Direct seeded rice for sustainable agriculture in Punjab

A survey was undertaken to study the socio-personal characteristics and prospects of direct seeded rice in Punjab covering five districts viz., Moga, Mukatsar Sahib, Faridkot, Sangrur and Patiala. From each district one village and from each village 15 farmers were selected randomly. The data were collected by using personal interview method. The socio-personal characteristics of direct seeded rice growers were studied. It was observed that majority of the DSR respondents in the age group of 41?58 years, educated up to matric, had medium operational land holding, had medium mass media exposure and had low extension contacts. Majority of respondents growing direct seeded rice had high level of economic motivation. Questions were asked from the farmers regarding the prospects of direct seeded rice. The results revealed that more than 53.33 percent of the respondents were willing to increase the area under direct seeded rice. This was due to the reasons that DSR is a profitable enterprise, it increase the income by reducing the labour cost, while 46.67 percent of the respondents was willing to keep the area constant under direct seeded rice. This was due to the reason that though DSR is profitable, it involves weed problem which requires too much hard work to control.