NEWSRELEASE August2018No°1

TheFirstStepForward:MovingTowardsSustainableRiceCultivationSingleSeedlingPaddyTransplantationEventintheSundarbans

ByRhitabritaMukherjee,SOCEO

The young sapling with newly grown roots, ready fortransplantation

In the year 2017, 1.6 billionpeople, that is 21percent of the current population, werereportedtobeconsumingriceastheirprimarysource of nourishment. Although nowconsumed around continents, it is believed tohave been first cultivated in south-east Asiaand India. The most recent data (2017) hasonce again named India the 2nd largestproducer of paddywhere the eastern state ofWestBengalcontributes15percent,morethanthat of any other state, to the total riceproductioninthecountry.

Inthepast3decades,geneticallymodifiedHighYield Varieties (HYV) of rice swiftly replacedindigenous kinds to cater to the exponentiallygrowingpopulationofthecountry.Thelessonshowever came late with continued cultivationof the former which turned out to essentiallyrequire considerable amount of water andchemical fertilisers in addition to pesticides toflourish. Moreover, genetically transformedseeds cannot be stocked by farmers over theyears due to their constitution and transpiredtobemuchvulnerabletodiseasesandpests.

The System of Rice Intensification (SRI),developed in the 1980s in Madagascar toimprove their organic rice yield, has beenencouragedinthestatesofIndiainthelasttwodecades. This method has a more sustainableapproachtothecultivationofpaddy,providingmore breathing space by growing and thentransplantingsingleyoungseedlingswithwidergapsandapreferencefororganicmanureandcompostoverchemicalfertilisers.

In an effort to educate farmers in the singleseedling planting method of paddytransplantation, the Sundarban Gyan BikashKendra (Knowledge Centre) in Dhuchnikhali,under the supervision of the local NGOsMrittika Prayas and DISHA, implemented theevent.Onthe20thJuly2018,aftertwomonthsof necessary prior devising, the local Self-HelpGroups and interested cultivators cametogethertolearnandexperiencehands-on,themethod of organic rice plantation usingindigenous varieties of their region and twoand a half leaved young saplings. The focushere was to encourage these farmers toreplicate the technique in their own fieldsthereby establishing some trust on theproductivityofthemethodandhelpthemshiftoutoftheprevalentinsidiouspractices.

NEWSRELEASE August2018No°1

The farmers coming together in the priormonths to learn thewholeprocess

Two months before the final event, the fieldandseedbedpreparationswerestarted.FarmerPramilaMondal’splantationfieldof10Cottahsor 7200 square feet was chosen for the finaltransplantationwhilesomelandinfrontofherhouse was used for the seedbeds, after theindigenous Dudheshwar variety had beenchosen. The fashioning of such seedbeds infrontof thehousehasbeen recommendedbythe program since it ensures easy watch overtheirgrowthandbringsdownthepossibilityofthese being drained away by heavy rain. Thefield was ploughed the advised minimum oftwo times and then imbibed with organicmanure. Local SHG members were alsoinvolvedinthesepriorimplementationstotakethemthroughallthestages.

Continualinstructionandsupportbytheagriculturalexpertstoeducatethefarmers

The seedbeds constructed in June were twopieces of land of 30 square feet each,embeddedwith7200seedlingsfrom250gramsofseeds.Thismethodrequiresmuchlessseed,compared to the 1.5-2 kilograms of seeds (atrupees 60 - 70 per unit) otherwise sown, toavoid complete loss in case of rain or flood,puttingavoidablecostpressureonthefarmers.

Chosenhealthyandcleansedseedlingsreadytobeplanted

Toensurehealthyseeds,theywereimbuedandcleansedwithdilutedcow’surineandaftertwodaysbabyseedlingswere looselysown,widelyspacedout,toavoidanynetworkofroots.

Continual vigil of seedlings is a major part ofthis process which includes protecting themfromtoomuchsunlightorrain,donehereusingpolythene sheets, anddraining out any excesswater.

Seedlingsreadyforfirstplantingsessioninseedbeds

NEWSRELEASE August2018No°1

Widely spacedout seeds toavoid interminglingof roots in thefuture

The readied field was prepared much inadvancetoberidofanyinfectiousgasorheatproduced fromorganicmanure that can harmvery young seedlings. The suitable time toreplantthesaplingsontothefieldisdeemedtobe when they have produced two and a halfleaves,whichisknowntobeanindicationthatthe seed has appropriated sufficient nutritionfrom the seed andwill nowgrow roots to getits food from the ground. Replanting at thisstage ensures no damage to roots ontransplantation.

Twoandahalfleavedyoungsaplingsreadyfortransplantationontoreadyfield

Theeventwascreatedaroundtheintroductionof this arguably new practice of agriculture. Itwas conducted in two consecutive phases,starting with an extensive knowledge

dissemination and discussion on the featuresand benefits of the single seedlingtransplantationmethodwhichwasfollowedbytheon-the-fieldimplementationandtrainingofthesame.

Discussion of features and benefits of Single SeedlingTransplantation

On-the-field experience for the farmers with the agriculturalexperts

Execution of such learning by doing betterensures a much speedier move towardssustainable agriculture leading to qualityorganicproduct,conservationofresourcesandbetterment of every farmer’s livelihood.Thoughtheeventbroughtinabout40farmers,which might seem like a small fraction, wehope they will be the first-generationsustainable paddy cultivators whoseendeavours and success encourage the rest inthefuture.

SOCEOisinvolvedintheprojectsinceitsinceptionasaconsultantingpartner.The project is supported by Schöck-Familien-Stiftung&ChildFundDeutschland.