"System of Rice Intensification" of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and drying of rice fields is practised, results in : 1. Reduced seed requirement 2. Reduced methane production 3. Reduced electricity consumption Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3 ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• The System of Rice Intensification transplants single young seedlings at wide spacing and keeps the soil moist but not flooded, with alternate wetting and drying.
• Seed requirement falls sharply — about 5–7 kg per hectare against 30–50 kg in conventional planting — because only one seedling is planted per hill (item 1).
• Keeping fields unflooded for long periods prevents the anaerobic conditions that generate methane, cutting emissions (item 2).
• Less standing water means less pumping of groundwater, so electricity (and diesel) consumption for irrigation drops (item 3).
• Hence 1, 2 and 3, option (d).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- Item 3 is also correct: less irrigation pumping reduces electricity use.
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- Item 1 is also correct: SRI uses far less seed.
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- Item 2 is also correct: unflooded fields emit less methane.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2022, held on 5 June 2022. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.