Chandigarh, July 31: Punjab has managed to cover only 2.90 lakh acres under the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) technique this kharif season — just 58% of the state’s target of 5 lakh acres, according to data from the agriculture department. While falling short of its goal, the achieved acreage is still the highest in the past four kharif seasons.
The DSR technique, particularly the tar-wattar (good soil moisture) variant developed by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, offers a low-cost, water-efficient alternative to traditional rice transplantation. The method reduces water consumption by nearly 20%, bypassing the need for nursery preparation and sapling transplantation.
Despite being promoted aggressively by the government and agriculture scientists for several years, DSR continues to see limited acceptance among farmers. Experts attribute this to hesitancy in adopting new technology and a lack of technical awareness.
However, officials say this year’s numbers reflect a positive trend. “The department’s sustained efforts and the ₹1,500 per acre subsidy offered by the state government have helped increase the acreage under DSR,” said Narinder Singh Benipal, Joint Director of the Agriculture Department. He expressed hope that more farmers would adopt the PAU-approved method in the coming seasons.
Fazilka emerged as the top district with 1.02 lakh acres under DSR — up from 59,000 acres in 2024 — followed by Muktsar with 97,540 acres. Rajinder Kumar Kamboj, Fazilka’s Chief Agriculture Officer, said farmers in the region were responding well to awareness campaigns and technical support.
Bathinda also reported a 40% increase in DSR coverage this year, reaching 14,000 acres from 10,000 acres in 2024. “Our team worked closely with farmers through awareness camps. The plant health and yield in DSR fields are promising, and more farmers are now keen on soil testing to check compatibility,” said CAO Jagdish Singh.
DSR saw a surge in adoption during 2020 and 2021, when Covid-19 lockdowns led to labour shortages, prompting many farmers to try the technique. The method was used across 13.34 lakh acres in 2020 and peaked at 13.88 lakh acres in 2021. However, post-pandemic, the acreage fell sharply: 1.71 lakh acres in 2022, 1.73 lakh acres in 2023, and 2.53 lakh acres in 2024.
Despite these fluctuations, agriculture officials say DSR is on a gradual upward trajectory, with improved acceptance and better performance in field trials driving its future prospects.
“If awareness continues and more farmers witness success on the ground, DSR could soon become mainstream for paddy cultivation in Punjab,” said an official.
