title: Effect of flaring of natural gas in oil fields of Assam on rice cultivation.
abstract: Assam (India) is endowed with natural resources like oil, coal and natural gas. The crude oil, one of the most precious natural resources, is found in the districts of upper Assam. During the process of extraction of crude oil, low-pressure natural gas is burnt in the air. Most of the oil wells in upper Assam are located near rice fields and therefore, rice crop grown near the oil wells is exposed to light uninterruptedly causing grain sterility resulting significant loss in grain yield. To identify promising varieties for these areas, we studied the effect of flare on rice varieties with different photoperiod sensitivity. The high light intensity and increased light hours were the factors responsible for substantial loss in grain yield near the flare resulting from delay in flower initiation, reduction of panicle length, having less number of grains per panicle and more grain sterility. To prevent significant loss in yield, photoperiod-sensitive traditional and improved rice varieties should not be grown up to the distance of 80 and 100 m, respectively from the boundary wall of the flare pit. Modern weakly-photoperiod sensitive varieties like Ranjti and Mahsuri can be grown 40 m away from the wall while modern photoperiod insensitive variety like Jaya, can be cultivated 20 m away from the wall without significant loss in yield.
authors.affiliation: Regional Agricultural Research Station, Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Titabar--785 630, Assam, India.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hazarika
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kalita
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D007194:India; D059206:Natural Gas; D061329:Oil and Gas Fields; D012275:Oryza / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010578:Petroleum; D017440:Photoperiod; D012987:Soil; D013045:Species Specificity; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D059206:Natural Gas; D010578:Petroleum; D012987:Soil