Performance of rice under different irrigation regimes: A review

Abstract

Food security in India is closely linked to sustainable rice production as it contributes to more than 42 per cent of the total food grain production and is the staple food for more than two thirds of Indian population. However, adequate water availability for rice production is becoming a major problem owing to depleting groundwater levels, water quality degradation and rising demands from other sectors. Rainfall patterns in many areas are becoming more unreliable, with extremes of drought and flooding occurring at unexpected time. Rice systems provide a major source of calories for more than half of the world‟s population; however, they also use more water than other major crops. Irrigated lowland rice not only consumes more water but also causes wastage of water resulting in degradation of land. Among the different water-saving irrigation methods in rice, the most widely adopted is alternate wetting and drying (AWD). Many of the rice cultivars vary in their performance under different Irrigation regimes and systems of cultivation.