Hybrid rice was planted in an area of 1.3 m ha and additional rice production of 1.5 to 2.5 m t was added to the Indian food basket through this technology during the year 2010. More than 80 % of the total hybrid rice area is in eastern Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, with some little area in states like Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Punjab and Haryana. Since hybrid rice technology is likely to play a key role in increasing the rice production in India, a  study was conducted in eastern Uttar Pradesh with the following objectives:

• To assess the impact of hybrid rice technology on productivity and income

·         To document the constraints in adoption of hybrid rice technology

In order to assess the impact of hybrid rice technology data were collected from 100 rice farmers of two districts viz., Ambedkarnagar and Bahraich districts of Uttar Pradesh. The economics of HYV and hybrid rice cultivation was assessed by using cost and returns concepts.   The income obtained from HYV and hybrid rice cultivation was compared. The relative importance of the constraints in hybrid rice cultivation as perceived by the farmers were prioritized by using Garrett’s ranking technique.

The results revealed that the yield hike due to hybrid rice cultivation was 26.43 per cent, on an average the price fetched by the hybrid rice was 11.62 per cent lesser than the HYV rice. The total returns obtained per hectare from hybrid rice cultivation were 12.66 percent higher than the HYV rice cultivation. The net benefit cost ratio was 0.83 and 0.94 for HYV and hybrid rice cultivation respectively. Higher seed cost and lower pricing ability were the major constraints in cultivation of hybrid rice as opined by the farmers in the study area.

Hybrid rice has the potential to contribute significantly to improve production and sustain food security. Hence, efforts are needed to promote large scale adoption of hybrids in India. Higher cost of seed was found to be a major deterrent for large scale adoption of hybrid rice technology and hence the cost of the hybrid seed should be reduced. This can be done by improving the hybrid seed yields.

• Avoiding resurgence inducing insecticides like guinalphos methyl parathion, phorate and synthetic pytothroids. • Need based application of insecticides at recommended doses. Plant products • NSKE 5% or Neem oil 3% can be sprayed against BPH, leaf folder and GLH. • Ipomea leaf powder and Prosopis leaf powder are effective against earhead bug. • Use of Neem Seed Kernel Extract 5% (NSKE 5%) or Neem oil 2% against Earhead bug. Rat management • Dig and destroy the burrows and rats after harvest.

• Conserving spiders, mirids and other natural enemies by reduced rounds of insecticidal sprays and spraying safer insecticides.
• Release T. Japonicum @ 1 lakh per ha twice on 30 and 37 DAP against stem borer and T. chilonis @ 1 lakh per ha thrice on 37,44 and 51 DAP against leaf folder.
• Release Platygaster oryzae parasitized galls @ 1 /102 10 days after planting against gall midge.
• Use 8 Trichochord (Bio-agent Trichogramma) three times (total 24 in numbers), at one week interval just after one month of transplanting for one hectare for the control of rice stem borer.

• Remove and destroy stubbles after harvest.
• Trimming and plastering of field bunds and keep field free from weeds
• Synchronized sowing
• Leaving rogue space
• Avoiding closer spacing in endemic areas
• Judicious water management
• Avoiding excess fertilization especially nitrogenous fertilizers which induces BPH and leaf folder.
• Remove stem borer egg masses by dipping off tip of rice seedling during transplanting .
Host Plant Resistance: Use resistant varieties are one of the cheapest methods of control of any pests in rice crop.

The IPM packages of rice for Utter Pradesh state Include

1. Cultural

2. Biological

3. Chemical

• Sustainability
• Economics -lower economic costs
• Health - low health hazards
• Environmental quality- environmental safety to non-targets organisms- no environmental pollution.
• Social and political stability-through utilization of local inputs.
• Local knowledge -indigenous farming, traditional cultivation, practices can also be integrated.
• Export of agricultural commodities - produced through organic farming.
• No chance for resurgence or resistance.
• Well suited for rural areas.

• Institutional constraints: like lack of coordination among faculties, institutional barriers to research scientists.
• Informational constraints: Lack of IPM technology among farmers.
• Sociological constraints: Coordinating of most farmers to use insecticides, lack of coordination in society.
• Economic constraints: Farmers depend on shopkeepers or pesticide dealers for pesticides on credit and for information about the pest control methods.
• Political constraints: Subsidy by government for insecticides major constraints to farmers acceptance of IPM.

• Do nothing when pest densities are below ETL.
• Reduce pest population numbers- usually when pest densities reach ETL
• Reduce crop susceptibility to pest injury -most effective and environmentally desirable strategy HPR and environmental manipulation.
• Reduce both population numbers and crop susceptibility.

• To keep the pest numbers below ETL instead of their eradication.
• To protect and conserve the environment including bio-diversity.
• To make plant protection feasible, safe and economical even for the small farmers.

1. Parentage : IR 262/Remadja

2. Year of release : 1983

3. Duration (days) : 128-130

4. Yield (q/ha) : 55-60

5. Grain type : LS

6. Area of adaptation : Plains of U.P. and Uttarakhand

7. Reaction to major diseases and pests : Mod. Resistant to BLB

1. Parentage : UPRI 95-17A/UPRI 92

2. Year of release : 1997

3. Duration (days) : 115-120

4. Yield (q/ha) : 65-70

5. Grain type : LS

6. Area of adaptation : Transplanted conditions of U.P.& Uttarakhand Plains

7. Reaction to major diseases and pests : MR to BLB, Brown spot & Blast and free to false smut & kernel bunt under field conditions.