Human Security in India: Issues, Challenges and Responses

Saguna Rice Technique (SRT) – a technique in sight which is likely to give positive turn to environmental challenges & food security of the World.
National seminar on Human Security in India: Issues, Challenges and Responses
By Chandrashekhar H. Bhadsavle
Saguna Rural Foundation, Neral, Raigad, MH.
Introduction

Biological world revolves around carbon. Carbon in gaseous form is CO2 which is always referred negatively. Same CO2 is responsible for the process of photosynthesis as well as all living beings on earth. Photosynthesis produces carbohydrates in plant body, the liquid form of carbon. The same carbon when becomes solid, it is called as Humus, which is present in the soil. High amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere today (400ppm and it should be 300ppm) is a negative concern to the world. Plants with the help of soil microbes can fix this gaseous carbon into soil making the motherly earth fertile, with many more other positive effects. The process of thin air getting converted into humus in soil, progresses through Photosynthesis – Resynthesis – Exudation and Humification. This is nature’s perfect technology of balancing gaseous carbon from the environment. But it is sabotaged by ploughing and tilling the land which is a degenerative method of carbon sequestration. SRT is a regenerative method of farming which is an efficient and efficient method of carbon sequestration. Best part of the SRT is that it is very simple and remunerative to adopt by the farmers.

What is SRT ?

Saguna Rice Technique is a unique new method of cultivation of rice and related rotation crops without ploughing, puddling and transplanting (rice) on permanent raised beds. This is a zero till, Conservation Agriculture (CA) type of cultivation method evolved at Saguna Baug, Neral, Dist. Raigad, Maharashtra, India. It reduces treacherous labour by 50%, cost of production by 40%, stops emission of greenhouse gases and improves soil fertility (On top of all SRT brings joy and confidence to the rice farmers).

What’s so special about SRT?

The Rhizosphere, which is the natural eco-system around the roots, benefits greatly by the permanent raised bed system. The most important friends of any plant growth are aerobic microorganisms. These essentially need oxygen and organic carbon for them to flourish. The raised beds further facilitate the adjustment of moisture to optimum levels. Together; these conditions promote vigorous, hairy and white root growth, making crops grow uniformly healthy. The width of leaf blade is observed to become double or more as compared to transplanted rice. This brings joy to the farmer during crop growth stage while performing more efficient photosynthesis. The abundance in production by SRT becomes the reason for confidence built up of the farmer.

Importance of not tilling the land, and leaving the plant root (Source of lignin) of previous crop to decay slowly in the bed as used in the SRT Technique was drawn from the works of Dr. Amir Kasam (CA-FAO) and Mr. Pratap Chiplunkar (innovative farmer specialised in soil fertility), as reported in various literature and articles on their work. In this technique, the conventional steps in rice cultivation such as ploughing, tilling and transplanting of rice seedlings are not required. Hence there is no requirement for puddling and by avoiding transplanting, the delicate texture and structure of the top soil is protected. Also puddling causes washing away of the fine silt and the top soil. The farmers are generally unhappy about the loss of top soil. The rice cultivators have been doing so for centuries, because of lack of a viable alternative known to them. By avoiding puddling, SRT addresses the unnecessary loss of top soil. Puddling requires a large quantity of water, which is available to the farmer either through irrigation or through rain. In addition puddling is either tractor dependent or bullock dependent operation. SRT eliminates the dependence of the rice cultivator for extra water, and in addition the process of puddling with the help of machines or bullock. This reduces the cost and anxiety of puddling to the cultivator. In rainfed condition SRT has proved to be successfully mitigating climate change. Excessive rain in the initial stage of 2013 and severe shortage of rain during 2014 and 2015 have not adversely affected the performance of SRT.

Principles of SRT
  • In this method, ploughing and puddling are to be avoided for several years (probably for next 20 years or more). Thus, the process of transplanting also is not involved.
  • Weeds are to be controlled by general purpose weedicides and selective weedicides. Roots and left over parts of the previous crop (crop residues) and the weeds are allowed to decay slowly in-situ.
  • Rice after rice is to be avoided. The rotation should involve pulses and oilseed crops.
  • In this method the transplanting shock is not there and as a result the period involved in post acclimatization of the seedling is saved, & hence the crop gets ready 8 to 10 days earlier. However the farmer should be alert in choosing the right variety of rice for his soil type.
Disadvantages of ploughing, puddling and transplanting of rice:
  • Ploughing loosens the top 10 to 12 inches of soil and puts immense amount of pressure at the bottom of the plough. This creates a hard pan which reduces percolation of rainwater and prevents recharging of subsoil aquifer.
  • Ploughing destroys the life cycle of earthworms, by destroying their homes, eggs, babies and food chain. The hardpan also prevents their vertical movements in the ground. Earthworms are important for the fertility of the soil, loosening of the soil, and sub-terranean turning over of the soil which facilitates infiltration. The side benefits of earthworm are that they serve as a foundation for diverse ecosystem in rice fields. The frogs, the earthworms the wild fishes, the birds, the lizards all the friends of the farmers have returned in good numbers to SRT plots .
  • Ploughing and puddling initiate surface flow. This washes away organic matter, fine essential nutrients, applied fertilizers and pesticides, and leaves behind sandy particles.
  • Ploughing and puddling in rice fields are followed by transplanting, to be able to carry it out, the farmer requires a tractor, and sufficient skilled labour. Because of higher expectations, the youth is not interested in the “Mucky work”. Hence even after the readiness to spend larger amounts, sufficient labour is not available. The farmer in addition is faced with the ground reality of the unavailability of rental tractors or power-tiller and sufficient water. All these factors together make timely transplanting almost impossible.
  • Ploughing and puddling exposes the sub terranean carbon and destroy the most valuable organic carbon in the soil, contributing to greenhouse gases. As organic carbon falls below 1 %, the fertilizer efficiency is reduced considerably. This forces the farmer to use more fertilizer, a major part of which is leached into the ground water resources. Lower than 1% organic carbon adversely affects the soil quality such as water holding capacity, excess water drainage capacity and the osmotic capacity of the plant roots, surrounded by such soil. (All these reduce crop resilience, and its poor adaptability to climatic changes. As a result, it negatively affects the confidence and sustainability of the farmer).
Multidimensional advantages of SRT:-
  • In the 4th year of SRT team’s working with more than 2000 rain dependant rice farmers in 4 districts of Maharashtra, almost all of them report they feel joyous and enthused looking at their lush rice field and thereby strengthened their confidence in rice cultivation because of the resilient crop stand.
  • By avoiding ploughing, puddling, transplanting and hand hoeing, it saves 30-40% cost of production as compared to conventional method of rice cultivation. Also it avoids the drudgery of labour involved in rice cultivation, especially for farm women.
  • Loss of valuable silt (about 20% of puddle water going out of field) during puddling is prevented. By retaining the roots of previous crops, and allowing them to decay slowly at the same spot, quickly increases the levels of organic carbon in the soil. Thus, more fertile land can be handed over to the next generation.
  • SRT has the ability to bring uniformity in high yields of rice, with all soil types and different socio-economic groups.
  • We noticed a good number of earthworms on SRT beds during rainy condition. This is a big positive achievement of SRT.
  • Avoiding of Puddling on vast paddy cultivation will drastically reduce diesel consumption and thus reduce emission of CO2. SRT being the aerobic method, it will prevent methane generation. Thus, drastically making it a “Climate Smart Agriculture” and bringing down greenhouse gas emission from paddy cultivation world over.
  • SRT insists on retaining the roots of previous crop in the bed. The root network prevents soil from cracking and makes it spongier. The dying and drying root form capillaries in the soil, which makes it easy for air movement in the root zone area.
  • Since the need for transplanting is avoided, the traumatic shock to the rice seedlings is not caused in SRT. This reduces pest and disease problems. SRT also gets rice crop ready 8 to 10 days earlier thus saving time required between two crops.
  • SRT insists on planting 2nd crop on residual moisture and if irrigation is available a 3rd crop. This enables higher land use efficiency two to three times and keeps the land covered with cover crops for 120 to 130 additional days of a year. Thus SRT is a major facilitator for carbon sequestration of atmospheric free carbon. It has been proved beyond doubt that taking 2 to 3 crop cycles as mentioned above has become very easy. Thus, SRT has the potential to considerably increase GDP(Gross Domestic Product/Gross Agriculture Product).
  • Leaves of rice plant on SRT beds are considerably broader, erect and resilient. This automatically enables more efficient photosynthesis and higher yield than their counterparts in the conventional method.
  • SRT performs well even in low-lying areas. In such areas at the time of harvesting, by the conventional method, drying of crop becomes a problem whereas with SRT raised beds the drying of crop is quite easy.
  • During milling of paddy, SRT crop can yield a higher percentage recovery of whole grains.
  • No -till will prevent the hard pan formation. Appearance of earthworms and their hibernation in deeper soils will create deep burrows which will enable better absorption of water and recharging of aquifers.
  • SRT reduces seed rate to a great extent. It also reduces fertilizer and pesticide requirement because of its more efficient utilization and the crop stand being more resilient.
  • Availability of extra free time coupled with vigorous crop stand, SRT farm families have a chance to improve their livelihood and their place in the society.
  • The main task is the dibbling of seed which can be performed under dry soil conditions or under optimally moist soil conditions as the case may be. Dibbling of seed can be done by any one from the farmer’s family, irrespective of age and sex and thereby direct outflow of cash is reduced to minimum.
The Technique
  • Preparation of raised beds
    Plough the land and make it workable by rotavator. Draw lines at 136cms apart along the flow of flood/rainwater. By using ridger or a plough with 20cms cross board or hand tools like spade, make furrows on the line so that raised bed having 100 cms width is made. Give finishing touch with the help of spade and make them well.
  • The SRT Frame used for dibbling
    The main purpose of the frame is to be able to put the seeds into the soil or bed at pre decided distance. SRT frame is made up of angle iron and iron pipes to be able to make 20 holes at a time on the SRT beds. The main frame is 100 cms x 75 cms. The hole making pegs are welded at 25cms x 25cms apart. It is provided with 2 handles with which the frame is to be pushed into the bed soil, each time by punching one of the 2 persons. SRT frame can also be used by rocking it side wise. One has to be careful that pointed pegs do not hurt the toes. We are trying to develop or locate a machine which will perform all 3 operation making holes, putting seed and covering the seed) on the bed.
  • Rice by SRT method
  • This method has been confirmed by us to be good for rainfed kharif season.
  • Dibbling of rice seeds should be done at par with traditional sowing time, which is at the onset of monsoon.
  • One should be aware that crop will be ready 10-12 days earlier than transplanting method.
  • Spray general purpose weedicide Glyphosate (100 ml Glyphosate + 50 gms Urea + 15 litre water), if the beds are made earlier which already have some green growth. The next crop seed can be dibbled within 2 hours after spraying of Glyphosate.
  • Put 3-4 grains of mixed fertilizer (Suphala) and followed by 3-4 seeds of Rice and cover the same.
  • About 20 to 25 kg seed is required to dibble 1 hectare of land. Additionally about 1/10th portion of total required seed should be sown in lines on one of the bed for probable gap filling purpose.
  • Spray selective weedicide Goal/Oxyfluorfen (15ml Goal +15 litre water) on the bed within 10 to 12 hours after moistening of the beds, either by rain or by irrigation. Walk backwards while spraying, taking care of not stepping on the sprayed surface.
  • The two major pests namely crabs and wild rats that can destroy newly germinated seedlings must be taken care of. This is very important because all other green growth of weeds which could have become their food has been finished by weedicides. For crabs, mix granulated insecticide Thymate or Phorate with cooked rice (200gms Thymate/Phorate + 2 kgs rice grain). Make small balls, put it in crabs hole and plug with wet soil. For rats, 1 kg broken rice apply about 50ml any edible oil, sprinkle 5gm Zinc Phosphide powder, mix it thoroughly and put in a very thin line near the rat infestation area in the field. Care should be taken in both these cases to wear plastic or rubber gloves.
  • If ideal monsoon has prevailed and earlier 2 weedicides spraying by farmer has been precise, the further weed problem will have been controlled effectively. But if unforeseen situation of rain and/or sunshine arise, post emergence weed problem will have to be tackled. In such case post emergence weedicides such as I. For broad leaves weed - Almix (metsulfuron methyl 10% + chlorimuron ethyl 10% WP) II. For grassy leaves weed - Clincher (cyhalofop butyl) are to be used effectively.
  • At about 20-25 days stage, if the weed problem is minimal, finish it manually. Simultaneously apply urea (DAP) briquette or 1 teaspoon full of granulated mixed fertilizer in between the four hills/plants of rice. Only 1 application of 175 kg urea briquette per hectare is usually sufficient to get good crop by this method. As percent organic carbon in the soil increases because of SRT, the fertilizer requirement is expected to reduce.
  • After 5 to 6 days of application of urea briquette the plot starts looking very good. Until then farmer must pay very good attention to his crop. Bunds of the plot should be kept clean by Glyphosate.
  • It’s good idea to make a simple light trap for insects to monitor heavy attack of any major pests. For this purpose stay in touch with experts of university and control pest problem just in time. According to our observation, if SRT is followed precisely the microclimate required for endemic pest breeding is not created. Hence heavy pest attack has not been observed in past 4 years in SRT plots.
  • 3-4 days after harvesting of paddy, Glyphosate must be sprayed as mentioned above from end to end of the plot. This enables the juice (moisture) in the paddy stubbles to get absorbed in the soil. Also the weeds on the beds die and cover the bed which is highly beneficial for soil health.
Scientific facts of SRT

We all are concerned about increased levels of carbon dioxide in the environment and its pressure on the global warming and climate change. There is no effective machine that can capture this increasing devil and bury it into soil. But green plants can do the job easily in the form of humus created from roots, stems, leaves etc for long duration of time. This preservation method of carbon compounds is called as carbon sequestration. When green plants fix this atmospheric carbon into top soil, it automatically brings wealth of environmental productivity and quality of life benefits. Building soil carbon requires green plants and soil microbes. Soil microbes are most essential to facilitate the plant food availability. Through 4 steps carbon dioxide in air is converted into soil. These steps are

  • Photosynthesis
  • Resynthesis
  • Exudation
  • Humification

Green leaves and grasses take CO2 inside carry out endothermic reaction (photosynthesis) which not only has cooling effect but also produces simple sugars (food) and throws out oxygen. Most importantly they capture the loose gaseous CO2 from atmosphere and ably fix it into soil for long duration.

Modern agriculture professes deep ploughing and pulverization of soil to be able to make soil workable for modern seed sowing machines and transplanting and to get air into root zone area. Invariably this is followed by intercultural operations. This system advocates application of organic carbon in the form of cow dung manure or compost. Both these sources of organic carbon are made up of top portion of the plant which is decomposed at another place letting wastage of valuable organic acids that are produced during decomposition. Ploughing and pulverization crushes the organic matter of plant residue which in the presence of solar radiation and atmospheric oxygen combine with atmospheric oxygen to form carbon dioxide. This in turn escapes into environment. This is the most common situation that takes place in warm countries like India.

SRT is zero-till conservation agriculture method where year after year land is not ploughed or tilled in any case and the roots of the previous crop are allowed to decay in the same spot. General purpose weedicides are used to effectively carry out the process. All these things in combination trigger a positive chain of events in the soil. Large quantity of lignin is added to subsoil in form of roots and undisturbed by any machine causing its slow decaying over a long period of time making feasible for on-going microbial activity in the soil.

Absence of mechanical operations prevents crushing of earthworm, eggs and their homes. Availability of semi-decomposed organic matter for long periods provides food supply which is their need. Thus their abundant presence occurs naturally. Earthworms vertical movement in deeper layers of ground during hibernation process makes burrows into the soil which also facilitate air movement in the deeper layer of soil. Air movement in soil is also facilitated by the capillaries formed by drying of roots of the previous crop. Thus SRT is an aerobic system of rice production which may not be emitting any greenhouse gases. All these situations are perfect ambience for perpetual microbial functioning.

To be able to execute all these complex sequences, farmer does not have to avail expensive technology or high-tech knowledge. In fact, he has to do lot less. But this has to be executed wisely, skillfully and with precision. Yet it is not a rocket science. (We have already provided several examples in the chapter ‘farmer’s opinion’ who are marginal and illiterate farmers). Farmers are now ecstatic for not having to depend on any outside help and still are getting double the produce, not knowing that they are actually helping sequester carbon dioxide for the global concern. Thus truly SRT is most scientific arrangement that initiates this win-win situation for environmental benefits, food security & conservation of farmers resources.

References
  • Building soil carbon with yearlong green farming. Dr Christine Jones, Founder of Carbon for Life Inc.
  • ‘Jaminichi Supikta’ (Soil Fertility). Mr Pratap Chiplunkar, A scientific farmer from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.

  Mr. Chandrashekhar Bhadsavle

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