The Rice Department recommends alternating wet and dry rice fields, reducing water use to cope with El Niño.

Bangkok, June 21 – Director-General of the Rice Department advises farmers to grow rice in wet and dry mode. to reduce the use Support for El Nino conditions They can also sell carbon credits to generate income.

Mr. Natthakit Khongthip, Director-General of the Rice Department, revealed that Hastened to advise farmers who want to grow rice in the rice field to use the wet and dry method, which is a method that does not have to keep water in the fields all the time but accepts water only when the rice plants need a lot of water Resulting in reducing the amount of water used in farming. to support El Niño conditions

for alternating wet and dry farming It is farming by controlling the water level in the field to have a waterlogging period. Alternating with dry water periods, alternating at the right time. to encourage the roots and stems of the rice plants to be stronger Because the soil and roots are exposed to air. when getting air will be able to absorb fertilizer better reduce the use of fertilizers when absorbing food better strong rice Reduce the spread of diseases and insects. reduce the use of chemicals It also reduces production costs. When the rice stalk is strong, it will produce more tillers. perfect ears of rice Productivity obtained has also increased. This alternating wet and dry farming Suitable for farming areas in the irrigated area. controlled drainage It uses 30-50% less water for cultivation than conventional rice cultivation methods. It also reduces methane emissions. which is one of the greenhouse gases Caused by anaerobic decomposition of organic matter when growing rice in water for a long time as well

However, another benefit that farmers will receive from alternating wet and dry farming is selling carbon credits Can be operated in 2 ways, i.e. trading through the trading platform (Trading Platform) or the officially established carbon credit trading center by opening a T-VER credit account with the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO) and trading through the system. colon (Over-the-counter: OTC), which is an agreement between the buyer and the seller directly. Therefore, alternating wet and dry farming is beneficial in terms of reducing production costs such as Water pumping fee Seed cost, fertilizer cost, etc. At the same time, there will be additional income from the sale of carbon credits.

Director-General of the Rice Department reiterated that What is worrying now is Many areas experience dry spells during the period. Farmers who have not started planting should wait for steady rain before preparing their plots to reduce the risk of rice damage from water shortages. as well as reserve water for use during the period of low rain as well.-Thai News Agency

Source: Thai News Agency