India, March 11 -- Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) can reduce water use by up to 35 percent and lower cultivation costs by around Rs 14,000 per hectare, agricultural experts said at a conference in New Delhi, calling for wider adoption of the method to address growing pressure on water resources and rising farm costs.

The Federation of Seed Industry of India organised the second edition of its conference on "Direct Seeded Rice for Sustainable and Profitable Rice Production" at the NASC Complex. The event brought together policymakers, scientists, industry leaders and agricultural experts to discuss ways to scale up the adoption of DSR across India's rice-growing regions.

Experts said that traditional rice cultivation methods are increasingly p...