Water and labor for agriculture are becoming increasingly scarce resources in many rice production areas. The share of water in agriculture is declining because of its increased demand in other non-agriculture sectors. Groundwater is being depleted at an alarming rate, especially in South Asia and the same is the case in India mainly because of its heavy use for rice production. Similarly, labor availability for agriculture is declining because of increased demand in non-agriculture sectors associated with rapid economic growth in many Asian countries. These factors provide incentives for farmers to shift to direct seeding, which requires less water and labor. Direct seeded rice production system gives a similar result with respect to growth and yield as found in transplanted puddled rice. However, due to the lower cost of cultivation B:C ratio is higher in direct seeded rice as compared to transplanted rice.
