New Delhi, July 17 - Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State who arrives here Sunday, will tour the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) to observe the direct seeding method for paddy cultivation among farmers.

'We dont know why but Clinton is interested in one technology - the direct seeding methodology for paddy cultivation,' said a senior official of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) of which IARI is a part.

'This method helps farmers to grow paddy when the monsoon is not that great. Though this method is used in India, it is perhaps new to the US,' the official told IANS seeking anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Generally, paddy seeds are allowed to grow shoots in a small monitored area before being transplanted to the fields. But in the direct seeding method, it is sowed directly in the field.