Punjab brings 5.62 lakh hectares of land under paddy cultivation under DSR – which is the highest ever

[caption id="attachment_8066" align="aligncenter" width="1014"] Direct Seeding of Paddy. File Photo[/caption]

PRSC started collecting data through satellite last year which is based on the signature of primary crops and reservoirs in agricultural fields

Punjab has brought 5.62 lakh hectares of land under direct paddy seed (DSR) this year, which is the highest in the state so far, an increase of 62,000 hectares from last year's DSR. All the districts have recorded 10 to 46 percent DSR area of total paddy cultivation respectively, except Ludhiana district where only 7.4 percent area can be brought under DSR. The acreage estimates for DSR and puddled rice were collected by using satellite data that is collected by Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC), Ludhiana. PRSC had started collecting data through satellite last year which is based on initial crop and water ponding signatures in agriculture fields. While rice sowing, mainly Basmati, is still on in the state, but paddy (non-Basmati) sowing was almost over by the second week of the July. PRCS has taken July 11 as cut-off date for recording DSR area, said agri experts. This date was the same last year too. Experts believe that while Punjab has failed to decrease area under paddy, DSR is still one option to help save ground water as it requires 15 to 25 per cent less irrigation. DSR saves water as it requires first irrigation after 21 days of the sowing and also it does not need a puddled field, which is again a huge saving of water. In traditional method, the young seedlings are transplanted in water filed water and irrigation is required every third day. Director Punjab Agriculture Department Dr S S Sidhu said that there were some limitations due to cloud/intermittent rains over the state in optical and microwave satellite images. There may be little variation in area under DSR in some of the districts which will be modified/rectified with further monitoring and mapping of crops, he added. Last year till July 11, DSR area was 5.01 lakh hectares (around 12.38 lakh acres), while this year till July 11, it touched 5.62 lakh hectares (13.88 lakh acres). Till July 11, Punjab had sown rice (majority of non-basmati area) on 27.29 lakh hectares out of which 5.62 lakh hectares and 21.67 lakh hectares, respectively, was DSR and puddled rice which means DSR occupies only 20.5 per cent area. Experts said that most of the DSR area should be the non-Basmati rice only because less number of farmers go for DSR in Basmati, which is sown in rainy season when the conducive DSR conditions may not be available to the farmers due to frequent rains. The satellite data shows that Bathinda, which has brought the highest area under DSR at 47,290 hectares (1.16 lakh acres), is also the district that has brought around 36.5 per cent of the total rice area under DSR. A total 1.29 lakh hectares area was brought under rice cultivation in the district till July 11 out of which 82,000 hectares was puddled rice area. Bathinda was at number two last year with 43,950 hectares DSR area. Mukatsar, which was at number one last year with 46,830 hectares DSR area, is at the second number where 45,340 hecatres (1.12 lakh acres) has been brought under DSR of the total 1.25 lakh hectares rice area, which also comes to 36.3 per cent of the total rice area in the district this year. Find more. Source: Online/KSU