Key Features

40% water saving

25–30% system productivity increase

20–25% emission reduction

IoT-based smart farming

Cluster-based DSR model villages

Scaling DSR in Telangana to Make Paddy Cultivation Sustainable

In a transformative effort to modernize paddy cultivation, ICAR-IIRR, alongside line departments like the KVK and the state agricultural university, through a State Bank of India-funded project, successfully empowered 10,000 farmers across five key districts of Telangana (Nalgonda, Khammam, Suryapeta, Bhadradri Kothagudem, and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri), driving a massive shift toward sustainable rice cultivation. By conducting 130 village-level trainings and 32 intensive in-house sessions across 162 villages, our team addressed the technical barriers to Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) adoption. The impact was immediate and profound. In the targeted villages, DSR coverage increased from a baseline of just 10% to nearly 50% of the total paddy area. This grassroots momentum extended beyond the primary clusters, triggering a 30–40% expansion of DSR acreage across the border districts. This success story highlights how targeted education and localized promotional activities can fundamentally reshape agricultural landscapes, replacing labour-intensive traditions with efficient, climate-smart practices.