1. Role of traditional paddy in
adapting Climate Change impacts
Varuna Rathnabharathie

2. Contents
• Paddy cultivation affects to CC
• CC affects to Paddy cultivation
• CC adaptation measures with case
studies
• What we can do?

3. Paddy cultivation affects to CC?
• 10-15 years ago paddy cultivation was
negatively affect to CC
• Due to flooding of fields
• CH4 emissions (GG)
• Machinery use, inorganic fertilizer
production, GG emitting chemical
usage, etc.
• With the world food crisis –
encouraging paddy and all crops from
food security aspects

4. Perception of CC by farmers
• Changing the rhythm of nature eg.
Rain indicators, cloud patterns, birds
• Failures of farming – low yield,
washing away the seed paddy, rains
at the harvesting time, half filled
grains

5. CC affects & impacts on Paddy
cultivation
• Increased atmospheric CO2 (more than
0.03%) concentrations –Grain yield up
to 27%
• Increased air temperature on spikelet
stage– > 31oC (1-2 oC)
- of yield
- of cross pollination, Weedy rice
- seed paddy quality

6. CC impacts and
best practices for
adaptation

7. Rainfall and paddy
• Correct water management practices
• Proper agronomic practices eg.
Kekulama, Nawa kekulama, SRI
Varieties suits to water stress conditions

8. Best practice 1
-“Hata da vee”
paddy put in to
shallow drains
-Covered by
soil
-3 months dry
spell
-Plants could
withstand
without growing
or dying
Ampara, Uhana, Panagolla
yaya – 2009 August -Kind of
dormancy?

9. -Dry period
of 2 months
-Coastal
salinity
-Saline
came on the
earth
surface
-“Pokkali”
could
Hambanthota, Bundala, Oorani yaya - 2008 withstand
dry and
Variety & water holding capacity saline
of soil
conditions

10. Soil Salinity
Rain fall Inland
Evaporation
Salinity
Sea level Coastal Salinity
Salinity tolerant varieties and management practices

11. Best practice 2
-Coastal salinity
-Pokkali, Kalu heenati
and Madathawalu
performed well
-Average 70 Bushels/
acre
Hambanthota, Bundala - 2008

12. Best practice 3
Management practices
• Mulching (covering the soil)
• Organic manure
• Water management (wash away)
• Minimum soil preparation
• Manual weeding/ competitive paddy
verities/mulching

13. Potential of Low country wet
zone
High air temperature Low water scarcity
Maximum effort to get the full potential
yield

14. Best practice 4
“Maththamagoda method” – raised beds use to
avoid saline and iron toxic conditions in poor
drainage low country wet zone

15. Best practice 5
Organic
fertilizer

16. Potential of Low country wet zone cont..
Erratic rain fall Increasing sea levels
Submerged Conditions
Flood resistant paddy varieties

17. Best practice 6
Ma ha
ma vee
grows
up to
12-15
feet
with
the
rising
of
flood
level

18. Ma vee seeds Ma vee stem cuttings
- Ma vee rice
- Same yield
from both
50 bushels/acre

19. Best practice 7
Ma ha ma
vee stem
cuttings
can plant
instead
of paddy
seeds
even
under
flood
situations
or un
expected
floods

20. New bio types resistant to pesticides and weedicides
•Resistant paddy varieties and eco friendly Natural systems
Best practice 8
Pest control by natural enemies – Needs to
maintain the whole system eco friendly

21. Seasonal shifting Best practice 9
• Long and short term varieties
70 days old 6 months old Ma
“hata da vee” ma vee
variety

22. Different types of planting materials
Best practice 10
Normal age of the maha ma vee by seeds – 6
months
If use stem cuttings - 3 ½ to 4 months

23. Best practice 11
Simple
Water
management
techniques

24. Best practice 12

25. Best practice 13

26. Climate change impacts
Dealing with Minimize
impacts risk
factors
Build
Respond
capacity
Fundamental
risks

27. 1. Fundamental Risks
Factors that weaken farmers/rural
communities to cope with climate
variation/change, e.g.
 poverty
 Land tenure security
 Labour availability

28. 2. Building Response Capacity
Factors that enable farmers and their communities
to cope with climate variation/change, e.g.
 Various seeds suitable for different conditions
 Water resource management and plan
 Food security
 Not dependence on external inputs
 Knowledge on appropriate technology

29. 3. Minimize Risk Factors
Enables farmers and their communities to
effectively manage the climate variation-
change
 Monitoring and warning system of negative
weather conditions (e.g. Drought, flash
flood, land slide)
 Readiness to deal with weather impacts
 Climate communication

30. What Level of Adaptation
 Adaptation at family level
 Adaptation of community
 Location level

31. Intervention
 Raising “correct” awareness through
simple Singhala/Tamil language to the
correct groups
 Develop adaptation pilot projects to
ground for the learning & research
 Focus on agriculture & rural areas
 Context of rising fuel costs
 Setting up technical support unit
 Need to develop tools and methodology
for working with small-scale producers
 Building regional networks

32. Thank
You !