Recommendations of
the Technical Session
Presented by
P. K. Basu
Secretary (Agriculture & Cooperation)
Ministry of Agriculture
Government of India
An integrated approach is
necessary to address the
technological, infrastructural and
policy constraints for bridging the
productivity gaps in different crops
Potential of Eastern Region
 The
region is
particularly
endowed
congenial
with climatic conditions
temperature
regime
suitable for year round cropping
 Vast
unexploited agricultural potential
 increasing cropping intensity
 Increasing crop productivity
 The
region witnesses high annual rainfall and is
rich in utilizable surface and ground-water resources
Ground Water Availability and Utilization
80
Ground water in 109 m3
70
Over
Exploited
Average
Under
Developed
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Net annual ground water availability
irrigation
Annual ground water draft for
Consumption for agricultural purpose
(%)
ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION IN KEY STATES (2007-08)
45
41
40
35
34
32
30
25
20
15
16.5
15
13.8
10
5
0
4.2
1.5
0.6
14
The productivity levels of rice and rice-based
cropping systems are about the lowest in the
region when compared with that in other states
Lower Gangetic Plains Region
(WB other than Purulia and hill districts)
Middle Gangetic Plains Region
(Eastern U.P. and Bihar)
Flood/ water logging, poor drainage, Salinity/alkalinity, Arsenic contamination
•
•
Submergence tolerant varieties
of Rice need to be promoted
Scope for utilizing kharif rice
fallows for cultivation of rabi
pulses and oilseeds
• Increasing the fertilizer use
• Use Leaf colour charts for Nitrogen
and promote PSB
• Taking
care
of
widespread
deficiency of zinc and boron.
•
Reduce upland rice areas with
more suitable crops like pulses
and oilseeds
• Promotion of short to medium
duration high yielding varieties
and hybrids of rice and maize
•
Development
of
on-farm
irrigation resources especially
efficient
use
of
ground
water(except
Arsenic
Prone
areas)
• Promotion of maize cultivation
especially in Rabi
• Promotion of early
varieties of sugarcane
maturing
• Development of on-farm irrigation
resources especially efficient use
of ground water
Strategies
Eastern Plateau & Hills Region (Parts of
Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh)
Moisture stress, drought and Soil
acidity, Iron toxicity
East Coast Plains & Hills (Part of
Orissa)
Salinity, Water management, Poor
nutritional status of soil, saline lands
• Promote rainwater harvesting and
storage for increasing crop
productivity
• High yielding varieties for water
logged areas and upland areas
needs to be propagated
• Promotion of medium duration
High yielding varieties/hybrids of
rice
• Discouraging the cultivation of rice
in marginal lands and diversifying
in favour of oilseeds and pulses
• Improvement in seed supply so as
to increase the SRR
• Utilization of rice fallows for
increasing the crop area under
pulses and oilseeds
• Improvement in productivity of
crops in acidic soils through soil
treatment with liming materials
available in the region
• Rice-fish culture
• Improving soil drainage
Strategies
Action Plan (Short/Medium-term)
A.
Rainfed upland Rice
 Rice-based intercropping (Rice + Pigeon pea, 4:1) - S
Field bunding / graded bunding / contour bunding - S
 HYV of 90 -100 days duration - S
 Aerobic rice (Water efficient) – S
 Percolation tanks/check dams/diversion weir – M

B.
Rainfed lowland rice
 Suitable dyke height of the field - S
 Comprehensive drainage system - M
HYV of 120-135 days/140-150 days duration - S
 Rice-fish farming system – S
 INM and IPM - S

Action Plan (Short/Medium term)
C.
Deep Water Rice
 Possible conversion to irrigated rice or other systems
where suitable crops could be grown M
 Improved waterlogging tolerant varieties - S
 Pond-based farming - M
D.




Irrigated rice
SRI (Water saving : 20-25%) – S
Renovation of drainage system - M
Efficient use of ground water (dug-wells, shallow tubewells) – M
Covering more area under Boro Rice - S
Action Plan (Short/Medium-term)
E.
Wheat
 Zero tillage for timely sowing - S
Renovation of field channels - S
 Renovation of drainage system - M
 Efficient use of ground water - M

F.
Maize
 Supply of single cross hybrids and QPM - S
 Ridge and furrow system – S
 Renovation of field channels and drainage system – S/M

Efficient use of ground water - M
Action Plan (Short/Medium-term)
G.
Pulses and Oilseeds
 Utilizing Rice Fallows through relay cropping - S
Intercropping: (sugarcane, cotton, sorghum, maize with
groundnut) - S
 Certified seeds and application of bio-fertilizers – S
 Pest Monitoring and Surveillance – S
 Need for development of pod borer resistant
varieties
 Earthing with ridger-type implements for kharif pulses- S

Strategic Research
Screening of new pests and diseases and
their effective management in the wake of
climatic changes
 Water and Nitrogen use efficient crops
 Weed Management and strategic crop
development
 Season independent designer crops
 Improvement of hybrids, nutrition and
value added crops

ORISSA
Planned Intervention
Amount
SRI demonstration
Hybrid demonstrations
5.96 (Kharif)
3.14* (Rabi)
9.15*
Pulse seed village programme (On (A3P) model
10.50*
Hybrid sunflower demonstration (1000 nos.; 1 ha each)
4.02
•Treatment of highly acidic soils through application of
PMS
2.34 (+5.00 crore under
NFSM)
•E-pest surveillance
kharif
rabi
•Demonstration on use of herbicides
2.70
3.49*
0.50*
Hybrid maize demonstration (30,000 ha)
Bund plantation
12.10
0.50
Bio ferrtilizer application, vermicompost/ vermihatcheries
2.66
Subsidized sale of farm Equipments and machinery
20.00*
Exposure visits/training of farmers/extension staff.
2.13
Chhattisgarh
Component
Construction of runoff management structures (Checkdam)
Construction of Minor Irrigation Tanks
Demonstration of HYV Rice for 0.4 ha
Demonstration of HYV (OP) / Hybrid Maize
Demonstration of Technology with special emphasis on Tissue culture
plant of Sugarcane
Distribution of seed minikits of pulse & oilseeds as the minor crop in
intercropping / mixed cropping/ bund farming
Organic Vegetable Production Model in cluster
Other Activities :
Incentive to the farmer to promote the line sowing of Paddy crop (Hire
charges of Tractors with Seed-cum-fertilizer drill)
Integrated Nutrition Management Balance fertilizer kits for Rice
Agricultural Technology Support to the farmers recently allotted with
permanent lease of forest arable land
Administrative/Contingent expenses on monitoring etc.
Total :
Amt
20.00
20.00
2.50
2.50
3.75
2.70
2.70
0.15
2.62
10.00
0.22
67.14
Bihar
Component
Activities
Rice (Kharif)
Demonstration(Hybrid Rice with S.R.I. Technique, Hybrid Rice with
P.P.C), Seed distribution of Hybrid and High yielding varieties,
capacity building, Distribution of micro nutrients, weedicides and
Plant Protection Chemicals, demonstration of Summer Rice and
Boro Rice, Distribution of seed of Summer Rice and Boro Rice.
Rice (Summer)
Boro Rice
Wheat
Maize
Intercropping of
Maize+Arhar
Pulse Production
Intercropping of
sugarcane
Reclamation of
acidic and sodic soil
Amt in crores
Demonstration (With S.W.I. Technique) Distribution of HYV seed,
Micro Nutrients & Pump sets for irrigation and contingency.
Demonstration, seed distribution, capacity building
(farmers/officers), Distribution of Irrigation Pipes, Plant Protection
chemicals & equipments, Distribution of Micro Nutrients and
weedicides, Contingency.
Demonstration, Seed Distribution of Maize & Arhar, Distribution of
Rhizobium Culture, Plant Protection equipments, Plant protection
chemicals/Bio-pesticides.
Demonstration, Distribution of Seed Sprinkeler Sets, Rhizobium
culture, Plant Protection implements and Plant Protection
Chemicals.
seed distribution of Lentil, Green gram, Rajmah, Black gram,
coriander and Potato.
Reclamation of acidic & sodic soil in different districts of Bihar.
19.85
19.87
4.23
2.46
6.99
3.91
6.62
Total Amount
63.94
Jharkhand
Activity
Amount
Construction of Irrigation and Rain Water
6.17
Harvesting structures
Intensive cultivation of rice in 17 non-Nfsm
12.75
districts as under Nfsm rice
Intensive Cultivation of Pulses in remaining 9
3.45
non-Nfsm Pulses districts- slow replacement of
upland rice with pulses
Maize & Wheat Development Programme- MMA
4.11
pattern of assistance for maize and wheat for
reducing yield gaps .
Soil amendments – basic slag,
2.40
Bridging Knowledge Gaps / Training
0.70
Total
29.60
Uttar Pradesh
Amt in
crores
Demonstration,
seed distribution, agricultural implements,
8.31
Rice
Capacity building, Gypsum distribution for reclamation of
scattered patches of sodic land, micro nutrient application and
contingency.
Demonstration, sprinkler sets, seed distribution, bio fertilizer,
11.20
Wheat
agricultural implements, Capacity building, incentive for line
sowing, green manuring with Dhaincha, incentive for Dhaincha
seed production and contingency.
Demonstration, bio fertilizer, seed distribution, Capacity
5.1
Rabi Maize
building, contingency.
Intercropping with Urd and Lentill, Distribution of Ridge maker.
13.81
Sugarcane
Planter, Capacity building, contingency.
23.42
Creation
of Shallow boring for 3500 tube wells along with dedicated pump
set on these boring
irrigation
Component
Activities
potential
Total
57.26
West Bengal
Intervention
Production & Distribution of seeds (Hybrid & HYV)
Amt in crores
25.00
Creation of Minor Irrigation Facilities
25.00
Conservation of land & Water Resources
23.20
Farm Mechanization & Technology Dissemination
20.00
Addressing problematic soils across the State
10.00
Total
103.20
Key Interventions









Developing additional water sources through tube
wells, dug wells and farm ponds
Promotion of Hybrid Rice
Promotion of Flood, Drought, Cold and Salinity
tolerant rice varieties
Use of Drum seeders for timely planting of direct
seeded rice
Promotion of SRI
Site specific nutrient management
Liming treatment in acidic soils
Pest monitoring and Surveillance
Bringing additional area under
Summer/Boro Rice
 Pulses and oilseeds crops through relay cropping in rice fallows
 Promoting pigeon pea as intercrop

Approach


Campaign mode of implementation creating clusters of successfully
adopted villages
Convergence of schemes
◦ Mechanism for synchronized actions
◦ Maximizing benefits of different schemes

Private Sector participation
◦ for management of irrigation assets
◦ supply chain for different crops


Use of ICT to deliver crop advisories through Kiosks, Telephones
and SMS
Dedicated Administrative Structure
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Result oriented approach
Stability of tenure
Assigning officers of proven merit
Regular monitoring and concurrent evaluation
Rewards scheme
Sum up
Immense potential exists in the region for enhancing
farm output through development and judicious use
of available natural resources.
 Region specific strategy has been developed involving

◦
◦
◦
◦
in-situ and on-farm conservation of rain-water,
comprehensive drainage system for water –logged soils,
restoration of soil fertility,
promoting use of efficient farm implements and input –
responsive varieties/hybrids and creating infrastructure
that facilitates input supply and technology dissemination
Approaches for implementation have been suggested
to create impact
 Efforts will have to be sustained over a period of time
to show desired results

Adopting Regionally differentiated
strategy
• addressing the key constraints with
appropriate technology and
• Innovative development approaches
is the key for effective
implementation
THANK YOU