Ducks populate fable and lore—the idyllic scenery of nature always features a flock of ducks. Ducks are also an integral feature of farms where they are reared for their eggs and meat. Beyond poultry, this bird remains a favourite of farmers who cultivate paddy in several regions across the world. But how did the mighty duckling come to swim in rice fields? The answer lies in a Japanese polycultural practice developed in the 1980s, which promotes sustainable rice production.
Japanese farmer and social entrepreneur Takao Furuno conceptualised ‘Aigamo’, meaning a cross-breed of two species of ducks. It was originally developed in the late 1980s to simplify pest control and weeding, until Furuno crystallised it in his book, The Power of Duck: Integrated Rice and Duck Farming (2001). Committed to the practice of organic farming after being inspired by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962) which criticised indiscriminate use of pesticides, Furuno re-discovered duck-farming and decided to pivot from hand-weeding. It calls for the introduction of young ducklings and the planting of paddy seedlings to simultaneously increase the rice yield and minimise the excessive application of pesticides.
At a time when we’re witnessing erratic climate conditions and an excessive reliance on chemical-use farming, small farmers could reinvent traditional practices such as Aigamo, that use natural symbiosis and available resources for food and financial security.
Committed to the practice of organic farming Furuno re-discovered duck-farming and decided to pivot from hand-weeding.(Credit: Judgefloro, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)Also read: Why neem oil is the OG pest buster
The “little helpers”
The ducklings are introduced to the field at a young stage, which allows them to mature along with the paddy crop. They protect the crop from pests and weeds by consuming them and fertilising the soil with their organic waste. Their movements and wading also improve nitrogen absorption and ameliorate soil quality, in addition to aiding oxygenation. According to a 2020 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), this method has been proven to increase yields by 20%. This saves time and money – farmers are freed from manual weeding, and natural pest control reduces cost, a boon for small-scale farmers.
However, deploying natural mechanisms isn’t the only benefit; it’s the fact that this contributes to ecosystem formation. As rainfall patterns become harder to predict and resources become scarce, the food supply has become insecure. But duckling-peddled paddy farms encourage economic and nutritional security—once the paddy has matured, ducks are moved out and instead used for the supply of meat and eggs. Moreover, ducks have also been linked with more weather-resistant crops; they constantly peck at seedlings and help plough the soil, increasing oxygen absorption.
The ducks protect the crop from pests and weeds by consuming them and fertilising the soil with their organic waste. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)Ardhendu Sekhar Chatterjee, the founder of Development Research Communication and Services Centre (DRCSC), a West Bengal-based non-profit, explains the technicalities of the low-cost process, which requires the paddy seedlings to be planted around 15 centimetres apart for the ducks to wade through and for the field to retain rainwater. It is argued that this raises yield by around 10% to 20%.
Aigamo has become an inventive way for farmers looking to manage costs and create sustainable farm networks, as seen in the case of this Vermont-based farmer, inspired by Hokkaido’s rice production despite cold temperatures through the development of cold-resistant rice varieties. This isn’t to say the method is foolproof; ensuring the right breeds of ducks and rice crops are utilised, the removal of the birds from the fields at the right time, as well as ensuring duck health, all these factors determine whether this ecological process done manually will succeed or fail.
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Befriending the climate-friendly
In the Indian context, efforts to promote the use of ducks in rice farming are mainly concentrated in eastern states such as Odisha and Bengal, as well as Kerala. The widespread application of rice-duck farming is more suited to the environment and more effective for marginal land owners.
A 2021 report by the National Rice Research Institute in Cuttack aims to promote paddy-duck farming, particularly in the lowland regions of eastern India, where rice is an agricultural mainstay but with the addition of fish. Indian farmers are encouraged to adapt the technique to regional contexts, utilising livestock efficiently. The process is referred to as rice-fish duck integrated farming or RFDIFS. The system aims to alleviate the lives of marginal and tribal farmers by synergistically combining the three components while also considering the efficient use of available resources to mitigate the impact of climate change.
There are examples of how rice-duck farming allows marginal groups with limited financial means to find success. The Basak sisters have adopted this method in the Keotal village of Uttar Dinajpur in Western Bengal. The duo has broken into paddy farming despite patriarchal barriers of agrarianism and widespread family criticism. The practice proved fruitful when it delivered about 35-40 quintals of organically grown paddy in 5 bighas of land during their harvest in 2018.
More women in regions surrounding Keotal, like the Dohole and Balaoul villages, have taken to sustainable agricultural production under the collective of Narishakti Jaibochasi Mahila Dal or Woman Power through Organic Farming. They combine their resources and land to cultivate chemical-free paddy. Though the total area cultivated amounts to only 45 bighas, the zero input cost allows them to profit more per bigha.
The practice is a part of local agrarian tradition in the Thrissur-Ponani Kole wetlands in Kerala, where local duck farmers and paddy cultivators collaborate for rice production – for ducks as well as migratory birds the fields offer an excellent source of food.
However, cutting corners isn’t the only incentive. Farmers seem aware of the hazardous nature of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, which deteriorate soil quality and decrease water retention. Of the 234 registered pesticides in India, at least 24 have been identified as potential carcinogens by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Ecological sustainability is just as important as financial sustainability for those involved in agriculture. The issue of methane emissions, released in large amounts during rice cultivation, is also resolved by the symbiotic process of duck use in growing paddy.
With the threat of food insecurity looming due to shifting rain patterns, ecology experts like Nira Ramachandran argue, the question isn’t just about alleviating financial burdens, but applying holistic techniques that don’t make ecology bear the brunt of efficiency. While rice-duck farming has little evidence of widespread application and may even be ill-suited for particular areas lacking adequate markets for duck meat, it signifies a need to make the best use of what we have.
Also read: The 'plant' doctor will see you now
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