Contigency plan for rice under aberrant weather situations

Early drought

• In case of early drought in the month of June and July due to delayed monsoon, the farmers either are unable to sow the crop or the sown crop is damaged. Early medium duration varieties (105-120 days) like Naveen, Satabdi, Lalat, Annada, Chandan, Sahbhagi Dhan, etc. can be transplanted using 15 days old seedlings up to September first week with basal application of 40:40:40 kg N, P₂O₅ and K₂O for better establishment in rainfed shallow lowlands.
• If receipt of rainfall is delayed upto August end, early maturing rice varieties (90-105 days) like Vandana, Kalinga III, Anjali, Sahbhagi dhan, Khandagiri, Parijat, Narendra 97 can be grown in rainfed shallow lowlands by direct seeding upto end of August with basal application of 30 kg P₂O₅ and 30 kg K₂O for better establishment. Initial Nitrogen fertilizer dose @ 30 kg ha-1 should be applied 7-15 days after sowing.
• In medium lowlands, where direct seeding is not feasible, farmers are advised to take up either transplanting of the available aged seedlings (upto 60 days old) of long duration varieties viz., Gayatri, Sarala, Varshadhan, etc. or transplanting of clonal seedlings from the surviving rice crop in the neighboring fields at closer spacing (15 x 10 cm) with basal application of 40:40:40 kg N, P₂O₅ and K₂O.
• In coastal saline areas, transplanting of aged seedlings of salt tolerant rice varieties like Lunishree, Luna Suvarna, Luna Sampad, SR 26B, etc. can be done upto September first week with basal application of 30:30:30 kg N, P₂O₅ and K₂O.
• In above situations, it is advisable to raise the bund height and plug the holes in the bunds to arrest the seepage loss and keep the fields weed free. In the case of delayed transplanting or direct seeding during August or early September, foliar spray of insecticides like thiamethoxam 1g/l or imidacloprid 0.5ml/l or ethofenprox 1ml/l or chlorpyrifos 2ml/l should be applied at 15-20 days after transplanting for late- planted rice pests like thrips, swarming caterpiller, hispa, gall midge and case worm. For leaf folder, all the above insecticides can be applied only except chlorpyrifos. At the non-availability of insecticides, neem oil can be applied @ 5ml/l with 2ml detergent liquid.
• A foliar spray should be applied at first brood emergence of YSB/ at the ceasation of rain/during 1st week of October for YSB and leaf folder control. In the case of failing to notice the brood emergence of YSB, carbofuran granules can be applied @ 30 kg ha-1 at panicle initiation stage of the crop.
• In the case of gundhi bug infestation at the milk stage of early duration varieties, a foliar spray of any insecticide can be applied, preferably during early morning.
• In uplands, if rice crop is not yet sown or damaged due to drought, farmers should take up short duration low water requiring crops like cowpea (Utkalmanika), blackgram (T-9, Sarala, PU 19, 30), green gram (K851), Horsegram (Urmi) and Sesamum ( Kanak, Kalika, Uma, Usha).

Mid / Late season drought

• Adopt in-situ rain water conservation measures such as plugging the holes in the field bunds to arrest the seepage loss and keep the fields weed free.
• Go for supplemental/ life saving irrigation if water is available in rainwater harvesting structures.
• If the crop is completely damaged, go for rice fallow pulses (black gram/ lathyrus) or toria after receipt of sufficient late season rains.

Early flood

• In flood prone areas, where crop is completely damaged due to flooding, replanting with aged seedlings (upto 40 days old) of Swarna sub-1, Pooja and Swarna in rainfed shallow low lands and Varshadhan, Durga, Sarala and Hanseswari in semi-deep and deep low lands upto end of August is recommended.
• In flood prone areas, where crop was partially damaged due to flood, carry out gap filling with aged seedlings or clonal tillers and apply Nitrogen @ 20 kg ha-1 immediately after receding of the flood water which will help in rapid emergence of new leaves and tillers.
• Monitoring of Swarming caterpillar immediately after receding of flood water and insecticidal spray on community basis should be taken up if warranted.

Mid / late season flood

Harvested rice

• Harvested rice should be properly staked at safe place and covered with tarpaulin to avoid damage by rainfall. 
• After cessation of rainfall, dry the freshly threshed rice grain under sun for 1-2 days to brought down the moisture content to 14% and store the harvested paddy to retain the quality, texture, colour, aroma and taste of the commodities for longer period of time.
• In case of infestation of the stored grain, take up fumigation by using Aluminium Phosphide tablets (do not use in dwelling houses) @ 3 tablets / ton of grain (total 9 gm of tablets) in fairly air tight containers or by covering grain bags with thick tarpaulin leaving no gaps. The tablets should be wrapped in cotton pouches before placing them in the stacks, which helps to discard the remnants after completing the fumigation. All the corners of plastic cover should be plastered with 6-inch-thick layer of mud or adhesive tapes to prevent leakage of gas. Maintain minimum exposure period of about 7-10 days for better result.

Standing crop

• Keep the drainage channels open in non-matured rice crop to drain out the excess water from standing rice fields to minimise the loss due to lodging.
• In case of partial damage to rice crop due to flood, apply Nitrogen @ 15 kg ha-1 immediately after receding of the flood water.
• After cessation of rains there may be chances of swarming caterpillar and brown planthopper (BPH) incidence in late planted rice. To manage the BPH apply pymetrozine 50WG @ 0.6 g/l of water or triflumezopyrim 10SC @ 0.5 ml/l of water or fluniciamide 50WG @ 3 g/10 lit of water. To manage the swarming caterpillar, apply chlorpyriphos 1.5% D @ 30kg/ha.
• Post floods, in areas where the rice crop is completely damaged due to mid/ late season flooding (September- October) in rainfed shallow low lands, plug the holes in the field bunds and remove weeds to retain moisture in the field. In the second week of October, if the soil moisture is optimum (Slight sticky condition) broadcast black gram seeds. If the soil moisture is not sufficient enough, plough the land to fine tilth and then go for line sowing of black gram.

Source : ICAR - National Rice Research Institute

Month-wise agro advisory for Rice

Monthly Agro Advisory Service for Rice issued by ICAR - National Rice Research Institute.