System of Rice Intensification
Encyclopedia
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a method of increasing the yield of rice
produced in farming. It was developed in 1983 by the French
Jesuit Father
Henri de Laulanie
in Madagascar
. However full testing of the system did not occur until some years later. The productivity of SRI is under debate between supporters and critics of the system.
In 1983, the beneficial effect of transplanting very young seedlings, less than 15 days old, was discovered serendipitously. Subsequently, when fertilizer prices increased, compost made from any decomposed biomass turned out to give even better results than chemical fertilizer. SRI concepts and practices continue to evolve as they are being adapted to rain-fed (unirrigated) conditions and with transplanting being superseded by direct-seeding sometimes.
The synthesis of SRI has proceeded empirically, but the central principles for getting best results are:
These changes from conventional practice when managing plants, soil, water and nutrients induce more productive phenotypes from any rice genotype, although some varieties respond better than others to SRI methods. Increased yield is achieved with 80-90% reductions in seed requirements (lower plant population) and 25-50% less irrigation water. Chemical fertilizer and agrochemical crop protection
can be used, but best results can be attained without use of purchased inputs.
, director of the International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development at Cornell University
, Ithaca
, New York
from 1990 to 2005. In 1993, Uphoff met officials from Association Tefy Saina, the non-governmental organisation set up in Madagascar in 1990 by de Laulanie to promote SRI. After seeing the success of SRI for three years when Malagasy farmers previously averaging 2 tons/hectare averaged 8 tons/hectare with SRI, Uphoff became persuaded of the merits of the system, and in 1997 started to promote SRI in Asia
. As of 2007, the beneficial effects of SRI methods had been documented in 28 countries, most recently in Bhutan, Iraq, Iran and Zambia. Governments in the largest rice-producing countries (China, India and Indonesia) are now supporting SRI extension. In India, SRI concepts and practices have been extrapolated successfully to other crops such as sugar cane, finger millet
and wheat
..
To help farmers in efficient and easy weeding, KGVK is now marketing a Single Row Weeder, This innovative Weeder, developed by the Engineers of Usha Martin’s Machinery Division, in close collaboration with KGVK Agriculture professionals and Grassroots Farmers. The new Weeder is robust and well engineered with features, which make the work of Farmers relatively much easier, requiring less effort.
, India. The program has proven successful in Nellanad Gramapanchayat in Thiruvananthapuram
. Agricultural Officers including Sreekala, Sreekumari, and Geethakumari have several cases of success.
Critics have objected that there is a lack of details on the methodology used in trials and a lack of publications in the peer-reviewed literature. This latter deficiency is now being remedied by such publications, but systematic trials that will satisfy scientific critics remain to be done. A global field trial is planned for 2009–2011, to be conducted by researchers from Cornell University
, Wageningen University
, and the International Rice Research Institute
Additionally, the reliance on weeding/tilling machinery may limit the system's applicability.
A special issue on SRI of one scientific journal (Paddy and Water Environment, Norman Uphoff and Amir Kassam (eds.) Vol. 9 No. 1, March 2011, Springer) collected recent scientific findings on SRI, and settles many of the criticisms that have earlier been raised against the method. Articles in the journal covered a wide range of precipitation, labor/capital availability and other conditions and clarified the agronomic and scientific basis for the "SRI effect" -- the high-tiller, high-grain count that is typical of successful SRI trials.
Below is a picture gallery of SRI farming in Chattisgarh, India
:
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
produced in farming. It was developed in 1983 by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Jesuit Father
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
Henri de Laulanie
Henri de Laulanie
Henri de Laulanie was a French Jesuit father who was responsible for the rice cultivation method known as the System of Rice Intensification ....
in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. However full testing of the system did not occur until some years later. The productivity of SRI is under debate between supporters and critics of the system.
History and main ideas of SRI
Assembly of the practices that culminated in SRI began in the 1960s based on Fr. de Laulanie's observation of 'positive-deviant' farmer practices, starting with planting single seedlings instead of multiple seedlings in a clump, and not keeping irrigated paddy fields flooded during the rice plants' vegetative growth stage. Planting with wider spacing in a square pattern, rather than randomly or in rows, followed, as did controlling weed growth by use of a soil-aerating push-weeder (rotating hoe).In 1983, the beneficial effect of transplanting very young seedlings, less than 15 days old, was discovered serendipitously. Subsequently, when fertilizer prices increased, compost made from any decomposed biomass turned out to give even better results than chemical fertilizer. SRI concepts and practices continue to evolve as they are being adapted to rain-fed (unirrigated) conditions and with transplanting being superseded by direct-seeding sometimes.
The synthesis of SRI has proceeded empirically, but the central principles for getting best results are:
- rice field soils should be kept moist rather than continuously saturated, minimizing anaerobic conditions, as this improves root growth and supports the growth and diversity of aerobic soil organisms;
- rice plants should be planted singly and spaced optimally widely to permit more growth of roots and canopy and to keep all leaves photosynthetically active; and
- rice seedlings should be transplanted when young, less than 15 days old with just two leaves, quickly, shallow and carefully, to avoid trauma to roots and to minimize transplant shock.
These changes from conventional practice when managing plants, soil, water and nutrients induce more productive phenotypes from any rice genotype, although some varieties respond better than others to SRI methods. Increased yield is achieved with 80-90% reductions in seed requirements (lower plant population) and 25-50% less irrigation water. Chemical fertilizer and agrochemical crop protection
Crop protection
Crop protection is the branch of horticulture concerned with protecting crops from pests, weeds, disease and theft.It encompasses:* Pesticide-based approaches such as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides...
can be used, but best results can be attained without use of purchased inputs.
Rotary weeder
Weed growth will be higher in these fields due to the absence of standing water. But since the rice plants are planted with wider spaces between rows, a rotary weeder can be drawn in between the rows of plants to remove the weeds and also aerate the soil. On the 10 day after planting weeds may not be prominent, but its better to weed so that the weeds do not get a chance to assimilate the nutrients. Modified weeders such as the conoweeder are available. In Kerala, India the technique has been adopted by some people owing to the pressure from the Department of Agriculture and Mithraniketan ( an NGO Krishi Vignan Kendra located at Trivandrum). Failure are attributed to poor water management, non use of rotary weeder and use of older seedlings.Spread of SRI
The spread of SRI from Madagascar to around the globe has been credited to Norman UphoffNorman Uphoff
Norman Uphoff is an American social scientist serving as a Professor of Government and International Agriculture at Cornell University...
, director of the International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
from 1990 to 2005. In 1993, Uphoff met officials from Association Tefy Saina, the non-governmental organisation set up in Madagascar in 1990 by de Laulanie to promote SRI. After seeing the success of SRI for three years when Malagasy farmers previously averaging 2 tons/hectare averaged 8 tons/hectare with SRI, Uphoff became persuaded of the merits of the system, and in 1997 started to promote SRI in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. As of 2007, the beneficial effects of SRI methods had been documented in 28 countries, most recently in Bhutan, Iraq, Iran and Zambia. Governments in the largest rice-producing countries (China, India and Indonesia) are now supporting SRI extension. In India, SRI concepts and practices have been extrapolated successfully to other crops such as sugar cane, finger millet
Finger millet
Eleusine coracana, commonly Finger millet , also known as African millet or Ragi is an annual plant widely grown as a cereal in the arid areas of Africa and Asia. E...
and wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
..
To help farmers in efficient and easy weeding, KGVK is now marketing a Single Row Weeder, This innovative Weeder, developed by the Engineers of Usha Martin’s Machinery Division, in close collaboration with KGVK Agriculture professionals and Grassroots Farmers. The new Weeder is robust and well engineered with features, which make the work of Farmers relatively much easier, requiring less effort.
Cases of Success
Several cases of success are reported in KeralaKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India. The program has proven successful in Nellanad Gramapanchayat in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
. Agricultural Officers including Sreekala, Sreekumari, and Geethakumari have several cases of success.
Criticism
There are criticisms of SRI. While supporters of SRI report many benefits in addition to yield increase—resistance to pests and diseases, resistance to abiotic stresses like drought and storm damage, more output of polished rice (in kg) when SRI paddy (unmilled rice) is processed (bushels), less chemical pollution of soil and water resources—critics have focused on yield suggesting that claims of increase are due to "poor record keeping and unscientific thinking". Some critics have suggested that SRI success is unique to soil conditions in Madagascar, a point that is disputed by supporters.Critics have objected that there is a lack of details on the methodology used in trials and a lack of publications in the peer-reviewed literature. This latter deficiency is now being remedied by such publications, but systematic trials that will satisfy scientific critics remain to be done. A global field trial is planned for 2009–2011, to be conducted by researchers from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Wageningen University
Wageningen University
Wageningen University and Research Centre is a Dutch public university in Wageningen, The Netherlands. It consists of Wageningen University, the Van Hall-Larenstein School of Higher Professional Education, and the former agricultural research institutes of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture...
, and the International Rice Research Institute
International Rice Research Institute
The International Rice Research Institute is an international NGO. Its headquarters are in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, and it has offices in sixteen countries...
Additionally, the reliance on weeding/tilling machinery may limit the system's applicability.
A special issue on SRI of one scientific journal (Paddy and Water Environment, Norman Uphoff and Amir Kassam (eds.) Vol. 9 No. 1, March 2011, Springer) collected recent scientific findings on SRI, and settles many of the criticisms that have earlier been raised against the method. Articles in the journal covered a wide range of precipitation, labor/capital availability and other conditions and clarified the agronomic and scientific basis for the "SRI effect" -- the high-tiller, high-grain count that is typical of successful SRI trials.
Below is a picture gallery of SRI farming in Chattisgarh, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
:
External links
- SRI at Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
- Krishi Usha low-cost weeder developed by Krishi Gram Vikas Kendra and Usha Martin Limited, Jharkhand
- Article on SRI from NatureNature (journal)Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
- News article on SRI from the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- SRI: Achieving More with Less - A new way of rice cultivation from the World Bank Institute