13.03.2021 | Climate – by Planeta Arose – with international agencies
How India’s rice production can adapt to the challenges of climate change
Climate change will affect water availability, and rice farmers must implement new management practices to maintain production and productivity
Farmers plant rice in an agricultural area on the outskirts of Patna
Photo: IANS
If farmers keep up with current practices, rice production in India will be significantly reduced by 2050. While many management strategies can mitigate the effects of climate change, researchers say one of them is of Indian origin.
Traditional rice farming involves watering the fields with water. Rice transplantation requires about 15 cm of standing water. If the fields are not flat, even more water is required to cover the plantation. However, if farmers use rice directly with seed instead of transplanting, they can increase production by using significantly less water.
According to climate change, it affects temperature, rainfall, and carbon dioxide concentrations. These are essential elements for crop growth, especially for rice. It is a complex system and the impact is difficult to assess and manage, ”said researcher Prashanth Kalita, a professor at the University of Illinois in the United States.
