a. Bed method:

Bed-preparation and Cropping:

– Hand-harvested, 3-4′ long, well-dried and disease-free paddy straw are taken to prepare their bundles.

– 35 bundles of paddy straw are required for one bed each being 1-1.5 kg in weight.

– The bundles are soaked in water for 8-16 hours, are taken out of water, washed with fresh water and allowed to drain off excess water.

– A bed is prepared by putting four layers and each layer contains 8 bundles.

– The spawn is now sprinkled by hand all over on the margin of the bed about 10 cm. away from the edge and continuing up to 23 cm Inside.

– The sprinkled spawn is covered with a light dusting of ‘besan’ (gram powder).

– The process is continued upto3 layers and on the last fourth layer sprinkling of spawn is done on the entire surface instead of periphery as in case of rests of the layers.

After Care of Beds:

– Water is sprayed 2-3 times in hot day and 1-2 times in rainy season. If necessary, 0.1% Malathion and 0.2% Dithane Z-78 is sprayed to overcome insects, pests and other diseases.