Submergence Tolerant: Assam

It took 10 years time for Assam government to make the state’s rice farmers shift to new generation crop – Submergence tolerant…. and finally the concept is now popular at least among 60 percent of farmers of the flood-hit districts.

- Sarat Sarma

Three such rice varieties Ranjit Sub – I, Dhansiri Sub – I and Swarna Sub – I are very common in the paddy fields as farmers now have the confidence that these are high yielding in one hand and can survive at least for 21 days underwater.

The concept ‘Submergence tolerant’ was introduced for the second point – these varieties could survive for a longer time in floodwater. When deluge goes away transplanted siblings rejuvenate rescuing the farmers from crop lost.

A high-level source of Jorhat Agriculture University said to Eastern Panorama that during the ongoing rice season (transplantation of which ended recently) farmers mainly of the flood-hit districts of the states are found highly inclined towards the submergence tolerant varieties.