Rice is mainly a rainfed crop in Assam where drought and flood events are very common features causing a big proportion of farmers to undergo distress every year. Therefore, high-yielding STRVs could be a boon for small and marginalized farmers of the state. Accordingly, the Project in collaboration with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is promoting STRVs, both existing and new ones. Matching best agronomic practices have also been identified, primarily to harness the maximum potential of these STRVs under stress-prone environments. Seed production-linked cluster demonstrations, head-to-head demonstrations, and crop cafeteria of different high-yielding STRVs are being organized to disseminate technologies suitable for flood- and drought-prone areas in Assam. This helps farmers become acquainted with the STRVs, and with the conforming best agronomic practices of these varieties along with better and innovative learning opportunities for sustained adoption. The project is demonstrating a package of technologies and optimal crop management practices jointly identified by Indian NARES partners and IRRI in tandem with Assam Agricultural University (AAU) along with the stress-tolerant varieties, with a particular focus on rice crop establishment and nutrient and pest management for rainfed rice in stress-prone environments.

Solar Bubble Dryer (SBD): has an inflated solar tunnel, 2 solar powered blowers and is used to dry paddy to optimum and uniform moisture levels at field level. The dryer comes in two capacities i.e. 0.5 t and 1 t. For one tonne capacity the dimensions are 25m length and 2m width. The greatest advantage of this dryer is that it uses solar power and involves no operating cost except for 2 labors. However, the grains can be dried in cloudy condition also. During sunny days drying time is similar to sun drying while during cloudy days, it takes around 2 days to dry to optimum moisture levels. In addition, it also offers protection from rain and animals. The top cover is made of UV-LDPE while the bottom is made of reinforced PVC. Two SBDs have been procured and demonstrated under rice value chain of APART and are now placed at KVK Kamrup and KVK Jorhat.

The Zero tillage technique, a climate resilient technology, introduced in the Project through the technical support of the International Potato Centre (CIP) in potato is gaining high popularity among the potato farmers. It uses paddy straw as a mulching material, lowers cost of cultivation, ensures water saving, low weed emergence, low pest and diseases incidence, lowers post harvest losses, more time is available for boro paddy.

Paddy Cum Fish Culture (PFC) is the integration of fish farming with paddy. This system is profitable and sustainable, as two crops i.e. paddy and fish can be harvested from a unit cultivable area. The wet terrace rice fields where surface and ground water is sufficiently available can be utilized for development of PFC. The adoption of PFC will open avenues for self-employment , supplement the income of the agriculture farmers and enhance fish production in the State.