With paddy cultivation in Punjab affecting the water table, Punjab
Agricultural University has initiated research on a new variety of paddy
which will consume 25 per cent less water without affecting the yield.
With the assistance of biotechnology, the university has started
working on a new variety of paddy which will require 25 per cent less water
compared to the present varieties of paddy," a senior plant breeder at PAU
has said.

Under the project 'Enhancing Water Usage Efficiency and Productivity
in Rice', the scientists would collect germ plasm lines from different
states such as Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Uttaranchal and thereafter
hybridisation of these lines would be done in a bid to develop a new
variety.

It will take five years to develop such a variety, a PAU official
said.

In Punjab, the water table is receding at an alarming rate primarily
due to early transplantation of paddy. From 1974 to 1985, the water table
receded by 1 meter and between 1985 and 2000 it went down by another 4
meters especially in the area where about 75 per cent of rice is cultivated.

Presently, the water table in 95 per cent of the central zone of
Punjab has dipped to over 30 feet, according to a study conducted by PAU.
Despite several measures undertaken by scientists to restrict paddy
cultivation in Punjab, the total area under paddy cultivation has grown to
26 lakh hectares from 22 lakh hectares a couple of years ago.


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