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able commercially. Other OFT farmers had no access to herbicide sprayers. Had thisequipment been available, some farmers who evaluated OFTs in 2005 reported thatthey would have tried DSR in their own fields. But even if this technology had beenavailable, farmers would still have faced practical problems in implementation. Farmerswho evaluated DSR identified numerous disadvantages. Practical problems were alsoamplified by socioeconomic research on farmer decision-making for DSR, which isnot reported here (Orr et al 2005). On the demand side, three problems stand out: Dry-seeded DSR was problematic because of erratic premonsoon rainfall.Without presowing irrigation, this makes tillage for dry-seeded DSR unpredictable.With too little rain, tillage is delayed because the soil is too dry forplowing. With too much rain, tillage is delayed while farmers wait for the soilto dry out. If premonsoon showers are inadequate for dry-plowing, farmersmay run out of time and opt for wet-seeded DSR when the full monsoon rainsarrive. Similarly, rainfall dictated the time of application for preemergenceherbicide that required specific soil conditions. This meant either waitingfor rain to make the soil sufficiently moist or draining the field to make itsufficiently dry. Waiting for the right conditions could take time. If the waitis prolonged, weeds might start to appear that could not be controlled bypreemergence herbicides. Early maturity for rice was a disadvantage if it increased yield losses frominsects and pests. In the Barind Tract, OFTs initially combined DSR withshort-duration varieties such as BR39. This made the crop more vulnerableto pests. In addition, early maturity incurred a yield penalty that reduced thetotal supply of rice for food-insecure households. Since rice is the staple foodcrop, any yield penalty discouraged DSR adoption. Subsequently, OFTs usedDSR in combination with Swarna, a long-duration variety. This has reducedthe risk of crop loss from pests but also reduced the window between riceharvesting and sowing rabi crops. Provided that Swarna was direct-seeded30 days before TPR, however, it could be harvested 10 days earlier. The risk of lower yields with DSR is a powerful disincentive for sharecroppers.Where tenants pay owners with a share of the crop, any reduction inyield will be passed on to the landlord. OFT farmers reported that fear ofeviction was an important reason for not experimenting with DSR. Tenantswho pay a fixed rent may be more willing to experiment. But although theshare of the rented area that pays fixed rents has grown, this expansion hasbeen largely for irrigated rice. Share-contracts continue to dominate in the T.aman season when production is more risky. In a drought-prone environmentsuch as the High Barind Tract, this system is unlikely to change in the nearfuture.60 Jabbar et al