Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Baliapur, Dhanbad, on Thursday. (Gautam Dey)

Dhanbad, June 9: It is a method that promises to revolutionise paddy cultivation and farmers from rural pockets of the coal capital are leading the way to change.

The district agricultural department, along with Baliapur-based Krishi Vigyan Kendra, is training more than 900 farmers from various blocks of the district, including Baliapur, Nirsa, Baghmara, Tundi, Purvi Tundi, Topchanchi and Govindpur, to grow paddy using System of Rice Intensification (SRI), which is billed as a technique that can double productivity.

The training, which is being provided free of cost, will also see farmers receiving seeds and agricultural tools such as weeders at a subsidised rate.

“Last year, we implemented the SRI plan on only 100 hectares. This year, however, we plan to implement the new method on nearly 5,000 hectares on which paddy is grown and hope that the yield is doubled,” said senior scientist and programme officer of Krishi Vikas Kendra, Baliapur, Ashok Kumar.

He added that while an acre of land normally produced 15 quintals of paddy, the new method would help the same plot to produce around 30 quintals.

“The requirement of transplantation of seedling is reduced by more than 90 per cent under the system. This apart, the new method also cuts down weeding by eight times,” Kumar said.

Giving details, the senior scientist added that instead of seedlings of 30 days, which are planted under the traditional method, the new system will see 10-day-old seedlings being planted.

“The space between two seeds will have to be at least 25cm, instead of the usual 5cm,” Kumar said.

However, on the flip side, the new method will demand a large quantity of organic and inorganic manure like nitrogen and potash.

District agriculture officer Satyendra Kumar Singh added that the all the farmers undergoing training would be provided a sum of Rs 1,000 per hectare each when they adopt the new scheme.

This apart, the state will also provide cash reward to the highest cultivator under the novel technique.

“The increased yield will be a boon for farmers who have been grappling with severe drought conditions because of failed monsoon over the past two years,” Singh said.

He, however, added that patronage among farmers had been cold.“We had expected more to join in.”