SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE : #irri | #timesofindia.indiatimes | #global-agriculture

Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) Technology:
The DSR Conclave 2025, held at IRRI South Asia Regional Centre in Varanasi, highlighted DSR's transformative potential:

• Reduces water use by 20-40%

• Lowers labor demand by 25-30%

• Cuts methane emissions by up to 40%

• Maintains yields while improving farm profitability

• Phase III of the Direct-Seeded Rice Consortium focuses on scaling from pilots to landscape-level adoption

Low-Emission Rice Technologies:
IRRI showcased innovations at the Mitigation Marketplace in Dhaka, including alternate wetting and drying (AWD), short-duration rice varieties, and improved fertilizer management practices for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

Nutritional Rice Advancement:
Farmers in Odisha are being trained to produce healthier and more nutritious rice seeds, including high-zinc and high-iron varieties for enhanced biofortification.