Jaldi dhan will transform drought hit regions

MARGINAL farmers in drought-prone upland areas, whom the Green Revolution virtually bypassed, can now look forward to new varieties of rice that mature in just 60-70 days and can increase the yield to at least three times the present production.

Dubbed jaldi dhan in Hindi, these rice varieties, developed by scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Delhi, grow vigorously immediately after transplantation thereby suppressing weeds, are resistant to several plant diseases and insects and require little fertiliser. Says S N Chakrabarti, who leads the IARI genetics team that developed these varieties, "They are perfect for drought-prone regions like Kalahandi and Bolangir (both in Orissa)."

The present production of rice on upland farms, which cover some 8 million ha, is extremely low. Despite the release of a number of semi-dwarf upland varieties over the last three decades, yields haven't risen above 0.5 tonnes per ha. The new varieties, on the other hand, yield 1.5 to 3.5 tonnes per ha, depending on factors such as climate and quality of soil. In national trials, the yield from some varieties of jaldi dhan has been as high as 4.6 tonnes per ha. In addition, they can be grown in both rabi and kharif seasons and grow well even in waterlogged or saline soils, says Chakrabarti.