1. WHAT IS BEING LEARNED FROMTHE SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION (SRI): An Agroecological Innovation from Madagascar Norman Uphoff, CIIFAD Cornell University, USAPlant Protection/IPM Program Hanoi, January 4, 2006

2. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a work in progress

It is an unprecedented innovation

Raising outputby 50-100% or more

With areduction in inputs :

• Fewerseeds reduced by 80-90%

• Lesswater reduced by 25-50%

• No need to introducenew varieties

• Little or no need foragrochemicals

• Lowercosts of production-- by ca.20%

3. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) gives more from less

Its requirements include:

Morelaborinitially, while learning methods becomes labor-saving

Goodwater controlfor best results

Access tobiomassfor compost

Skill and motivationfrom farmers

Crop protectionin some cases

4. Basic Practices:

Start withyoung seedlings 8-12 days old ( 7 t/ha in Philippines, with rainfall only; also good results in West Bengal, India (IWMI)

Concepts being applied toother crops

6. SRI Underscores Importance of Management

This is no news to an IPM programbut it is important to be clear about this in our current genocentric period

Production depends on three pillars

• Genetic potential

• Resource inputs

• Management matching genome to environment producing PHENOTYPES

We eat phenotypes not genotypes, need to give more attention to managemt

7. Different Paradigms of Production

GREEN REVOLUTION strategy was to:

(a) Change thegenetic potentialof plants, and

(b) Increase theuse of external inputs--more water, fertilizer, insecticides, etc.

AGROECOLOGY just changesmanagement practicesforplants, soil, waterandnutrients :

• (a) It promotesthe growth of root systems ,and

• (b) It increases theabundance and diversityof soil organisms to enlist their benefits

These effects givebetter PHENOTYPE

8. SRI Practices

Produce betterPHENOTYPESfrom any rice GENOTYPE

By modifying the GxE equation (enhance the interaction of plants genetic endowment environment) can get plants that are not only more productive -- but alsomore resistant tobiotic and abiotic stresses , thereby

• reducing farmersrisks , while also

• raising farmersincomes

9. Ms. Im Sarim, Cambodia, with rice plant grown from a single seed, using SRI methods and traditional variety -- yield of 6.72 t/ha 10. Morang District, Nepal - 2005 11. Single plant with 185 tillers, Morang, Nepal 12. India: Single SRI plant Swarna cv. normally shy-tillering 13. Roots of a single rice plant (MTU 1071)grown at Agricultural Research Station Maruteru, AP, India, kharif 2003 14. Cuba Two plants the same age (52 DAP) and same variety (VN 2084) 15. Madagascar SRI field, 2003 16. 47.9% 34.7% Non-Flooding Rice Farming Technology in Irrigated Paddy Field Dr. Tao Longxing, China National Rice Research Institute, 2004 17. Plant Physical Structure andLight Intensity Distributionat Heading Stage (Tao et al., CNRRI, 2002) 18. Change of Leaf Area Index (LAI) during growth cycle (Zheng et al., SAAS, 2003) 19. Roots Oxygenation Ability with SRIvs. Conventionally-Grown Rice Research done at Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxianggeng-9 variety (Wang et al., 2002) 20. Rice fields in Sri Lanka: same variety, same irrigation system, andsame drought: conventional methods (left), SRI (right) 21. Rice in Tamil Nadu, India: normal crop is seen in foreground; SRI crop, behind it, resists lodging 22. Rice in Vietnam: normal methods on right; SRI with closespacing in middle; SRI with recommended spacing on left 23. SRI crop in Sri Lanka 24. SRI field of Basmati rice, Sri Lanka, 2005 25.

Resistance to

pests and diseases

Explained by theory oftrophobiosis ?(Francis Chaboussou,Healthy Crops:A New Agricultural Revolution-- book published by Jon Carpenter, Charnley, UK, 2004 -- translation of 1985 book)

26. Trophobiosis

Explains incidence of pest and disease in terms ofplants nutrition :

Nutrient imbalances and deficiencies lead to excesses offree amino acidsnot yet synthesized into proteins in the plants sap and cells and morereducing sugarsnot incorporated into polysaccharides

This condition attracts and nourishesinsects, bacteria, fungi and viruses

27. Trophobiosis

Deservesmore attention and empirical evaluationthan it has received to date

Its propositions are well supported by published literature over last 50 years -- and by long-standing observations about adverse effects ofnitrogenous fertilizersandchlorinated pesticides

Theory doesnot supportstrictly organic approach since nutrient amendments will be beneficial and advisable when natural nutrient shortages exist

28. Farmer-Centered Strategy

Do not just adopt what we are suggestingthinkabout it, make someadjustments and changes ,evaluate the resultsfor yourselfand for your own conditions (FFS)

If the new practices are beneficial, share them with other farmersspread farmer-to-farmer they are provided to farmers without IPR,in the public domain, no charge

29. Benefits from This Approach

Farmers are contributing to thespread of the innovation some wonderful examples of this

Farmers also contribute toimproving the innovation we are seeing many improvements in implements, crop establishment, and other practices

Farmers are extending SRI concepts and practices toother crops

30. H. M. Premaratna, Mellawellana, Sri Lanka, who has become spokesperson for SRI in many forums; working for Oxfam 31. Cono-weeder developed by H. M. Premaratna, Sri Lanka, locally manufactured for $10 32. Mey Som, the first Cambodian farmer to use SRI; now known as the professor for his extensive SRI training efforts 33. Weeder designed by Nong Sovann, Kampong Spreu province, Cambodia; built for $3, with a $20 increase in value of rice 34. Vietnamese women who have trained 1,000 farmers (on 300 ha) in SRI methods to accomplish potential water saving possible 35. 36. Four-row weeder developed by Gopal Swaminathan, Cauvery Delta, Tamil Nadu, India; who also devised the Kadiramangalamversionof SRI for production inhigh-temperature regions 37. Kadiramangalam System

Transplant young seedlings at 15 days in hills of 5 plants each

Transplant again at 30 days putting single seedlings at 30x30 cm spacing

This hardens seedlings for the intense heat and sun of Cauvery delta

G. Swaminathan has also used SRI methods for cotton seedlings

38. Cotton seedlings planted in cups, 1 cup of hybrid seed = 1 acre At 10 days, bottom of cup is removed; seedlings are planted at 2 x 4 foot spacing Yield is 20% more, with less weed problems and reduced watering 39. 40. S. Ariyaratne Direct-Seeding

Broadcast 10-day-old seedlings into muddy paddy field @ 25 kg seed/ha

Then at 10 days after transplanting, weed the field as if planted with 25x25 cm spacing

This thins crop as if transplanted sparsely; saves labor for nursery and transplanting

Yield of 7.5 t/ha assured, acc. to S.A.

41. Roller-marker devised by Lakshmana Reddy, East Godavari, AP, India, to save time in transplanting operations; Reddys yield in 2003-04 rabi season was 17.25 t/ha paddy (dry wt) 42. Liu Zhibin, Meishan Inst. of Science & Technology, China, inraised-bed, no-tillSRI field with certified yield of 13.4 t/ha; in 2001, his first SRI yield was 16 t/ha, setting a new record 43. Nie Fu-Qiu, Bu Tou village, Tian Tai, Zhejiang province, who got record yield of 12.1 t/ha with SRI in 2004; next year, eventhough 3 typhoons hit his area, his SRI crop did not lodge, and it produced 11.38 t/ha (with a 93.4% seed-set rate) 44. Results of Direct Seeding, by Machine and by Hand (t/ha) 10.1 11.1 No-Till 10.1 11.3 Standard D.S. by hand D.S. by machine TILLAGE Method Used 45. 46. Seeder Developed in Cuba Direct seeding will probably replace transplanting in future; SRI seeks toavoid trauma to the young roots ; TP not needed 47. 48. Farmers Extend SRI to Other Crops

Winter wheat in Poland

Finger millet (ragi) in India (Karnataka state)

Sugar cane in India(Andhra Pradesh state)

Cotton in India (Tamil Nadu state)

Chickens in Cambodia?

49. 50. Increase in Finger Millet Yield withGuli VidhanaMethod, as reported by Green Foundation, Bangalore Methods: Broadcast - Drill sowing - Close transplant -Guli Vidhana 51. SRI RAGI (FINGER MILLET), Rabi 2004-05 60 days after sowing Varieties 762 and 708 VR 762 VR 708 10 15 21* *Age at which seedlings were transplanted from nursery Results of trials being being done by ANGRAU 52. Sugar Cane Adaptation

Andhra Pradesh State, India:Farmer adaptation based on SRI experience:

Instead of planting 8-12 sets in rows 3 apart -- incubate 3 sets (with one bud each) in plastic bags and compost, in warm, humid environment for 45 days; plant 1 apart in rows 5-6 apart --reduce material by 85%

Save cost of 3 irrigations and 1 herbicide

Yield is100 tons/acreinstead of30 tons

53. Application to Chicken Rearing

Farmers in the village of Pak Bang Oeun, Cambodia (slide 7) have learned thevalue of compost

All families maintain their own compost pile, which they fence

They got the idea of rearing their chickensinside the fence

They get more eggs and meat from fewer chickens by better managemt

54. Farmer Innovation is Added Benefit

SRI offers many advantages forpoor householdsand forthe environment

Methodologies for disseminationare important for speed and spread

Variety of institutional channelscan succeed; combinations are best

SRI is expected toimprove the mind-- as suggested by the name ofATS

Participatory methods alsoimprove the innovationand thefarming community

55. Nepal: Monsoon Season, 2004

22 farmers in Morang district reporting on SRI vs. conventional results:

Average conventional yield:3.37 t/ha

Average SRI yield:7.85 t/ha

Average earlier harvest

for the SRI crop: 15.1 days

Andhra Pradesh (India):~8.5 days earlier

Cambodia:~7 days earlier

56.

Higher milling out-turn

as a result of

Less chaff(fewer unfilled grains)

Less shattering(fewer broken grains)

Get more milled rice from raw paddy

Other quality improvements too?

Better nutritional quality of grain?

57. MEASURED DIFFERENCES IN GRAIN QUALITY CharacteristicSRI (3 spacings)ConventionalDiff. Paper by Prof. Ma Jun, Sichuan Agricultural University, presented at 10th conference on Theory and Practice for High-Quality, High-Yielding Rice in China, Haerbin, 8/2004 + 17.5 38.87 - 39.99 41.81 - 50.84 Head milled rice (%) + 16.1 41.54 - 51.46 53.58 - 54.41 Milled rice outturn (%) - 65.7 6.74 - 7.17 1.02 - 4.04 General chalkiness (%) - 30.7 39.89 - 41.07 23.62 - 32.47 Chalky kernels (%) 58. LESSCAN PRODUCEMORE

byutilizingbiological potentials & processes

Smaller, younger rice seedlings becomelarger, more productive mature plants

Fewer rice plants per hill and per m 2givehigher yieldif used with other SRI practices

Half as much water producesmore rice because aerobic soil conditions are better

Greater outputis possiblewith use of

fewer or even no external/chemical inputs

Evenmore outputwithin ashorter time

There is nothing magical about SRI not voodoo science(Cassman & Sinclair, 2004)

59. Table 1.Summary of results from SRI vs. BMP evaluations in China and India, t ha -1 , 2003-2004 * Chinese comparisons were made using hybrid rice varieties. 1.57 (27.7%) 7.23 5.66 100 trials (SRI and BMP trialseach 0.1 ha) Tamil Nadu state 2.42 (33.8%) 8.73 6.31 1,525 trials (average 0.4 ha; range 0.1-1.6 ha) Andhra Pradesh state 3.31* (40.7%) 11.44* 8.13* 8 trials (0.2 ha each) Sichuan province3.1* (35.2%) 11.9* 8.8* 16.8 ha of SRI rice with 2 hybrid varieties Zhejiang province SRI advantage (% incr.) SRIave. yield BMP ave. yield No. of on-farm comparison trials (area) Province/state 60. THANK YOU

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