Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
a. Introduction and adoption of location-specific rice vari-
eties
: Agricultural research institutions in India have released
over 40 new varieties of rice since it started its formal research
and development programme in the country. While most of
these varieties were developed for high-potential irrigated land
(e.g. 13 for the Terai and the fertile valleys and 11 for the Hills),
a number of them were also developed for climatically mar-
ginal areas. About 25% of these 40 varieties were specifically
recommended for rain-fed regions having intermittent drought
periods, of which three were for the rain-fed condition of the
mid- and far-western Terai region, four were for the drought-
prone regions of the Hills and three were developed as cold-
tolerant varieties for high-altitude regions of the Mountains. In
the very poor rain-fed rice-growing area of the Mountains and
the Hills, participatory plant breeding has led to a successful
intervention and adoption of improved rice varieties.
A good example of this was the release of two high-altitude
rice varieties,
Machhapuchre-3
and
Machhapuchre-9,
in the
mid-1990s. Studies show that
Machhapuchre-3
was signifi-
cantly superior to local varieties, producing 42% higher yield
in rice-growing areas situated between 1500 and 2200 m above
sea level (Sthapit et al., 1996; Joshi et al., 2001). Similarly,
Machhapuchre-9
was found to be doing well in areas located
at altitudes >2200 m above sea level. Likewise,
Rampur Masuli
,
another improved rice variety, has been replacing local low-
yielding varieties due to its ability to mature 10-15 days earlier,
an important consideration for farmers in regions with intermit-
tent drought. The additional features that have led to a wider
adoption of this variety include better tilling, high-yielding
capacity and tolerance against foliar diseases (Joshi et al., 2001).
In India, centralised research and development policies of
the past may also imply that technological innovation policy
could be assessed and planned without much consideration of
the particular climatic or other conditions at the local level. It
is at the local level that availability of technology and other
information determines the production choices of farmers.
Understanding how location-specific needs are addressed
by farmers and their supporting institutions is the first step
towards identifying options for potential agricultural adapta-
tion in a changing context.
b. Adoption of climate-appropriate management prac-
tices
: Varietal improvement alone will have limited impacts
on rice productivity, especially in marginal climatic areas.
Low soil fertility and lack of water are other major constraints
that are difficult to overcome. Researchers in India have been
