Direct seeded rice can cut water use by 35%, lower costs by Rs 14,000 per hectare

Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) can reduce water use by up to 35 percent and lower cultivation costs by around Rs 14,000 per hectare, agricultural experts said at a conference in New Delhi, calling for wider adoption of the method to address growing pressure on water resources and rising farm costs.

The Federation of Seed Industry of India organised the second edition of its conference on “Direct Seeded Rice for Sustainable and Profitable Rice Production” at the NASC Complex. The event brought together policymakers, scientists, industry leaders and agricultural experts to discuss ways to scale up the adoption of DSR across India’s rice-growing regions.

Experts said that traditional rice cultivation methods are increasingly placing pressure on groundwater resources, especially in the north-western rice belt.

Ajai Rana, Chairman, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) and also the CEO and Managing Director of Savannah Seeds, said groundwater extraction in major rice-producing states has reached critical levels. In Punjab, groundwater extraction has reached nearly 156 percent of annual recharge, while in Haryana it stands at around 137 percent, indicating severe stress on aquifers.

He noted that rice is one of the most water-intensive crops. Producing one kilogram of rice requires around 3,000 to 5,000 litres of water. Agriculture accounts for nearly 80 percent of India’s freshwater withdrawals, highlighting the urgent need for more water-efficient farming methods.

Rana said the seed industry has been working with research institutions and farmers to promote DSR through technological innovations.

One of the major challenges in DSR cultivation is effective weed management. According to Rana, the seed industry, in collaboration with public research institutions, has introduced herbicide tolerance technologies developed by both public and private sectors. These technologies help farmers control weeds more effectively using herbicides.

During the last kharif season, nearly one lakh acres of farmland were cultivated using herbicide-tolerant rice through drill-based sowing under the DSR method. The highest adoption was reported in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, he said.

Experts also pointed to new challenges emerging in DSR cultivation. Rana said issues such as nematode infestation during germination are being addressed through continued technological innovation.

P K Singh, Commissioner in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said early results from states adopting DSR technologies are encouraging. He added that new agricultural technologies will play a key role in transforming farming practices in India. These include biological crop protection solutions, improved crop protection chemistry and next-generation seed technologies such as hybrid and gene-edited varieties.

According to Singh, when these innovations are combined with improved farming practices, they can significantly improve agricultural sustainability and productivity.

Trilochan Mohapatra, former Secretary of DARE and Director General of ICAR, said DSR has the potential to greatly improve efficiency in rice cultivation while reducing input costs for farmers.

He estimated that 20 to 60 percent of India’s rice-growing area could potentially transition to DSR depending on agro-ecological conditions. India currently cultivates rice on nearly 44 million hectares of land, meaning even partial adoption could result in significant savings in groundwater, irrigation energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

However, Mohapatra noted that the adoption of new agricultural technologies in India has often been slow and challenging. He stressed that collaboration between public institutions and the private sector will be crucial to support farmers in adopting DSR.

A K Singh said rice will remain central to India’s food security, but production systems must evolve to address emerging challenges such as climate change and natural resource conservation. The conference also featured discussions on policy measures, agronomic practices, weed management strategies, seed technologies and mechanisation needed to expand DSR adoption across the country.

A progressive farmer from Madhya Pradesh shared his experience of adopting the method, saying it helped reduce labour costs and water use while improving the efficiency of rice cultivation.