Herbicide-Tolerant Rice to Enhance Conservation Agriculture in Rice-Wheat Cropping System

There is increasing interest in shift from traditional rice (puddled transplanting) to direct-seeding due to shortages of labor and water, escalating fuel price, and adverse effects of puddling on soil health particularly in Indo-Gangatic region. Resource conserving technologies (RCTs) such as zero-tillage (ZT) and bed-planting are being promoted in the rice-wheat cropping system of South Asia and ZT has been widely adopted in wheat in the region. However, full advantage of RCTs will be achieved when both rice and wheat will be grown using a 'double zero-till" system. Researchers have found that weed control is the biggest challenge in the success of non-puddled direct-seeded ZT/bed-planted rice. In the absence of weed control, reduction in rice yield has been reported ranging from 35-100% in direct-seeded rice/RCTs system. HT-rice will overcome weed management constraints of direct-seeded rice and therefore, will facilitate adoption of RCTs on the entire system as concluded in a series of review papers published in 2008 issue of Crop Protection.

The research papers titled "The role of herbicide-resistant rice in promoting resource conservation technologies in rice-wheat cropping systems of India: A review" and "Risks of herbicide-resistant rice in India: A review" are available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%235011%232008%23999729996%23679931%23FLA%23&_cdi=5011&_pubType=J&_auth=y&_acct=C000039346&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=701193
&md5=f172822e801f54eb9c9e626e028b7fd0 For copy of papers, contact Dr Virender Kumar at virender.kumar@cgiar.org