For a farmer, rain is usually good news. However, when seasonal precipitation arrives in intense downpours followed by long periods of wet soil, it can become a threat. Fields can remain flooded, roots can suffer from lack of oxygen, nutrients can be washed away, and crops can be blown over or perish.
For agriculture, the problem is not only insufficient rainfall; sometimes too much rain, which comes too quickly, also creates difficulties. As extreme precipitation and flooding increase pressure on farms, some farmers and researchers are turning to an old resource—the diversity of Indian agricultural crops.
Across the country, generations of farmers have preserved local varieties of rice, millet, pulses, tubers, and other crops adapted to specific soils, landscapes, and climatic conditions. Some of these possess traits that allow them to withstand conditions that might damage more common crops.
These local varieties, ranging from rice capable of surviving prolonged inundation to crops traditionally grown in marshy landscapes, offer an important question for a climate-stressed future: can certain crops that evolved in India's complex landscapes help farmers adapt to them again?
Five Local Rice Varieties Capable of Withstanding Rain
In coastal Karnataka, farmers have historically cultivated local red rice varieties in landscapes that can remain flooded for several days. ICAR has recorded that Kajjeja, a local rice variety grown in parts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, is among the varieties capable of withstanding flooding for up to a week, although prolonged flooding can still affect yield. Its value lies not in the complete absence of flood impact, but in its ability to survive conditions that could seriously damage other crops. For a farmer facing an unpredictable monsoon, such resilience can be as important as maximum yield.
In Maharashtra, tribal farmer Rahibai Soma Popere has been preserving local seeds for decades. The publication The Better India previously reported that she has preserved and propagated 48 local varieties across 17 crops, including rice, millet, pulses, and oilseeds. Among these was Rajbog, a traditional rice variety reported to be able to withstand heavy rainfall. For farmers, maintaining such diversity can serve as a form of agricultural insurance. When weather, soil, or pest conditions change, having multiple varieties gives them more options than relying on a single crop.
In the arid regions of Eastern India, some traditional rice varieties have adapted to landscapes where water levels can rise significantly during the monsoon. Unlike ordinary rice varieties that can drown when submerged, deep-water tolerant rice can respond to rising water levels by elongating its stem, allowing leaves to remain above the water surface. The National Institute of Rice Research ICAR notes that different types of flooding require different characteristics. Rapid elongation helps rice cope with deep water conditions, while other traits are more useful for sudden floods.
In Odisha, researchers have taken the idea of flood-resistant rice to a new level. The Indian Institute of Water Management has developed an agricultural system that combines deep-water tolerant rice, fish, aquatic plants, and post-flood vegetable cultivation. During floods, farmers grow local, wetland-tolerant rice varieties such as Hangseswari and Saraswati. Fish are raised in catchment structures, and vegetables and other crops are grown after the water recedes. ICAR reports that this system has been adopted by about 150 farmers in Puri district, generating an income of 80,000–90,000 rupees per hectare in an ecosystem previously considered unproductive. Here, the crop does not just survive the flood; the entire farm is designed around it.
Few places illustrate the relationship between crops and water as well as Kuttanad in Kerala. Much of the region's agriculture takes place below sea level. Its low-lying paddy fields face waterlogging, flooding, soil acidity, and climate change. The region has developed specialized farming methods suited to this unusual landscape and has been recognized by the Global Agricultural Heritage System. Kuttanad demonstrates that resilience does not always mean keeping water away from farms; sometimes it means learning how to farm with water.
Why Can Some Crops Survive Where Others Cannot?
What makes one crop more adapted to a challenging environment than another? For crops susceptible to flooding or waterlogging, researchers study a number of characteristics.
Flood Tolerance
Some rice varieties are capable of withstanding complete submersion for periods that would seriously harm other varieties.
Deep Water Adaptation
Some rice varieties respond to rising water levels by rapid stem elongation, allowing leaves to remain above the water surface.
Plant Architecture
Plant height, stem strength, and leaf characteristics can influence how a crop responds to waterlogging and lodging.
Local Adaptation
A variety cultivated for generations in a specific landscape may carry traits suitable for the soil, rainfall, and growing conditions of that area. However, resilience is not always linked to a single genetic trait; sometimes diversity itself is an advantage.
What Farmers Knew for Generations
Long before climate resilience became a scientific term, farmers selected seeds based on what worked on their land. They observed which crops survived difficult monsoons, tolerated poor soils, resisted pests, recovered after floods, and yielded despite changing conditions. This knowledge remains particularly important as rainfall becomes less predictable.