06.04.2024
Paira cropping system
For Prelims:About Paira cropping system,Advantages of Paira cropping system,What is the Relay cropping method?
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Why in the news?
A unique conservation agricultural practice called Paira cropping system has lost its importance in recent years due to climate change.
About Paira cropping system:
- The utera/paira is a type of cropping which is commonly practiced in Bihar, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
- It is a kind of relay method of sowing in which lentil/ lathyrus/ urdbean/ mung bean seeds are broadcast in the standing crop of rice about 2 weeks before its harvest.
- This system does not allow agronomic intervention such as tillage, weeding, irrigation and fertilizer However, rice variety decides the productivity of pulses in this system.
Advantages of Paira cropping system:
- This practice enables us to use better soil moisture available at the time of harvesting of rice crops, which could otherwise be lost quickly.
- Experimental evidence showed that paira cropping produced more yield of lentil than planting with tillage after harvesting of the rice crop.
- This is an efficient way of utilizing resources for sustainable crop intensification and boosting land productivity.
What is the Relay cropping method?
- It is a method of multiple cropping where one crop is seeded into standing second crop well before harvesting of second crop.
- It can solve a number of conflicts such as inefficient use of available resources, controversies in sowing time, fertilizer application and soil degradation.
Source: Down to earth