BATHINDA, July 31 -- The Punjab agriculture department is able to achieve only 58% of the targeted 5 lakh acres to be covered under the direct seeded rice (DSR) technique for paddy sowing this kharif season even as the overall acreage increased marginally from 2024-25.

However, the official data shows that the area under the water conservation method of DSR is pegged at 2.90 lakh acres this kharif cycle which is the highest in the last four kharif sowing seasons.

DSR 'tar-wattar' (good soil moisture), a low-cost mechanical sowing technique to reduce water footprint in the cultivation of water-guzzling rice by 20%, was indigenously developed by scientists of Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).

Despite being promoted for...