EARTH DAY: Farmers Using the System of Rice Intensification are Doing Their Part

Earth Day, which falls on April 22 this year, is of course very relevant to SRI! Using less water, less agrochemicals, and less seed to get higher yields can help reduce the growing assault on the earth's resources and environment. The System of Rice Intensification also has a role to play in mitigating climate change by 1) reducing standing water (see photo at left), leading to decreased methane emissions; 2) reducing inorganic fertilizer use, leading to decreased carbon and nitrogen emissions from manufacture of fertilizers and their subsequent transportation over long distances; and 3) sustainable increases in the productivity of existing land, preventing the conversion of carbon sequestering forests to agricultural uses.

However, while SRI does help to protect the environment, using SRI methods also helps farmers to adapt to climate change: Stronger roots (as shown at right by Harouna in Timbuktu) help rice plants resist lodging in inclement weather, better withstand drought conditions, and, as indicated in recent reports from Sri Lanka, even help withstand flooding!  Since less water is required, more farmers can share the available water when increasingly unpredictable weather patterns cause water shortages. In fact, state governments in Tamil Nadu, Bihar, and elsewhere in India are currently promoting SRI, partly due to water savings with SRI.

Of course, benefits are not all related to climate change. Increased yields, another advantage of SRI, have been reported in 50 countries, and, in Kenya, Bancy Mati will soon release research results on how SRI water management breaks the mosquito breeding cycle and shows good prospects for malaria control.
 What's the secret to SRI success? Some of the answers can be found in our April 22  SRI-Rice Feature Article!

SRI RESEARCH: More Published Articles than You Might Think!

Although System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methods are now being used in at least 50 countries worldwide, there are still skeptics asking, "Where's the scientific proof that it really works?" For those who want a closer look at the science behind SRI, SRI-Rice at Cornell University has collected nearly 250 journal articles about SRI. And, we would like to share our bibliography with the global SRI community and others who would like to know what research is being done and what is being found.

See the April SRI-Rice Feature for information on accessing the SRI journal article citations and database. (Although many research articles are not free, the abstracts are available). There is still much research we haven't found. If you find something not included in our list, please send it out way: sririce@cornell.edu!

INDIA: SRI Concepts Applied to Direct-Seeded Rice in Andhra Pradesh

As an "open source" climate-smart innovation, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is intended to be modified by users.   While originally developed for transplanted, irrigated rice, SRI principles have been adapted to fit both farmer needs and the agroecosystem. One adaptation, which  involves direct-seeding rice with a drumseeder, is being promoted by the Rashiya Seva Samithi Acharya Ranga Krishi Vigyan Kendra (RASS-KVK) in Tirupati, Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

RASS-KVK began experimenting with the drumseeder SRI adaptation for direct-seeding in 2006; by 2011, 658 farmers are using the method on 1,220 acres in Chittoor district.  Direct seeding with a lightweight drumseeder (shown at left) can reduce labor and time requirements through eliminating nursery-raising and transplanting, and results in a uniform plant population that matures earlier by 7-10 days. Comparison of the modified SRI method with traditional methods in Chittoor showed the average yield was higher (12%), cultivation costs were lower (by 25%), gross returns were greater (10%), and net returns were much higher (76%) with the direct-seeding.


On February 23, 2012, Nageswar Rao (right) , the first person to adopt the modified SRI drumseeder method in his area, received the Best SRI Farmer Award for the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. For more information on using the RASS-KVK direct seeding method, see the SRI-Rice feature article which includes videos and an updated report by P. Bala Hussain Reddy, S. Sreenivasulu and C. Manohar.
 

KENYA: SRI Adoption and Yields on the Rise

According to Bancy Mati (at left), the driving force behind SRI promotion and research in Kenya and professor at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is now well-accepted just two and a half years after the practice was introduced into Mwea Irrigation Scheme. Approximately 3,000 farmers have been trained in SRI methods and adopters now number about 2,000 in the four irrigation schemes (Ahero, West Kano, Bunyala and Mwea). Mati estimates that thousands more have been reached through radio broadcasts (also in local languages), newspaper articles, exhibitions and open days sponsored by the JKUAT open days.

 This 2011-2012 season has shown good results with yields: Up to 9 t/ha for the lower-yielding Basmati variety compared to 5 t/ha with conventional management and over 17 t/ha for a high-yielding IR variety compared to 9 t/ha without SRI practices. Research findings also indicate water savings ranging from 25% in dry weather to 33% in wet weather. Several graduate theses have proven the benefits of SRI and additional research is underway by graduate students and staff of JKUAT, Mwea Irrigation Development Centre (MIAD), and recently Moi University. MSc research has also shown that show that SRI water management breaks the mosquito breeding cycle, showing good prospects for malaria control!

Kenyan farmers as well as other rice stakeholders are excited about SRI. A bag of SRI paddy reportedly weighs 10-20 kg more than that of conventional rice, mostly because of greater grain filling (fewer unfilled grains). When milled, the SRI rice has more whole grains (less breakage) so it sells faster, sometimes earning KSh2/kg (˜2.5¢/kg) more than conventional rice.

As part of the regular training to reach the unreached, an SRI field day was held  in Mwea on January 30, 2012. The training was conducted almost entirely by several of the 115 farmers who have completed the Training of Trainers (ToT) course. [Read more in the Kenya Feature on the SRI-Rice website.]