Rice Cultivation in West Bengal

Aus, Aman, and Boro Rice

Rice is the principal crop and staple food of West Bengal. The state holds a prominent position in rice production at the national level. Rice is cultivated almost everywhere in West Bengal. However, with the application of improved scientific techniques under the present changed circumstances, it is possible to further increase rice yield.

Land Selection

• Aus (Pre-Kharif) Rice: Any upland or medium land with sandy loam soil is suitable for Aus rice cultivation.
• Aman (Kharif) Rice: Aman rice can be grown on any type of land — upland, medium, or low land — with sandy loam to clay loam soil.
• Boro (Summer) Rice: Medium to low-lying irrigated lands with sandy loam to clay soil are suitable for Boro rice. Although Aus and Aman rice cultivation are primarily rain-fed, proper irrigation and drainage facilities can significantly increase yield.

Seed Rate

Note:

• If seed germination percentage is low, or if dense planting or more seedlings per hill are required, the seed rate should be increased proportionately.
• Always test seed germination capacity before sowing.
• The area required for nursery is approximately 1/10th of the main field area (i.e., 6 katha or 15 decimal nursery for 1 acre main field).
• Do not sow more than 4 kg of seed per katha in the nursery bed.

Seed Selection

Prepare a salt solution by dissolving 1.65 kg of edible salt in 10 litres of water in a bucket. Immerse the selected seeds in this solution. Discard the floating seeds (light or damaged) and collect the sunken seeds (healthy ones). Immediately wash them thoroughly in clean water, dry them in shade, and use for sowing.
This 10-litre salt solution can treat 30–40 kg of seed.

Seed Treatment

Dry Seed Treatment (before broadcasting or sowing in dry nursery):
Mix 2–2.5 g of Thiram 75% WP or 2.5–3 g of Carbendazim 25% WP per kg of seed and treat the seeds.

Wet Seed Treatment (for wet nursery beds):
Dissolve 3 g of Tricyclazole or 4 g of Carbendazim in 1.5 litres of water. Soak 1 kg of selected seeds in this solution for 8–10 hours. Take out only the sunken seeds, drain the water, and incubate them for sprouting.

Appropriate Time for Seed Sowing

Aus Rice
Due to expansion of irrigation facilities, most Aus rice is now transplanted instead of direct broadcasting. The recommended sowing time in different regions of West Bengal is as follows:

Aman Rice
Sowing time for Aman rice should be decided considering land topography, rainfall probability, variety duration, and cropping pattern. Since Aman rice is mostly rain-fed, the recommended nursery sowing time according to land type is:

If proper irrigation and drainage facilities are available, sowing time can be adjusted according to variety for better yield.

Boro Rice
Boro rice should be grown only in low-lying areas or near reliable irrigation sources where no other rabi crop can be cultivated due to water stagnation. To avoid yield loss due to shortage of irrigation water at the later stage, restrict Boro cultivation to fields where assured irrigation is available from Poush (December) to mid-Baishakh (April).

Recommended Rice Varieties for West Bengal

Irrigated Land – Early Duration (100–115 days) – Suitable for Aus & Boro

1. PNR-381
2. Renu
3. CSR (S) 5-2-2-5
4. Tara
5. Ratna
6. Parijat
7. Mohan
8. Vikas
9. Narendra Dhan-97
10. MTU-1004
11. Lal Minikit (WGL-20471)
12. Nayanmani

Irrigated Land – Medium Early Duration (115–125 days) – Suitable for Aus & Boro

1. Lalat
2. IR-64
3. IR-36
4. MTU-519
5. Sufala
6. Panth Dhan-6
7. Shatabdi (Minikit)
8. Sarathi
9. Saket-4
10. Kshitish
11. CSR (S) 11-5-0-2
12. CSR (S) 2-1-7
13. MTU-1010
14. Narendra Dev-359
15. Birsa-202
16. Radhi
17. Kasturi

Irrigated Land – Medium Duration (125–135 days) – Suitable for Aman & Boro

1. Kunti
2. Jaya
3. Ajaya
4. Shasyashree
5. IR-20
6. Suraksha
7. Bhuban
8. Vikramacharya
9. Prakash
10. Pratap
11. Daya
12. Panth Dhan-4
13. Mrinal
14. Himalaya-741
15. Kalimpong-1
16. DL Dhan-81
17. Sita
18. Pusa Basmati-1
19. Kabya
20. Tapaswini
21. Gajapati
22. Geetanjali
23. Rajeshwari
24. Sonasari
25. Kanak
26. Shweta
27. Hari

Rain-fed Upland & Lowland Varieties (Super Fast / Short Duration 65–95 days)

Rain-fed Upland (Aus & Boro):

1. Kalyani
2. Sneha
3. Hira
4. Aditya
5. Khanika
6. Prasanna

Rain-fed Lowland (1 foot water, 140–150 days) – Aman

1. Shali
2. Manas Sarobar
3. Jogen
4. Bipasha
5. IR-42
6. Pankaj
7. IET-5656
8. Lal Swarna
9. Pranav
10. Savitri
11. Gayatri
12. Dharitri
13. CR-1002
14. CR-1014
15. Lunishree
16. CSR-6
17. CST-7-1
18. Shashi
19. Puja
20. Samba Mahsuri
21. Kalinga-3
22. Giri
23. MTU-1001
24. Shyamali
25. Purba
26. Ranjit
27. Bhajram
28. Mandavijaya
29. Chaitanya
30. Swarna Sub-1
31. NDR-8001
32. NDR-8002
33. Barah Abarohi
34. Ramachandi
35. Godavari
36. Krishnaveni

Note: Always choose varieties according to land type, irrigation facility, duration, and local recommendations from the Agriculture Department or Krishi Vigyan Kendra for best results.

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