Farmers row saplings during kharif season. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, April 25: The agricultural scientists of the directorate of water management, a unit of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), have developed a multi-cropping technique to tackle the problem of under-productivity over an area of 85,000 hectares in Orissa that face waterlogging.

Director of the directorate of water management Ashwani Kumar said: “We have developed four deep-water rice varieties — Hangseswari, Ambika, Saraswati and Sabitri — particularly for the waterlogged areas during kharif season. Hangseswari is giving a higher yield of 2.4 – 2.5 tonne per hectare.”

In addition to the deep-water rice varieties, the scientists have developed waterlogging tolerant crops, medicinal plants and fishes. They have designed a cropping pattern for farmers for maximum cultivation of waterlogged areas of coastal Orissa during the year. The technology has been successfully implemented on a pilot basis in many parts of coastal Orissa. The scheme has helped farmers to double their income.

Kumar said: “Farmers are advised to prepare in advance to store water in their fields during the rainy season and follow the crop pattern prescribed by the agricultural scientists for maximum yield and productivity.”

The technique named pond-based farming system has been devised to stabilise and enhance the productivity of coastal deep waterlogged areas where waterlogging is around 1.5 metre to 2.0 metre deep.

Salt tolerant vegetables such as, watermelon, ladies finger, spinach, chilly (in winter), ondyke vegetables, fruit and fish can be cultivated in the waterlogged areas. “The technology has been successfully implemented in the representative deep waterlogged areas of Puri district. The cropping intensity was enhanced to 200 per cent and net returns were also increased up to Rs 35,000 per hectares from the technology,” he said.

Kumar said that sub-surface water harvesting structure has also been designed and implemented to tap freshwater floats.

Along with waterlogging tolerant crops such as, water chestnut, Colocasia and medicinal plant (Acorus) an air breathing fish has also been integrated with water chestnut cultivation for maximum yield. The technology has potential for adoption in 15,000 hectares perennial waterlogged areas of coastal Orissa, he said.