Production oriented survey (POS) on different aspects of rice cultivation and farmers practices under red and lateritic zone of West Bengal, India

Abstract

Production Oriented Survey (POS) on rice cultivation was conducted by Rice Research Station, Bankura under programme of AICRIP, Directorate of Rice Research (ICAR), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad – 50003 during kharif, 2009 in Red and Laterite zone of West Bengal, India. Purulia, Bankura and some parts of Birbhum, Paschim Medinipur and Burtdwan districts that belongs to Red and Laterite zone of West Bengal. The popular commercial cultivars were Swarna (MTU 7029), Lalat, Jaya, CR 1010, CR 1017 and IR-64.  Rice is cultivated as mono crop in this zone. The Indian sub-continent is predominantly characterized by a tropical monsoon climate which determines the success of kharif crops. Biotic constraints like blast, brown spot, sheath blight, sheath rot, grain dis-colouration and bacterial leaf blight (BLB) were in low to moderate intensities. Among insect pests brown plant hopper, green leaf hopper, stem borer, rice hispa and gundhi bugs were recorded in low to moderate intensities in the surveyed districts. Among weeds, Cyperus rotundus, Echinocloa crusgalli, Cyperus iria, Cynodon dactylan and Monochoria sp.  were major problem in all the districts. The farmers used mainly hand weeding for control of weeds. Minimum use of pesticides and insecticides were observed.