RICE ECOSYSTEM OF INDIA BY SAMEER MOHAPATRO

RICE IS GROWN UNDER VARIOUS ECOSYSTEMS ON A VARIETY OF SOILS UNDER VARYING CLIMATIC CONDITIONS RANGING FROM WATERLOGGED AND POORLY DRAINED SOILS TO WELL DRAINED SOILS.

 THE RICE ECOSYSTEM OF INDIA IS CATEGORIZED INTO FOUR TYPES .

1) IRRIGATED AREA

2) RAINFED AREAS

3) COASTAL / SALINE AREA

4) COLD / HILL AREA

1. IRRIGATED AREA  -

THESE ARE REGIONS WHERE THE RICE CROP IS GROWN EITHER BY RAIN WATER OR BY SUPPLYING IRRIGATION. THESE AREAS DO NOT COMPLETELY DEPEND UPON RAINFALL . MOST PARTS OF INDIA LIKE PUNJAB , HARYANA , GUJARAT , ANDHRA PRADESH , UP ,WB  COME UNDER THIS CATEGORY.

THE CONTRIBUTION FROM THESE AREAS IS MORE THAN 50% OF THE TOTAL OUTPUT OF RICE IN INDIA .

2. RAINFED AREA - 

THESE ARE AREAS HAVING SLOPPY OR LEVELLED OR UNDULATING . HERE THE RICE CULTIVATION IS MOSTLY DEPENDENT ON THE RAINFALL. IRRIGATION MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF LAND CONDITIONS OR WATER SOURCING PROBLEMS . MOST PARTS OF MP , ODISHA  , AP , EASTERN UP , WB STATES OF INDIA COME UNDER THIS CATEGORY.

THE RAINFED CONDITIONS ARE GENERALLY OF 2 TYPES  -

1. UPLAND RICE

2. LOW LAND RICE

A . UPLAND RICE  -

 UPLAND GENERALLY REFERS TO THE LAND AREAS WHERE THE RAIN WATER GETS DRAINED OUT AFTER A FEW HOURS OF RAINFALL . IT MAY BE DUE TO LAND TOPOGRAPHY OR SOIL RELATED FACTORS.

SO THE TOTAL CONTRIBUTION FROM THESE AREAS IS NEAR ABOUT 15% OF THE TOTAL RICE PRODUCTION IN THE COUNTRY.

 MOST PARTS OF UP , ODISHA , WB , ASSOM , COME UNDER THIS CATEGORY.

B. LOWLAND RICE AREAS  -

LOW LANDS CAN BE REFERRED TO AREAS WHERE THE WATER REMAINS STAGNANT AFTER THE RAINFALL AND DO NOT GET DRAINED OUT OF THE FIELDS .

BASED ON THE STAGNATION OF WATER  , IT IS FURTHER CLASSIFIED INTO  3  TYPES  -

1. SHALLOW WATER LAND

2. SEMI DEEP WATER LAND 

3. DEEP WATER LAND AREA

1. SHALLLOW WATER IS WHEN THE WATER DEPTH IN THE LAND IS LESS THAN 50 Cm.

2. SEMI DEEP WATER IS WHEN THE WATER DEPTH IS BETWEEN 50 - 100 Cm.

3. DEEP WATER LANDS ARE WHERE THE DEPTH OF WATER REMAINS MORE THAN 100 Cm.

 3. COASTAL / SALINE AREA  - 

CONTRIBUTES  2-4 % OF THE TOTAL RICE PRODUCTION IN THE COUNTRY.

THE MAIN PROBLEM IN THESE AREAS IS THE DEFICIENCY OF IRON AND ZINC IN THE SOIL WHICH LEAD TO CHLOROSIS OR REDUCED TILLERS .

MOST PARTS OF STATES LIKE ODISHA , AP , WB , TN , KERELA COME UNDER THIS COASTAL REGIONS .

4. COLD / HILL AREA  - 

THE NORTHERN AREAS OR NORTH - EASTERN AREAS OF INDIA LIKE JK , ASSAM , HP  FACE SEVERE COLD THROUGHOUT THE YEARS SO THE CULTIVATION OF CROPS BECOMES DIFFICULT IN THESE AREAS.  SO THE PRODUCTION FORM THESE AREAS IS CONSIDERABLY LOW . THE CONTRIBUTION IS LESS THAN 2% OF THE TOTAL OUTPUT OF RICE IN INDIA.

SO THE CROP GETS AFFECTED WITH MANY PROBLEMS LIKE BURST , CHILLING INJURIES AND OTHERS.

written and Designed by - SAMEER MAHAPATRO 

MSc. AGRICULTURE DEPt. OF AGRONOMY , MSSSOA , PARALAKHEMUNDI , ODISHA , INDIA