Question Statement:
Argument: 'Replacing traditional puddling with direct-seeded rice (DSR) reduces water requirement by 30% and labor by 50%. However, DSR fields suffer from severe weed competition during early vegetative stages.'
Which of the following policies would effectively mitigate the drawback of DSR without forfeiting its benefits?
Options:
- (A) Developing integrated weed management protocols using pre-emergence herbicides and mechanical cono-weeders
- (B) Flooding the DSR field under 20 cm continuous standing water for the entire season
- (C) Adopting laser land leveling to ensure uniform shallow seed placement and moisture distribution
- (D) Reverting completely to manual transplanting with 30 puddling passes