women.


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d) Socio-economic constraints

Socio-economic constraints are man-made and can easily be solved.

1. Sub-division and fragmentation of holding due to population explosion hindering

mechanization.

2. Predominance of small and marginal farmers in the farming profession.

3. Migration of landlords to higher income profession and cultivation falling in the hands of

Adhiaries (contract or tenant farmers).

4. Low labour efficiency and skill due to limited employment opportunities of the rural folk in

the non-agricultural sectors.

5. Lack of community approaches amongst farmers.

6. Lack of storage, marketing and support prices facilities for the produce.

7. Festivals like Puja and Bihu hinder field operations.

8. Low input mobilization due to poor conditions of farmers.

XVII. Economics of rice production in the state.

Cost of cultivation of rice per hectare (approx cost).

Particulars Man days Expenditure (Rs.)

A. Seed bed (0.1 ha)

Initial ploughing 1 100

Subsequent ploughing and leveling 6 600

Side cutting of existing fund and mud plastering 2 200

Seed selection, treatment and soaking 1 100

Seed Preparation and sowing 4 400

Irrigagtion, cultural operaton 4 400


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Spraying against diseases and pest 2 200

Uprooting of seedling 10 1000

Carrying seedling to main field 4 400

Total unit 34 3400

B. Main field (0.1 ha)

Initial ploughing (tractor/power tiller) 5 500

Subsequent ploughing (bullock/power tiller) 20 2000

Side cutting of existing bund and mud plastering 12 1200

Final land preparation, fertilizer application, and leveling 15 1500

Making alignment of seedlings 7 700

Planting 25 2500

Gape filling, weeding 7 700

Water management 5 500

Weeding 15 1500

Top dressing (twice) 4 400

Spray against diseases and pest 5 500

Harvesting 25 2500

Carrying of harvest products 20 2000

Threshing, drying 30 3000


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Winnowing, storage 20 2000

Miscellenous 10 1000

C.

Expenses on inputs Wages on labourers

Seed 40 kg @ Rs. 20/kg 800

Urea 88 kg @ Rs. 7/kg 616

SSP 125 kg @ Rs. 5/kg 625

MOP 34 kg @ Rs. 27.5/kg 255

Pesticides 2L @ Rs. 260/L 520

Organic Manure 5 tone 1000

Dieseal 60 Ltr. @ Rs. 38/L 2280

Mobil 5 Ltr @ Rs. 90/L 450

Total 6546

Grand total cost A+B+C= Rs. 32356.00.

XVIII. Strategies and modern techniques to enhance rice production

The scope for expansion of area under rice cultivation has almost been exhausted, the only

way to sustain production for meeting increasing demand, is to increase productivity per unit of

area including intensive use of land by increasing the cropping intensity. The following strategies

may be adopted to increase the productivity of rice.


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a.Propagation of local specific improved crop production technologies in different rice growing eco-

systems through demonstration on farmers fields and organizing of training for farmers including

woman in improved crop production technology.

b.Replacement of traditional varieties by new high yielding varieties with promising yield potential.

c.Emphasis on balanced use of plant nutrients along with the popularization of integrated plant

management system and method of applying required nutrients in standing water , example

neem cake coated urea, fertilizer mud ball, deep placement of super granule urea etc.

d.Popularization of line transplanting and maintenance of desired level of plant population.

e.Encouraging the use of machines as well as bullock drawn and hand operated implements.

f. Promoting of integrated pest management approach foe effective control of pests and diseases

by emphasizing the need based application of pesticide.

g.Emphasis may be given on cropping system approach rather than a single crop development

approach.

XIX. Status of seed production of major varieties/agen

Documents

Assam Rice