On-Farm Participatory Technology Development Effects on Resource Conservation Technologies in Rainfed Upland Paddy in Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Rice is a major cereal crop in Himachal Pradesh, a Himalayan state of India, where paddy acreage is about 78,000 ha with a low average yield of 19.62 q ha−1 due to rainfed upland farming. High seeding rates and poor resource-use efficiency of conventional fertilizer nitrogen (N) management practices in rainfed upland paddy have also been major production constraints in rainfed upland ecosystems. To validate and refine the production technology on seed rate and fertilizer N management, the Farm Science Centre, Sundernagar, India, conducted numerous on-farm trials (OFTs) during 2006–2010 under an on-farm participatory technology development approach to enhance resource use efficiency through these resource conservation technologies and boost the paddy productivity in the region. Results of two OFTs conducted during Kharif 2006 in the Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh on different seed rates under different sowing methods on VL Dhan-221 and Sukaradhan-1 (HPR-1156) cultivars suitable for rainfed upland conditions revealed that the seed rate at 80 kg ha−1 sown in rows 20 cm apart resulted in the greatest average paddy productivity to the tune of 25.6 q ha−1 besides greater profitability, followed by a seed rate at 60 kg ha−1 sown in rows 20 cm apart (25.2 q ha−1), over the earlier State Agricultural University (SAU)–recommended practice, that is, seed rate at 100 kg ha−1 in rows 20 cm apart. This refinement in the seed rate was accepted by the participating farmers of the region. The greatest average benefit/cost (B/C) ratio was observed in plots with seed rate at 60 kg ha−1 sown in rows 20 cm apart. Based on these results and data compilation from other locations of the state, now the SAU has refined the seed rate from earlier recommendation of 100 kg ha−1 to 60 kg ha−1 in rows 20 cm apart as well as 80 kg ha−1 through broadcast method under rainfed upland paddy in Himachal Pradesh. Results of two OFTs conducted during Kharif 2009 on integrated nutrient management in rainfed upland paddy revealed that farmyard manure (FYM) at 10 t ha−1 + nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N, P, K) at 15:30:30 kg ha−1 at sowing followed by 15 kg N ha−1 15 days after sowing (DAS) and remaining the N [i.e., 30 kg N ha−1] at tillering (45–50 DAS) resulted in the greatest grain yield of 29.85 and 31.67 q ha−1 in VL Dhan-221 and HPR-1156, respectively, with respective greater yields of 35.99 and 36.51% over farmers’ practice, besides better profitability. To further standardize fertilizer N split doses and assess their effect on paddy productivity, another OFT was conducted during Kharif 2010 under rainfed upland paddy conditions in HPR-1156. The results revealed that NPK at 60:30:30 kg ha−1 (whole of P and K as basal, 50% N at 15 DAS, 25% N each at 45–50 DAS and 70–75 DAS splits) resulted in better grain yield (34.3 q ha−1) and net profitability (₹29,786 ha−1) over other treatments. Overall, it is concluded that these resource conservation technologies developed under the OFT participatory approach can enhance the rainfed upland paddy productivity and strongly show that there is dire need to split the N requirement of rainfed upland paddy in 2–3 splits to reduce the fertilizer N losses, enhance resource-use efficiency, and increase productivity and profitability in Himachal Pradesh, India.