Davangere: At a meeting held in Bengaluru recently, several paddy growers from the district urged the state government not to release water from the Bhadra Dam and instead conserve it for the summer crop.
In view of this, the Agriculture Department is preparing to guide farmers irrespective of whether water is released to the canals. The department is also considering encouraging farmers to cultivate paddy using the Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) method.
Speaking to DH, Joint Director of Agriculture Ziaullah Khan said water from the Bhadra Dam was unlikely to be released as many farmers were not in favour of it. "We are ready to guide farmers who wish to cultivate paddy. We will encourage them to adopt the DSR method, under which rice seeds are sown directly in the main field rather than growing seedlings in a nursery and transplanting them manually. This method can reduce water consumption by up to 50% while also lowering labour costs and greenhouse gas emissions," he said.
Stating that the DSR method would prove beneficial for the farming community, Khan said: "The department has adequate stock of rice seeds, which would be distributed among farmers willing to take up cultivation."
He said farmers who did not wish to cultivate paddy would be encouraged to grow oilseeds. Those who were planning to prepare their fields for summer crop could cultivate ragi in the meantime, he said.
"The department is prepared to tackle any situation. If water is released from the dam, we will encourage farmers to adopt the DSR method. If water is not released, they will be encouraged to grow millets, including ragi. Hence, farmers need not panic over the water issue," Khan said.
Speaking to DH, Karibasappa, a paddy grower, said that he had been cultivating paddy on two acres at Mudalabasapura village in Harihar taluk for the past 15 years. "The paddy seedlings are ready, and the government should announce its decision at the earliest, as farmers are in a dilemma whether to proceed with paddy cultivation or not," he added.
On the DSR method, he said farmers must be prepared to grow paddy under this method. If not, it would not benefit the farming community. He noted that paddy cultivated through DSR takes nearly 120 days to mature. Therefore, many farmers were reluctant to adopt this method.