TAG: GS 3: AGRICULTURE
THE CONTEXT: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has commercialized herbicide-tolerant (Ht) basmati rice varieties, claiming they can control weeds in rice crops while promoting water-saving direct seeded rice (DSR) systems.
EXPLANATION:
- However, these claims are viewed as an overstatement of scientific facts, and the technology is seen as a threat to national food security.
Risks of Herbicide-Resistant Rice
- Monopolization of Seed and Agrochemical Markets:
- The Ht-rice technology will raise cultivation costs by monopolizing the seed-agrochemical market, favoring specific varieties with the ALS gene over others.
- This could lead to a loss of genetic diversity in Indian rice.
- Increased Cultivation Costs:
- Farmers would need to use multiple herbicides to control different types of weeds, increasing cultivation costs.
- This could be particularly challenging for small-scale farmers who may not have the resources to adopt such practices.
- Evolution of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds:
- The continued use of the same herbicides over time will result in the evolution of herbicide-resistant, more potent weeds via gene mutation and physiological changes that confer resistance to herbicides.
- This is a serious threat to rice production and food security in India.
- Impact on Rice Production:
- Weeds are a major biological constraint in rice production, causing losses ranging from 30-100%.
- The development of herbicide-resistant weeds could further exacerbate these losses, leading to reduced rice yields and lower food security.
- Comparison to Eco-Friendly Methods:
- Scientists argue that eco-friendly methods such as hand weeding at 20 and 40 days after DSR sowing are more effective than repeated applications of Imazethapyr in Ht-rice for weed control and higher seed yield.
Direct seeded rice (DSR) and Ht-Rice
- ICAR claims that Ht-rice varieties allow for the direct application of the herbicide Imazethapyr to eradicate weeds in the DSR system because they contain a mutated ALS gene.
- ICAR’s research published in The Pharma Innovation Journal in 2022 concluded that eco-friendly hand weeding at 20 and 40 days after DSR sowing is more effective than repeated applications of Imazethapyr in Ht-rice for weed control and higher seed yield.
- Imazethapyr is recommended for soybean and pulse crops globally, but not for rice crops due to the different weed flora.
Historical Context
- North Western Plains: The North Western Plains, which include Punjab and Haryana, have long used the DSR system to grow aromatic Basmati rice.
- Green Revolution: Policymakers introduced the water-guzzling transplanted rice system during the Green Revolution to control weeds in rice crops and ensure national food security.
- DSR Technology: To overcome the adverse impact of the water-guzzling transplanted rice system, policymakers promoted economically non-viable crop diversification to paddy farmers without considering the climatic conditions of this zone.
Success of Eco-Friendly DSR Technology
- Improved TAR-VATTAR DSR Technology:
- Researchers at IARI Karnal improved TAR-VATTAR DSR technology to control weeds using climatic factors such as advancing sowing dates starting from May 15 to June 10 in hot and dry climates and cost-effective herbicides.
- Adoption by Farmers:
- Improved DSR technology became popular among farmers as it saved about 40% of groundwater irrigation and cultivation costs, with savings in energy consumption (electricity, diesel, manpower, etc.) without any loss of seed yield compared to water-guzzling transplanted rice.
- Water Conservation:
- The Haryana Chief Minister’s office press note dated April 1, 2023 acknowledged that by adopting DSR on 72,000 acres, farmers saved 31,500 crore liters of water during the 2022 Kharif cropping season.
- Pandemic-Induced Adoption:
- During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, farmers in Punjab planted 600,000 hectares of paddy under DSR, demonstrating the viability of this improved, farmer- and eco-friendly cropping method.
