New SRB technique cuts paddy water use by 75%

Seeding of rice on beds (SRB), a technique introduced by Kahan Singh Pannu, an alumnus of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and former Secretary of Agriculture, Punjab, is believed to offer a sustainable solution to the looming water scarcity in the state.

Paddy was sown using the SRB technique on a trial basis last year in fields across different areas of Punjab. Lakhvir Singh Dhaliwal of Lohara village in Moga, who cultivated using SRB, confirmed that the paddy yielded very promising results. Similarly, Gurmeet Singh of Mehema village in Patiala shared that the yield per acre was equal to that cultivated through the water-intensive puddling method. In addition, Jagdeep Singh of Rajoana, Darbara Singh of Leehan and GS Gill from Dhanansu demonstrated that the economic viability of this method is undeniable, as they were able to save Rs 7,000 per acre.

Pannu explains that under the SRB technique for paddy cultivation, seeds are directly sown on raised beds of 18–22 inches width in two rows and water is applied only in the furrows, which are 12 inches wide. “Under this method, moisture alone has the capacity to replace the requirement of standing water. The seed is sown at a distance with a row-to-row spacing of 10–12 inches. This helps the plant receive air, moisture, light and space as per its full genetic potential. Paddy sown under SRB requires only 25 per cent of the water used in traditional methods,” claims Pannu.

“Since no standing water is required for rice to sow and grow on beds, there is no emission of dangerous methane greenhouse gas into the environment. Additionally, soil pores remain open, which helps in better rainwater recharge and creates improved conditions for the thriving of beneficial microbes in the root zone, enhancing natural environmental activity. Plants that absorb less water are sturdier, less succulent and hence more resistant to attacks by insects, pests and pathogens,” he further explained.

“Punjab is heading towards its biggest environmental disaster due to the depleting water table. In the next 14 years, groundwater in Punjab shall fall to a depth of 1,000 feet. The main cause is the cultivation of the water-guzzling paddy crop during summer. One kilogram of rice requires about 5,000 litres of water when grown using the traditional puddling method, which involves creating an artificial pond of water in hot summer months, when evapotranspiration is at its peak,” Pannu said.

Notably, Pannu is credited with drafting the Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act, 2009, under which paddy transplantation is not allowed before 10 June. He was also instrumental in introducing laser levelling technology to Punjab in 2010, which led to a 25 per cent saving in water during rice cultivation.

Pannu now proposes to promote the SRB method of paddy cultivation across hundreds of acres in the state during the current Kharif season.

Ludhiana