Why in the news?

• Soil tests found dangerously high concentrations of Aluminium in Kuttanad Paddy fields.

Kuttanad Paddy system

• What is it?: Kuttanad Paddy system is a unique below-sea-level rice cultivation practice in Kerala.
• Features:
  • Recognised by the Food and Agriculture Organization as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2013.
  • Paddy cultivated after draining water from reclaimed wetlands.
  • Polder (Padasekharam) System where Agricultural fields are enclosed by earthen bunds (dykes) and water pumped out using mechanical or traditional methods.
  • Cultivation aligned with monsoon cycles: Paddy is grown as a single Punja crop (October-February), avoiding monsoons (June-August) and saline intrusion (February-May), with high productivity due to fertile alluvial soil and high-yielding varieties.
  • Community Management: Collectively through farmer groups.

Source: The Hindu