A three-day workshop to promote low-carbon rice cultivation in the State concluded at Kerala Agricultural University on Saturday.
The workshop aimed to develop innovative scientific, technological, and policy frameworks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from paddy cultivation and to mitigate climate change.
The workshop, organised as part of the State-implemented KERA project, seeks to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. Under the project, support will be provided for the promotion of low-carbon rice cultivation in 20,000 hectares of paddy fields across Thrissur and Palakkad districts. This initiative will also mark the beginning of a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) system for farmers.
AWD technique
The low-carbon rice cultivation method primarily adopts Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) technique developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The AWD method helps reduce water usage while generating carbon credits, thus providing farmers with an additional source of income.
In the first phase, the project will be implemented on a pilot basis in 500 hectares of paddy fields in Thrissur and Palakkad districts. The inaugural workshop served as the first step in this process, bringing together farmers, agricultural experts, and implementing officers for discussions. The programme also launched a scholarship and technical support scheme to support research scholars and young scientists. Selected students will receive scholarships, one month of summer school in foreign universities and six-month stay for research at national or international research organisations
Panel discussions
On the second day of the workshop, the sessions in which experts from national and international organisations participated, covered greenhouse gas mitigation practices in crop management, digital technologies, carbon reduction strategies and the use of satellite technologies like NISAR for data collection and verification. Students and scientists from Kerala Agricultural University participated. Panel discussions on low-carbon rice cultivation and related research prospects followed the seminars.
On the final day, a team of experts visited a project site at Onpathamuri Kole lands in Thrissur, where they held discussions on various technical topics with farmer representatives. The expert team also met with the Agriculture Minister P. Prasad to formulate guidelines for future actions under the KERA project to promote low-carbon rice cultivation in Kerala.
Published – October 11, 2025 08:58 pm IST
