Rice in India: Present status and strategies to boost its production through hybrids

Abstract

Rice accounts for a significant contribution to the total food grain production in India. As the rice production area either stabilizes or declines, and there is a wide gap between projected demand and current level of production, vertical growth in production through hybrid rice is a practically feasible and adoptable technology. This paper attempts to elucidate the current scenario, strategies and agro-techniques for seed as well as grain production, quality parameters and economic aspects of hybrid rice in India. As the seed production of hybrid rice is knowledge and labor intensive, different agro-techniques need to be adopted to make it more successful. The two parental lines should be sown and transplanted at the right time with an isolation distance of 50-100 m. For synchronized flowering, the differential seeding of parental lines can be based on their effective accumulated temperature (12-27 degrees C) from seeding to flowering. The optimum ratio for plants of the seed to pollen parent should ensure 3.5 spikelets of the seed parent for each spikelet of the pollen parent. Thus the commonly used seed to pollen parent ratios are 10:3, 6:2 and 14:2. Cultural practices like controlling weeds and pests, roguing of off-types are essential. Application of GA(3) at 15-20 g ha(-1) should be sprayed with ULV sprayer to overcome poor panicle exsertion of parental lines. The agronomic practices for large scale grain production include the seed rate of 15 kg ha(-1), optimum seeding density of 10-20 g m(-2) in the nursery, transplanting of a single seedling per hill with the spacing of 15 cm X 15 cm. Though nutrient requirement differs with type of soil and initial fertility, a general dose of 120-150 kg N, 60 kg P2O5 and 50 kg K2O and 20 kg S ha(-1) is required. Application of ZnSO4 @ 40 kg ha(-1) once in every three crop seasons is needed in the Zn-deficient areas. The grain quality characteristics include long slender (LS) grain, 60-70% milling and 24-31% amylose content. Seed quality control is another essential requirement that should be maintained throughout the process of seed production. A net profit of Rs. 25000 ($ 550) per ha can be obtained by taking up hybrid rice seed production. Moreover, integrated efforts of policy makers, researchers, extension workers and farmers would be desirable to make hybrid rice cultivation a successful endeavor in India.