PUSA-44 Rice Variety: Concerns, Alternatives & PUSA-2090

• Context (IE): Despite being banned by the Punjab government in October 2023, the PUSA-44 paddy variety is still in use.

About PUSA-44

• PUSA-44, a non-Basmati rice, was developed in 1993 by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
• Punjab’s farmers began sowing PUSA-44 in limited areas but expanded cultivation after getting a high crop yield.
• By the 2010s, it became so popular that it covered 70-80% of paddy cultivation areas of Punjab.

Economic Benefits of PUSA-44

• Farmers claim that PUSA-44 yields 34-40 quintals per acre, surpassing the 28-30 quintals per acre average of other varieties.
• With the current paddy Minimum Support Price (MSP) at Rs 2,205 per quintal, PUSA-44’s higher yield of 7-10 quintals can increase farmers’ income by Rs 15,000 to 22,000 per acre.

Concerns associated that led to its ban

Declining Ground Water Level

• PUSA-44 is a long-duration variety, taking around 160 days to mature. This is around 35 to 40 days more than other varieties, requiring 5-6 extra irrigation cycles.
• Due to Punjab’s groundwater depletion and the availability of shorter-duration paddy varieties, the government seeks to conserve water by banning this variety.

Aggravate Stubble Burning

• Due to its extended maturity period, PUSA-44 is harvested just before wheat sowing time.
• It is harvested at the end of October, while the ideal time for wheat sowing is early November.
• Farmers require 20-25 days between paddy harvest and wheat sowing for proper stubble disposal.
• However, the limited timeframe PUSA-44 cultivation offers makes stubble management through in-situ and ex-situ methods challenging. This leads to increased incidents of stubble burning.
• Moreover, PUSA varieties produce approximately 2% more stubble than short varieties, which becomes a significant concern when cultivated on a large scale.

Alternatives to PUSA-44

PUSA-2090 Rice Variety

• Pusa-2090, a rice variety, is a cross between PUSA-44 and CB-501 (an early-maturing Japonica rice line).

Benefits of PUSA-2090

• Reduced stubble burning: PUSA-2090’s shorter maturation period (120-125 days) allows for timely field clearance (early to mid-October against late October for Pusa-44) for wheat sowing, which reduces the need for stubble burning.
• Higher yield: Maintains the high yield characteristics of Pusa-44. It has a strong culm (main stem) that makes it less prone to lodging (bending over or falling due to heavy winds and rains).
• Water-efficient: Results in significant water savings due to early maturing, with at least 5-6 fewer irrigation cycles required against the normal 29-30 for Pusa-44.

PR Varieties

• The new non-Basmati rice varieties developed by Punjab Agricultural University have become popular among Punjab farmers.
• The new non-basmati varieties, namely PR 121, PR 122, PR 123, PR 124, and PR 126, are better than PUSA-44 because:
  • Less maturing time (2-4 weeks earlier than PUSA-44)
  • More yield per unit area
  • Less pesticide use
  • Less irrigation required
  • Bacterial blight disease resistance
  • Less labour required

Other Measures to Address Stubble Burning

• Bio Enzyme-PUSA: Developed by IARI, it decomposes stubble within 20-25 days, transforming it into nutrient-rich manure. This improves soil health and reduces fertiliser expenses.
• Pelletisation: Converting paddy straw into pellets for use in thermal power plants and industries as fuel can save fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions.
  • In 2022, the MoEFCC introduced a scheme to incentivise the establishment of paddy straw pelletisation and torrefaction plants.
• Happy Seeder: Mounted on a tractor, this machine cuts and lifts straw, sows wheat and rice in soil, and deposits straw over the sown area instead of burning the stubble.
• Ex-situ crop residue management: Alternative uses of paddy straw, i.e. Biomass Power Projects, Co-firing in Thermal Power Plants, feedstock for 2G Ethanol plants, Compressed Biogas plants, etc.

Learn in detail about Stubble Burning, Crop Residue Management (CRM) Guidelines 2023-24.