Technological refinement to enhance profitability in hybrid rice seed production

Abstract

Rice is livelihood of majority of population in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world. Hybrid rice varieties have been witnessed to enhance the production as well productivity over the open pollinated varieties and that’s why Indian farmers are being given preference the hybrid culture in their rice farming. If the farmers are well trained for the hybrid seed production, their income will certainly be enhanced. Keeping above facts, a series of experiments were conducted with rice hybrid NDRH2 accommodating its parental lines viz., IR58025A, IR58025B, NDR3026-3-1, along with a combination of treatments involving staggered seeding, proper application of GA3, DAP and Boric Acid, supplementary pollination, etc. measures in order to maximize the hybrid seed production. The economics of various components viz., common cost, treatment cost, cost of cultivation, gross return, net return and benefit cost (B: C) ratio of different treatments were worked out on the basis of input-output analysis. The maximum benefit: cost ratio viz., 2.56:1 and 2.60:1 during 2015 and 2017, respectively was observed with foliar application of GA3 @ 90g/ha+ DAP @ 3%+Boric acid @ 0.3% by producing hybrid seed of rice hybrid NDRH2 using CMS and fertility restorer system at 2:12 male and female planting ratio during Kharif season. Thus, these fine tuning in hybrid rice seed production technology advocated as a major profit earning enterprise which needs to be disseminated at farmer’s fields also on a mission mode in order to enhance and or double their income by 2022.