Climate Chaos:
Rice in less rain
Wasantha RAMANAYAKE
With the beginning of Yala season from March, many a green stretches
of rice fields spreads into far away distance along the
Ambepussa-Trincomalee A- road near Kurunegala, indeed a pleasing sight
to passers by. But only a keen observer could see the reality in the
saturated fields, where green rice plants are yearning for water, their
much loved life-blood, and the April rains.
D.M. Thilakarathne, Udapola, who would have abandoned paddy
cultivation if not for the fertilizer subsidy. |
Dr. W.M.W. Weerakoon, Senior Agronomist, attached to the
Rice Research and Development Institute, Batalagoda. |
H.M.C. Wijewardane of Hatalispahuwa, says that a farmer
should be ready to cultivate his fields whenever rain comes. |
Just as rice plants the farmers too are worried about the
non-appearance of the inter-monsoonal rain after the Sinhala Hindu New
Year as expected. They complain of rain coming early, in March, and of
its sudden disappearance in early April, leaving them in a quandary.
Would Sri Lanka be able to produce 4.2 million tonnes of rice which
is around 35% increase of the present annual production the country
would need in 2020 to feed more millions of mouths? When the whether
gods are angry leaving the paddy fields with young rice plants parched,
it is seemingly beyond expectation. Are the farmers helpless in their
struggle against odds of untimely rain, prolonged droughts and the
rising of temperature?
According to Senior Agronomist at the Rice Research and Development
Institute Bathalagoda Dr. W.M.W Weerakoon, Sri Lanka at present produces
3.1 million tonnes of rice annually to feed around 20 million people
whose staple food is rice, with 1.8 million farmers are involved in the
rice cultivation.
Different in future
"We are in transition," says Dr. Weerakoon. He said that so far Sri
Lanka achieved near self sufficiency in rice owing to the introduction
of new cultivars or rice varieties invented through breeding, and the
development of technologies, but without any major problems of water and
fertilizer.
Experiments are carried out to determine the effects of the
increase in the carbon dioxide concentration on rice
varieties at Rice Research and Development Institute,
Batalagoda, Ibbagamuwa. |
He added that high temperature was not a serious problem and
constraints such as weeds, pests and disease were controlled
effectively.
"But it would not be the same in the future," he expressed concern of
the country's changing scenario of climate due to the global warming and
the climate change.
How does Sri Lanka just as any other developing countries in
particular, afford to feed the ever increasing population? He noted that
it would not be always possible to import rice since the rice stocks
available in the international market is quite limited and very
expensive. "Sri Lanka must increase its productivity."
Challenges
Increasing the productivity poses numerous challenges unlike in the
past; inadequate water, higher day and night temperature, expensive
fertilizer, increased threats of weeds, pests and diseases. Dr.
Weerakoon pointed out that there is evidence to show that the
temperature in Sri Lanka too is on the rise. He cited that the reduction
of the number of cold nights and increase in number of warm nights, the
increase in the night time minimum temperature and the slight increase
in the day time maximum temperature in the country as such evidence.
He said that the maximum temperature has been increased above the
threshold limit of the rice cropping. The increased temperature affects
the rice plant at its most important stage of flowering thus resulting
in the increase of unfilled rice grains.
He said that the high temperature and the lower moisture in the air
desiccate the pollen or the male cells in the flower which result in the
empty grains. He said the increase in the air temperature also increases
pest attacks on rice plants.
The other aspect of the climate change is the vulnerability of the
rain fall pattern especially the North-Eastern monsoonal rain. The rain
would not come on time; there are heavy rains and increased consecutive
dry days in between two rains. The farmers who cultivate rice using rain
water would not fetch the expected yield because of the longer dry
period, he said. Farmers would lose reliability of the rain and tend to
use more irrigated water, increasing its demand. "Framers have to
compete with domestic water needs and that for the electricity
production."
The Mahaweli River project, the country's largest project for
agriculture and hydro power generation, diverts 50 % of the water flown
in Mahaweli River at Polgolla towards Ukuwela, mainly for agriculture in
the North and East and the rest is allowed to flow to Victoria and other
reservoirs mainly for the power generation.
102,000 cubic meters of water is daily taken out of the river while
it is predicted to be increased up to 221,000 cubic meters in the
future. The domestic water usage too would be increased downstream of
the Polgolla dam and highly polluted amount of water would be returned
for cultivation, he said. "Climate change would definitely aggravate
this situation," he reiterated. The demand for water for the hydro
electricity generation would be increased significantly.
Options
"The picture would be really gloomy, the future rice cultivation
would face a severe water shortage if we do not conserve water," he
argued. In order to lower the adverse impact, there is a need to develop
high yielding, high temperature, salinity, disease and salinity tolerant
rice varieties which could grow with the minimum of water usage, Dr.
Weerakoon said. He noted that to overcome the problem, it was necessary
to cultivate to short term to medium term varieties, and farmers should
avoid the flowering during the high temperature periods.
"They can conserve water if they maintain saturated conditions in the
filed. The irrigation system too should be improved to reduce wastages,"
he pointed out.
The research institute is researching various cropping method such as
dry land preparation and dry sowing, dry land preparation and wet
sowing, and change from the flood irrigation to soil saturated
irrigation.
Variability of N-E monsoon
Head of Agro-Climatologic Division, Department of Agriculture,
Peradeniya Dr. B.V.R. Punyawardane pointed out that the variability of
North Eastern monsoon had been dramatically increased over the years as
a result of the climate change. The variability is such that it would
come in very high intensity over short period, in low intensity or would
not come at all.
"This had not been so in the past. You can see that "Wellassa area"
or "Hundred Thousand paddy fields" in Bibile area were cultivated using
rain water from the North-Eastern monsoon, but not using irrigated water
as ancestors did in the Anuradhapura of Polonnaruwa areas where they
made hundreds of tanks. So it shows that the rain had come regularly and
systematically," he argued.
He also pointed out that during the past two years the paddy farmers
in Anuradhapura complained of more wet conditions during the harvesting
season than before. "There will be more rain when it is not needed and
there would not be any when it is needed for cultivation," he stated.
He added that Ehala Pussa or the unfilled rice grains due to high
temperatures during July had become a common feature in the dry Zone.
"But it had been a rare phenomenon in the past," he said.
Woes of Farmers
Farmers across many rice growing climatic zones also have felt the
heat of the climate change just as the researches. G. Gunasena, (48), of
Kiula, Hungama, in the southern dry zone in the Hambantota District
cultivates two acres of paddy land with irrigated water. During the Maha
paddy cultivation season from October to February, rice plants needs a
dry period in January, for grains to be filled but there was rain that
resulted in unfilled grain, he explained as to how changed climate had
affected him.
This year they have not still received rain which they used to
receive when he was a small child. He noted that although the area used
to receive some rain earlier, it has been reduced. "I feel there is a
decrease in the Yala seasonal rain, from May to September.
Farmers again need rain by the end of June before the flowering or "bandi
goyam" period. They use fertilizer during this and would need some rain,
if they do not get it plants would become yellowish, and their grains
would not be filled.
Gunasena recollects that earlier in 1970s and 1980s when their
parents were cultivating, there was rain in May which was well speed
throughout the second to third weeks, which was needed for the growth of
plants.
"The environment is so changed that the rain too comes unexpectedly
without giving any signs," he says. The sound of a bird called "Ati
kukulla" is hardly heard before rain as it did in the past. "Nowadays it
never says "Buk, buk," nor would chameleon or Katussa make noises before
any rain."
"Now we get rain even in August and this is a topsy-turvy situation."
The August rain also affects the chena cultivation. "We prepare our
lands burning down the dried plants and clear it. How could we prepare
the lands when there is rain,' he queried. He also agrees that when
there is more rain than usual the attacks of fungus and pests too could
be frequent.
Fertilizer Subsidy
D.M. Thilakarathne (68), of Udapola in Kurunegala District, is a
retired school principal who had won Presidential Awards for the Service
Excellence in 1995, counted more than 40 years of experience in paddy
cultivation.
He said that there has not been a time during which the climate had
been so changed and chaotic. "Here the clouds comes but would not rain.
But it would suddenly rain in no time, when a rain was least expected,"
he commented. However, in contrast earlier rain was predictable and came
on time.
"There was an old man who by looking at clouds could tell whether or
not it would rain today or tomorrow." He started cultivating his two
acre paddy land in March because the rain had come earlier than usual,
but has not received any rain since mid-April. "We just cultivate for
the sake of cultivation, not for the governments fertilizer subsidy we
would have totally abandoned it," he said.
Delayed rain
H.M.C. Wijewardane (59) of Hathalispahuwa, Polgahawela in the
Intermediate Zone counts more than 40 years of experience in the
cultivation believe that now the paddy farmers should be prepared to
cultivate their fields whenever the rain comes, could not do the
cultivation according to any schedule. "When ever the rain comes, we
should be at the field," and he says that the adaptation is the best
method. He recollected that the last season had been a failure, the rain
was late and rained in only in last November, had it come as expected in
October they could have finished cultivation by November. They sow four
month-crop, to their dismay the rain suddenly stooped in mid December, "Naththal
Kunatuwa," or the Christmas Storms, as framers put it, did not turn up,
the crop flowered but resulted in empty grain since the expected rain
did not turned up. But the short term varieties survived, although they
were vulnerable to pests.
To them the rain was crucial. The inter-monsoonal rain, after the New
Year, is yet to come. Although they had started their cropping season
early, they are yet to receive the mid April rain which had been sure to
be there earlier. "Although mine is all right many fields are drying up
because of the lack of water," he said.
Period of Relaxation
Ravi Dharmasuriya (40), of Devalepole, an Air force officer, who was
engaged in paddy cultivation from his childhood told that the pattern
established was that the they start the cultivation after the new year,
towards the end of April. The Sinhala and Hindu New Year had been
traditionally so fixed in mid April, in between two cropping seasons and
that it was the leisure period for farmers. He said that this time there
was not a period for resting as the season began in March when the rains
came early.
"For our parents new year was a period of relaxation. But we could no
longer celebrate the New Year in the same spirit as done by our parents
and grand parents," he said. He too was worried as many others did,
since the usual after New Year rain has not so far approached.
Rice Unaffected
U.H Dayasena of Maha Arawa, Ambalantota, in the dry zone of the Deep
South cultivates around 20 acres of paddy using irrigated water from the
Redeegama reservoir which is fed by the waters of Walawe river diverted
form the Liyangastota Anicut. Dayasena agrees that the climate had been
changed.
"These days are unusually and unbearably hot, even night wind which
used to be cool and comforting is no longer soothing nor wipes the sweat
away from the body". These changes in the climate he attributes to the
aftermath of the Tsunami in 2004.
"I believe all these changes are due to the Tsunami. After that great
Tsunami we receive less rain," he expressed his belief. There used to be
heavy rains in April we had only two spells of rain during this month.
But his perception was that the change in the climate has not much
affected paddy cultivation. He feels that there have not been many
changes in the Maha cultivation season; rain comes in October as usual.
He did not agree with the views of the officials attached to the
Meteorological and the Agricultural Departments that there had been a
great variability in the North Eastern monsoon.
However, the majority agree that there are drastic changes taking
place in established climatic pattern. The farmers alone are helpless in
their struggle again the climate change. However, most of them lack
better understanding; they should be educated of one of man's biggest
challenges, they are yet to learn about the importance of conservation
of resource including water and new technology is yet to reach them. If
ever to achieve the target of 4.2 million metric tons of rice in 2020,
undoubtedly, they should be better networked, so that they will not be
alone in their fight against the climate change and in the rice
cultivation.
(The article was written under the aegis of the CSE Media
Fellowships)
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