Rice improvement status and strategies for increasing farmer's income in Maharashtra state, India

In Maharashtra, rice is grown on 1.602 million hectares with annual production of 4.989 million tonnes and 3.11 t/ha (rough rice) productivity. The efforts made to improve rice varieties resulted in 103% increase in productivity as compared to 1960. Most popular land races among farmer's are viz., Ambemohar, Ghansal, Kothambari sal, Kala Jirga, Champakali, Krishnasal, Tambada Jog, Kamod, Kasbai and Thilsa, Bela, Valai, Bhadas, Patani, Varak, Wada Kolam,Sarawat, Mahadi, Sorti (Konkan) and White Lichai and Chinoor (Eastern Vidharbha region) due to their speciality characters. More than 41 rice varieties were identified from these land races and made available to the farmers in earlier phase. After Green revolution era, rigorous efforts revealed release of 69 HYVs and five rice hybrids for commercial cultivation in the state. Among HYV's, Karjat 184, Ratnagiri 24, Ratnagiri 1, Karjat 2 to Karjat 8, Ratnagiri 4 to Ratnagiri 8, Palghar 1 and among hybrids, Sahyadri 1 to Sahyadri 5 are popularly grown in Konkan region, The most popular are Indrayni, Phule Radha, Bhogavati, Phule Samradhi, Kundalika in Western Maharashtra state, PDKV HMT, SKL 8, SKL 9. PDKV Kisan, PDKV Sakoli Red rice 1, PDKV Sadhana, PDKV Makarand, PDKV Khamang, PDKV Tilak in Eastern Vidharbha and Sugandh, Prabhavati, Avishkar, Terana, TJP 48 and Ambika are in Marathawada region. Among 69 HYV's released in the state, four are of 90 to 105 days to maturity suitable for hilly areas ( 0.80 lakh ha area), 24 are of 115 to 120 days maturity suitable for upland (5.60 lakhs ha area), 28 varieties are having 125 to 135 days maturity duration suitable for midlands (6.40 lakhs ha area), 9 rice varieties having more than 140 days duration suitable for lowlands (3.20 lakhs ha area) and four salt tolerant rice varieties for coastal salinity area ( 0.67 lakh ha area). The released rice varieties/ hybrids, 28, 07, 08,11, 15 having LS, LB, SB, MS and SS grain types respectively. Among the five rice hybrids, two (Sahyadri 2 and Sahyadri 4) are suitable for uplands ( 6.40 lakh ha), two (Sahyadri and Sahyadri 3) are suitable for midlands ( 6.40 lakh ha)and one (Sahyadri 5 ) for lowlands (3.20 lakh ha).