Replacing age-old agricultural practice

Rice production has always been a labour-intensive process right from nursery raising, puddling, transplanting, harvesting, threshing to drying. An estimated 80% of the cost of production forms the labour component. Mechanisation offers an option to reduce the cost of production and drudgery of rice farming. Mechanisation in Kashmir valley for rice crop is even more challenging due to the steep variations in the physiographic features of rice fields, ranging from perennially wet and muddy areas to well drained fields in mid altitudes and small terraces in the uplands. Mechanised rice transplanters have not been adopted at the expected scales by the farmers at the national level due to the obvious technological and socio-economic reasons. Ploughing and puddling using tractors, power tiller with the attachment of sink/cage wheels has become popular in many low-lying areas of Kashmir valley, particularly Pulwama.

This has replaced the age-old practice of puddling using ox drawn plough or rakes (Mati Ala/Heej). Puddling is a useful practice to create favourable conditions for the establishment of the seedlings, retention of water and improvement in nutrient availability. The increase in frequency of drought, decrease in total amount of rainfall, its uneven distribution and abnormally high temperatures in the valley have made rice farming a more challenging task. The practice of puddling is more useful in areas that face problems of water shortage, speedy drainage and light texture of soils. Water saving technologies such as System of Rice Intensification (SRI), dry direct seeding (DSR) and alternate method of wetting and drying add other dimension to future rice farming in Kashmir. Precision seed cum fertilizer drills have a great role in popularising dry direct seeded rice. Although the use of herbicides has replaced the manual weeding across the valley to a significant extent, some light manual weeding is followed by many farmers even now. Mechanised rotary and cono-weeders are available but can be made operational only in case the crop is transplanted in lines.

Combine harvesters that cut the panicles and thresh them simultaneously, are not suitable for Kashmir valley due to small and fragmented land holding, physiographic challenges and loss of straw during its operation. Rice straw is an essential commodity used as fodder and a packing material for apple industry. Nearly 30% of the profit earned comes from the sale of straw in commercial rice production. In view of the escalation in the labour costs due to recent floods and reduced influx of labourers from other States during this year, Rice Reaper demonstrated at MRCFC Khudwani (SKAUST-Kashmir) has the potential to reduce the labour cost incurred in crop cutting. Delayed harvesting and over maturity, exposes the crop to the risk of lodging and shattering.

The reaper has a 7HP engine, with 4 blades that cuts the crop with rotary horizontal motion and gently dropping the crop to right side using conveyers. The machine has the potential to cut 1 Kannal in 10 minutes using half a litre petrol. The estimated cost of cutting the crop works out at Rs 100/kannal, reducing labour cost by 80%. It is mandatory that the crop should not be in a lodged condition and field should not be too wet. One and half feet ring is cut manually around each plot to make a way for the machine. Reaper cum binder machines are already available internationally but the cost is 5 times higher than the reapers. Efforts are being made to purchase such machines and demonstrate them to the rice farmers in Kashmir.

Undoubtedly, paddy threshers have transformed the way rice is processed by providing a more effective substitute for manual labour. However, a number of obstacles still exist, including high cost, technical specifications, and problems with flexibility. Nevertheless, these difficulties offer chances for development and innovation in the field of mechanised paddy threshing. The future of paddy threshers appears bright because of continuous technological developments and coordinated efforts to overcome usability issues. Customarily, paddy threshing continues to be manual in Kashmir valley to save straw, cost of the machine and appears to be more convenient by the farmers. Open field drying after the crop is cut for two days and after tying for another two days is followed in Kashmir valley.

The grain is stored in granaries/seed stores at around 14% moisture. Due to the prolonged rainfall and flood situation in the valley in the recent past, sufficient drying needs to be taken out before the storage of grain or seed. Excessive sun drying may reduce the head rice recovery. Mobile, on the go dryers, solar dryers, IR dryers are various technological options available at the national level. These kinds of machines should also be demonstrated to the farmers and made available to them through various developmental schemes.

Ashaq Hussain, Tasneem Mubarak, Professors Agronomy, MRCFC Khudwani, SKAUST-Kashmir

 Najeeb R. Sofi (Associate Director Research MRCFC, Khudwani, SKAUST-Kashmir