Should the groundwater for the purpose of cultivation of rice needs to be discouraged? If not, how groundwater can be used effectively for cultivation? Explain (200 Words)
Refer - Financial Express
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
Sumala 5 years
Kindly review this mam/sir.
IAS Parliament 5 years
Good attempt. Keep Writing.
IAS Parliament 5 years
KEY POINTS
· There is a wrong perception that rice needs a lot of water, defending a crop that is indicted for groundwater depletion in north-western states like Punjab, where it is grown mainly for consumption in other states.
· The conventional practice of rice production is bundled with the perception that rice needs to be flooded for most of the time.
· Rice can survive in anaerobic conditions because a specific type of cells pass on oxygen to roots.
· If the aquifers are well-connected, and rechargeable, pumping of groundwater is one of the good approaches to capturing water from rain and rivers, which otherwise ends up in the sea.
· According to International Rice Research Institute, usage of groundwater that depends on the type of aquifer, and the recharge capacity, which, in turn, depends on the source of recharge, and the properties of the sink.
· IRRI says the use of groundwater allows rice farmers to make decisions about sustainable water management; they lack such autonomy with, say, canal water systems.
· So, instead of discouraging rice farmers from using groundwater, they should be educated about the benefits of precise water management.
· Efficient irrigation scheduling (like alternate wetting and drying) not only shrinks the use of water but also the carbon footprint by reducing emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas, from bunded fields or paddies. Incentivising farmers with carbon credits can encourage them to use groundwater efficiently, IRRI says. (In Punjab, where electricity is free, there is little incentive to conserve groundwater).
· While zinc and iron are present in rice, the levels need to be increased to have an impact on health. Conventional breeding helps, but genetic engineering ensures a significant increase. It also allows stacking of multiple traits in a single variety.
· The discovery of a submergence tolerance gene by an IRRI breeder, and its incorporation in popular rice varieties has come as a relief to farmers in flood-prone areas, where productivity is low, and unstable.
· While under water, the plant remains dormant. When the floods recede, it uses conserved carbohydrates to regenerate.
· Another interesting gene isolated from the Pokhali rice variety, grown in coastal Kerala, is the Saltol gene, which makes rice salt-tolerant. Rice productivity in salt-affected areas is about 1.5 tonnes per hectare. IRRI says it has developed about 100 salinity tolerant elite lines, which have traits like high-yield, good grain quality, and resistance to pests and diseases.
Sibi 5 years
How much time can I allot for one question of 200 words? In exam
IAS Parliament 5 years
Approximately 7-8 minutes
Sibi 5 years
Kindly review. My first answer try. In timer 8 mins.
IAS Parliament 5 years
Try to avoid listing out points try to explain them. Keep Writing.
To complete the answer, approximately 7-8 minutes .
Anu 5 years
Kindly review. Thank you.
IAS Parliament 5 years
Good answer. Keep Writing.
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