13-11-2020

Gopal Lal Choudhary

Asstt. Prof.-cum-Jr. Scientist
(Agronomy)

 RCTs refers to those practices that enhance resource or input use

efficiency involving zero or minimum tillage that save fuel, direct
seeding, permanent or semi permanent residue cover, new varieties
that use nitrogen more efficiently, laser land leveling, FIRB (Furrow
Irrigated Raised Bed) technology, SRI, DSR (Direct Seeded Rice),
precision farming, use of LCC and ICM (Integrated Crop
Management) etc.
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 System of Rice Intensification

 Direct seeded rice and aerobic rice
 Alternate wetting and drying
 Zero till rice
 Integrated crop management (ICM)
 Laser land levelling
 Use of LCC and SPAD meter
 Brown manuring
 Use of Azolla in Rice Production

 ICM is a system of crop production which conserves and enhances natural

resources while producing food on an economically viable and sustainable
foundation.
 It is based on a good understanding of the interactions between biology,
environment and land management systems.
 ICM is particularly appropriate for small farmers because it aims to minimize
dependence on purchased inputs and to make the fullest possible use of
indigenous technical knowledge and land use practices.
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 Integrated Crop Management (ICM) – an Alternative to SRI

 To overcome the limitations of SRI one can go for Integrated Crop Management.
 Here 15- 20 days old seedlings are planted in wide spacing (20 cm x 20 cm or 25
cm x 25 cm). However, here for nursery preparation MMN (Modified Mat
Nursery) is followed.
 Combined use of organic manure/compost and chemical fertilizer has shown to
produce higher yields than either alone.
 Adoption of IPM will also be very effective for crops under ICM, as fewer
incidences of disease and pest is expected due to healthy plants. Thus farmer can
reduce or avoid pesticide application.

Preparation of Modified Mat Nursery (MMN)

 In MMN, the seedlings are raised in a 4 cm layer of soil mix arranged on a firm surface.
 A nursery of 100 sqm area and 10–12 kg of good quality seeds are sufficient for
transplanting one hectare area.
 The soil mix (4 m3 for 100 sqm of mat nursery) is prepared by mixing 75-80 per cent
soil, 15-20 per cent well decomposed manure and 5 per cent rice hull ash.
 To this soil mix, add 1.5 kg of powdered
diammonium phosphate or 2 kg compound
fertilizer (15-15-15) and mix well.
 A wooden frame of 1.0 m width, 0.04 m height
and suitable length divided into equal segments
of 0.5 m each is placed over the plastic sheet
spread over even firm floor/surface (Figure 1).
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Preparation of Modified Mat Nursery (MMN)

 Each segment of the frame is filled with soil mix almost to the top. Pre-
germinated seeds are sown uniformly, covered with the soil mix, and firmed
gently with the hand.
 The seedbed is sprinkled with water. The bed must be protected from heavy
rains for first 5 days.
 The bed can be kept moist by regular watering with rose cans until seedlings are
ready for transplanting in 15 days.
 In warm weather, the seedlings reach 16-20 cm height with 4 leaves and no tillers
in 15-16 DAS.
 Alternatively farmers can use locally available materials like bamboo, banana
leaves for preparation of MMN.

 Generally, the farmers’ fields are poorly levelled, creating localized water logged
conditions in lower portion of the field and poor moisture in elevated portion of the
field leading to uneven germination and poor crop stand.
 The total depth of water applied per irrigation is greatly influenced by the quality of
land levelling.
 One of the hindrances in sustainable and remunerative crop production is
undulating surface of the agricultural fields which cause limitations in many
cultural practices.
 Such undulation and unevenness of the soil surface affect adversely crop
germination, stand and yield mainly due to non-uniform moisture and nutrient
distribution pattern.
 Unevenness leads to poor irrigation water distribution efficiency and about 20-25%
amount of irrigation water is lost during its application due to poor farm designing
and unevenness of the fields.
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 The farmers adopt strip irrigation practice with field bunds leading to waste of
fertile land in making bunds and borders.
 The excess moisture availability in low lying areas delays tillage and other soil
manipulation operations.
 Fields that are not well levelled have uneven crop stands, increased weed burdens
and uneven maturing of crops.
 All these factors tend to contribute to reduced yield and grain quality which reduce
the income of the farmers.

 The introduction of laser leveling in the 1970’s produced a silent revolution that has raised
potential of surface irrigation efficiency to the levels of sprinkler and drip irrigation (Erie and
Dedrick 1979).
 It is important to achieve precision land levelling for efficient and judicious use of irrigation
water in almost all the cereal and vegetable crops wherever surface irrigation techniques are
used.
 Even for harnessing the effect of recommended cultural practices for crop cultivation and soil
health improvement, land levelling is must.
 Thus, land levelling using modern technologies like Laser leveler aims at enhancing water-use
efficiency, improving crop establishment, saving water, time and energy (electricity or diesel)
and finally improve crop productivity and production.
 The importance of land levelling is catching on and farmers in many parts of the country now
realize advantages of this technology and, therefore, pay serious attention in levelling their fields
properly.
 This technology offers a great potential and with appropriate training can also provide useful
employment to the farm youth through custom hiring.
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There are certain prerequisites for land levelling to achieve high precision with less
cost. The following should be considered for precise land levelling.
1. Field slope: A slope of 0 to 0.2% is good for optimum water flow. The field should
have a drain around it to facilitate water management, and small canals (e.g.,10-15 cm
deep) from the middle of the field to the drainage points.
2. Infiltration: It is important to be aware of the physical properties such as infiltration
rates of the sub –soil. In areas where a large amount of soil is moved and hard pans are
removed, excessively high infiltration rate may lead to increased rates of nutrient and
chemical leaching. Infiltration rate should at least match that of the surface soil.
3. Cost of levelling: The initial cost of land levelling using tractors and scarpers is high.
The cost varies according to the topography, the shape of the field and the equipment
used. By and large, the cost of land levelling with laser guided bucket on custom hiring
comes up to INR 1500-2000 per ha in gently sloping fields. The cost of the levelling
operation is two to three times that of a standard tillage operation.
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 The laser levelling involves the use of laser transmitter, that emits a rapidly rotating
beam parallel to the required field plane, which is picked up by a sensor (receiving unit)
fitted to a tractor towards the scraper unit. The signal received is converted into cut and
fill level adjustment and the corresponding changes in the scraper level are carried out
automatically by a hydraulic control system. The scraper guidance is fully automatic;
the elements of operator errors are removed allowing consistently accurate land
levelling.
 A laser controlled land levelling system consists of following five major components viz..
1. Drag Bucket
2. Laser Transmitter
3. Laser Receiver
4. Control Panel
5. Hydraulic Control System

1. Drag Bucket: The drag bucket can be

either 3–point linkage mounted on or
pulled by the tractor. Pull type system is
preferred as it is easier to connect the
tractor’s hydraulic system to an external
hydraulic ram than connecting to the
internal control system used by the 3-
point–linkage system. Bucket dimensions
and capacity will vary according to the
available power source and field
conditions. A 60 H.P. tractor can pull a 2
m wide × 1 m deep bucket in most soil
types. The design specifications for the
bucket should match the available power
from the tractor (Figure).
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2. Laser Transmitter: The laser

transmitter mounts on a tripod,
which allows the laser beam to
sweep above the field (Figure).
Several tractors with laser unit
and drag bucket can work from
one transmitter with guidance
from laser receiver.

3. Laser Receiver: The laser receiver is a

multi directional receiver that detects the
position of the laser reference plane and
transmits this signal to the control box
(Figure). The receiver mounts on a manual
or electric mast attached to the drag
bucket. It is mounted on the scraper. A set
of controls allow the laser receiver to
control the height of the bucket on the
scraper. The operator can adjust the
settings on the receiver, and he can
override the receiver when he needs to
pick up a bucketful of soil and transport it
to another section of the field.
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4. Control Panel: The control box accepts

and processes signals from the machine
mounted receiver. It displays these signals
to indicate the drag bucket's positions
related to the finished grade (Figure).
When the control box is set to automatic,
it provides electrical output for driving the
hydraulic valve. The control box mounts
on the tractor within easy reach of the
operator. The three control box switches
are ON/OFF, Auto/ Manual Raise/Lower,
which allows the operator to manually
raise or lower the drag bucket.

5. Hydraulic Control System:

The hydraulic system of the
tractor is used to supply oil to
raise and lower the levelling
bucket. The oil supplied by the
tractors hydraulic pump is
normally delivered at 2000-3000
psi (Figure).
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 Laser controlled grading technology is currently the best method to grade a beam of light
that can travel up to 700 m in a perfectly straight line.
 The second part of the laser leveler systems is a receiver that senses the infra-red beam of
light and converts it to an electrical signal.
 The electrical signal is directed by a control box to activate an electric hydraulic valve.
This hydraulic valve raises and lowers the blade of a grader several times a second to
keep it following the infra-red beam.
 Laser levelling of a field is accomplished with a dual slope laser that automatically
controls the blade of the land leveler to precisely grade the surface to eliminate all
undulations tending to hold water.
 Laser transmitters create a reference plane over the work area by rotating the laser beam
360 degrees. The receiving system detects the beam and automatically guides the machine
to maintain proper grade. The laser can be leveled or sloped in two directions. This is all
accomplished automatically without operator touching the hydraulic controls.
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 Improving nutrient use efficiency with minimized leaching of available nutrients.

 Improving crop establishment, uniform growth, uniform distribution of water and
nutrients.
 Improving uniformity of crop maturity.
 Approximately 3 to 5 % increase in cultivable area.
 Potential to increase water application efficiency up to 50%.
 Increase in yield of crops (wheat-15 %, rice-26 % & cotton-36 %).
 Control in emergence of salt affected patches in the soil.
 Approximately 25-35 % saving in irrigation water.
 Saves energy, labour and resources.

 High cost of the equipment/laser instrument.

 Need for skilled operator to set/adjust laser settings and operate the tractor.
 More efficient for regularly sized and shaped field.
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 Correct assessment of average height of the field. Always drive the laser leveller
from higher portions of the field to lower portions.
 The machine along with all its accessories should be thoroughly cleaned after
operations and parked in a shed.
 The measuring equipment's of the machine should always be refixed at the time of
levelling a new field.
 The machine should be operated and repaired only by a trained person.

 Brown manuring is similar to green

manuring, except the fact that rice and
Sesbania spp. are both grown together and
when these dhaincha plants overtake the rice
plants in height at about 25 days of co-
culture, a weedicide 2, 4-D is applied to kill
these Sesbania plants.
 After 4-5 days of spraying Sesbania plants
will appear brown and then start dying.
 As it is a selective herbicide, it kills only Sesbania plants and not the rice plants. This is
called knocking down effect.
 Brown manuring is usually recommended for the rice which is directly seeded, but not
when transplanting is done.
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 The technology is more suitable for risk prone agro-ecosystems in

which direct seeding of rice is done.
 As most of the Indian rice growers are resourcepoor, the technology can
add more benefit with very marginal input cost.

 Brown manuring increases the soil organic carbon content, there by

supplying required nitrogen for the rice plants. Thus, a part of
nitrogenous fertilizer (up to 25%) can be replaced by brown manuring.
 It also increases the rice yield as reported by research experiments,
thereby improving the economical benefit of the farmers.
 It also improves the soil health parameters like organic carbon content
and earthworm population of the soil.
 Brown manuring reduces the weed population in the early stage due to
its high growth rate and competition with the weeds.
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 Use of Azolla (a water fern used as biofertilizer) in rice production is probably one
of the most economical and eco-friendly approach.
 It not only improves productivity and income but also saves fertilizer and improves
soil health.
 On an average, dry Azolla contains 2.08 percent N, 0.61 percent P2O5, 2.05 percent
K2O, and has a C:N ratio of 14:1.
 It is known to accumulate significant amounts of K. Azolla can accumulate 30–40
kg K2O/ha from irrigation water in the paddy field.
 One crop of Azolla can provide 20–40 kg N/ha to the rice crop in about 20–25 days.
 The amount of inoculum to be applied varies between 300-500 kg/ha and 2-5 ton/ha
of fresh biomass.

 Leaf nitrogen is closely related to photosynthesis rate and grain yield in rice (Peng
et al., 1995a).
 It is a sensitive indicator for the dynamic changes in plant nitrogen, so nitrogen
status monitoring during the growing period is essential to achieve efficient
nitrogen fertilizer management and higher grain yield in paddy rice.
 Since, most rice farmers due to its time consuming procedures (10–14 days) do not
generally use the direct measurement of leaf nitrogen concentration, so a method
simple, rapid, and reliable field scale method is necessary to detect the leaf nitrogen
status and predict the precise time and rate of nitrogen fertilizer topdressing.
 The chlorophyll meter provides a simple, rapid and nondestructive method for
estimating leaf chlorophyll content (Watanabe et al., 1980).
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 The meter estimates the amount of

chlorophyll present by measuring the
amount of light that is transmitted
through a leaf. In essence, it determines
"how green is this plant."
 Chlorophyll meters can provide
instantaneous, on-site information in a
nondestructive manner. Fields can be
monitored easily throughout the year.
 The chlorophyll meter is user friendly
and can compute the average value of
several samples.

 Calibration of a chlorophyll meter is necessary each time the meter is used.

 Before inserting plant tissue, calibrate by pressing on the finger rest to close the
head. After the meter beeps, a display is shown indicating the meter is ready for the
first sample.
 Sample rice leaves with the chlorophyll meter before scheduling aerial applications
of midseason nitrogen.
 Normally, this is done shortly after the internode begins to elongate in the rice
stems.
 Insert the newest fully expanded leaf from each plant while avoiding old or
immature leaves. Keep track of how many readings have been made by monitoring
the 'N=' displayed at the top of the screen on the chlorophyll meter.
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 It is best to collect at least 20 chlorophyll readings on small fields (less than 40

acres). On large fields take one reading for every two acres (e.g., an 80-acre field
would require 40 samples).
 Since the chlorophyll meter will accept only 30 readings at a time, it may be
necessary to split a large field in half. Be sure to collect readings from each bay of
the field.
 Try to avoid areas in fields that are not representative of fieldwide conditions.
 After all the readings are made, press the button marked "average" to compute the
average reading for the field.
 In India, the critical SPAD values for transplanted rice have been found to be 37 for
wet (kharif) season and 35 to 37 for dry and winter (rabi) season to obtain high
yield.

 Nitrogen (N) is the most important nutrient for rice but it is the most limiting
element in almost all soils. Optimal N supply matching with the actual crop demand
is thus vital for improving crop growth and maximizing production.
 Among the various strategies available for N management, leaf colour chart (LCC)
for real-time N management in rice is a simple, easy and inexpensive option.
 The leaf colour chart (LCC) is an innovative cost effective tool for real-time or crop-
need-based N management in Rice, Maize and Wheat.
 LCC is a visual and subjective indicator of plant nitrogen deficiency and is an
inexpensive, easy to use and simple alternative to chlorophyll meter/SPAD meter
(soil plant analysis development).
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 It measures leaf color intensity that is related

to leaf N status.
 LCC is an ideal tool to optimize N use in Rice
at high yield levels, irrespective of the source
of N applied, viz., organic manure, biologically
fixed N, or chemical fertilizers. Thus, it is an
eco-friendly tool in the hands of farmers.
 Now, it is manufactured with 4 colours called
Four Panel LCC & 6 colors called Six Panel
LCC, from yellowish green (panel no. 2) to
dark green (panel no. 5).
 The colour strips are fabricated with veins
resembling those of rice leaves.

 Purpose of using LCC is to apply adequate amount of nitrogen and avoid

application of fertilizer more than required.
 Use of LCC helps to determine nitrogen demand of the crop and guide right time of
fertilizer nitrogen application so as to prevent unwanted nitrogen losses and their
serious impacts on the ecosystem, like insect-pest attack due to excessive growth of
higher N application.
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Take the first LCC reading at 14 days after transplanting (DAT). For direct wet-seeded
rice, start taking readings at 21 days after direct wet seeding.
1. Randomly select 10 healthy plants in your field where plant distribution is uniform.
2. Select the topmost, fully expanded and healthy leaf of each of the 10 plants. Take LCC
readings by placing the middle part of the leaf on top of the LCC’s colour strips for
comparison. Do not detach the leaf and do not expose the LCC to direct sunlight
during readings. The same person should take the LCC readings at same time of the
day between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. from first up to the last reading.
3. If more than 5 out of 10 leaves have readings below 4 in transplanted rice and below 3
in direct wet-seeded rice, apply 30 kg N/ha during dry season (DS) or 23 kg N/ha
during wet season (WS).
4. Repeat LCC readings every seven days until the first flowering. Different sets of 10
leaves can be used for each weekly reading.

 Saving of nitrogen thus helps in taking more crops from available

fertilizer.
 Less cost
 Reduce disease and insect-pest infestation
 Reduction of GHG emission
 Reduction in pollution of soil and water.
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Several factors influence LCC readings:

 Varietal group
 Plant or tiller density
 Variability in solar radiation between seasons
 Status of nutrients other than N in soil and plant