Iraqi SRI activities - the System of Rice Intensification

Iraq

• Progress/Activities (2007-2009)	• Reports
• Activity Archives (2005-2006)	• Videos
• Workshops and Trainings	• Photo sets

• Economic Evaluation of SRI Practices in Iraq
Dr. Abdul Hussein El-Hakim had done an assessment of the economic costs and returns for the 16 farmers in four districts of Al-Muthtana province who used both SRI and conventional methods on their farms in 2008, as well as for 16 nearby farmers who grew rice with their usual methods. The farmer evaluations of SRI were uniformly positive, citing 25-30% less irrigation water required, 50% reduction in fertilizer and 75-80% reduction in seed requirements, also 100% reduction in agrochemical crop protection. Average yields were 75% higher with SRI methods. These benefits are starting to attract support from the Ministry of Agriculture and donor agencies, according to Dr. Khidhir Hameed, Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station in Najaf.

• Lectures on SRI in Najaf and Diwaniya Provinces
To acquaint rice farmers and agriculture staff with SRI, the State Board of Agriculture Extension and Cooperation (SBAEC) in collaboration with the State Board for Agricultural Research (SBAR) organized a series of SRI lectures that were held between April 29 and June 24, 2009. Khidhir Hameed from the Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station delivered the lectures, which

were followed by application of SRI on demonstration fields. Ten SRI lectures were held for staff in the Agriculture Directorates and Department in Najaf and Diwaniya provinces with an additional two lectures for his colleagues. For reducing labor in transplanting, two short training courses were held for farmers and staff on using a transplanting machine in those provinces (click on picture at left to enlarge).

• Report on Iraq Activities and Results for 2008
Dr. Khidhir Hameed at the Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station near Najaf has sent in a report

on SRI training and results for 2008. A report on an SRI field day conducted in October has already been posted (see item below). The expansion of SRI work in Iraq was made possible by a Japanese donor who learned about the initiatives of Dr. Khidhir and colleagues through this SRI website (see raising of Japanese and Iraqi flags at the project site at the right).

Detailed data for 16 farmers in four districts of the province who did controlled comparison trials showed yield increases ranging from 17 to 130%, with an average increase of 72%. There were also experiments with mechanical transplanting at 5 sites, with 13-27% yield increases.

A third area for experimentation was use of clover cover crop as a green manure. Two of the 40 farmers who cooperated on this initiative had yield increases over 30%, 11 had 10-29% more yield attributable to the use of green manure; 25 had 10-19% increase, and 2 had less than 10% more. The SRI work in Iraq started in 2005 with one farmer and 0.25 ha. In 2008, there were 60 farmers cooperating with the Rice Research Station in demonstrations on 16 hectares, and more have begun utilizing the methods that they have been trained in or have seen demonstrated.

• Field Day at Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station
On October 23, 2008, a rice field day at Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station (MRRS) was attended by more than 400 rice farmers, special

ists from Baghdad, Kufa, Qadisiya, and Babylon Universities, personnel from the State Board of Agricultural Research (SBAR), the State Board of Agriculture Extension and Cooperation, and the Directorates of Agriculture in Muthanna, Diwaniya and Najaf Provinces, and by many of the political and governmental chiefs from Najaf and Diwaniya provinces (see event photos). The SRI poster at left was distributed to participants (click on photo to enlarge).

• Sixteen Lectures/Demonstrations held In Al-Muthanna Province
Dr. Khidhir Hameed reports that there were 16 lectures on SRI held in Al-Muthanna Province, April 20-May 6, 2008, followed by establishment of SRI practices and applications in 16 demonstration fields (see report with photos). The National SRI Committee based at the Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station (MRRS) in Najaf has received support from the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture for application of SRI in Najaf Province beginning next year (2009) for the two years. Because of water shortage this season, given reduction in rainfall, there is heightened interest in SRI possibilities. The State Board of Agricultural Extension and Cooperation and MRRS are setting up demonstrations of mechanical transplanting, following SRI principles, in four rice-growing provinces. (See 2008 photo album of SRI in Iraq).

2007 ACTIVITIES
• Review of 2007 SRI Results
Dr. Khidhir Hameed and colleagues at the Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station near Najaf have sent a summary of their SRI work this past year, which involved evaluations of SRI practices such as age of seedling, spacing, fertilization, and varietal responses. One interesting result was that in the soil where the trials were done, Jasmine rice gave its highest yield with no fertilization, chemical or organic, 6.1 t/ha. With variety Furat 1, highest yield was with 70 kg N, 6.88 t/ha. Other trials showed organic fertilization outperforming chemical fertilization, but with highest yield coming with some combination of both.

The report from Iraq has a picture of a simple device (below-left and right) made for spacing device

guiding inter-plant spacing when transplanting which Iraqi colleagues have found helpful. Their demonstration and extension activities were conducted in 25 locations within planting spacing device

Iraq during 2007. In February 2008, training in SRI methods was planned for 2000 farmers in Muthanna Province. The report includes the results from experiments with mechanical transplanting, which gives good yield with reduced labor, though the highest yield has been achieved with SRI methods. Of interest outside Iraq may be the results that Khidhir and colleagues have gotten using clover as a green manure/cover crop rotating with SRI. This improved soil characteristics and raised rice yields by an average of 24% on soils that are not otherwise very fertile.

• Visitors shown SRI Demonstrations at Mishkab Rice Research Station
Dr. Khidir has sent in a report (with excellent photos) on various agricultural officials at different levels in the Iraqi government who have been visiting the Al-Mishkab station this past few months to see the results of SRI trials and demonstrations.

• SRI Training Course Held in Diwaniya province
The State Board of Agricultural Extension and Cooperation and MRRS held a five day training course, 9-13 September 2007, at the Agriculture Extension and Training Center in Diwaniya province. Flayeh Abed Jaber, MRRS director, and Khidir made presentations to 28 agricultural staff from 8 provinces (Baghdad, Messan, Babel, Diwaniya, Muthanna, Thi Qar, Basrah, and Najaf). The training included the theoretical and practical parts on using new mechanical transplanting, its benefits and economic analysis (see report).

•SRI in the Iraqi Media
Dr. Khidir Hameed reports that they have been able to get SRI concepts published in the Iraqi media, with feature articles in Tareek Al-Shaab (People’s Way) and Al-Sabaah (The Morning), important newspapers, and an article in the magazine, Iraq Agriculture, published by the Ministry of Agriculture (see media report). Dr. Hameed has also sent several TV program clips about his SRI work and related rice projects in Iraq. The downloadable material, which is in Arabic, was originally broadcast on Al Ghadeer TV (23.8 MB) in the province of Najaf (24.8 MB), Al Diyar TV in Baghdad (2.84 MB) and Salah Al-Deen, which is also in Baghdad (18.0 MB).

•Formal SRI Committee Established in Iraq
Dr. Hameed reports that an SRI committee has been established with several staff of the Al-Mishkab Rice Research Station (MRRS) near Najaf, including its Director, and a representative from the General Company for Horticulture and Forestry, which has experience with the production and management of organic matter. The committee intends to promote extension of SRI methods in Iraq and to formulate a national SRI project.

• A series of twelve SRI lectures with field demonstrations were presented in Najaf and Diwaniya provinces by Khidhir Hameed between April 29 and June 24, 2009. An additional two trainings were provided on the use of transplanting machines.

• A field day was held on October 23, 2008, at the Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station in Najaf, Iraq.

• A training program on SRI held in Al-Muthanna Province, April 20-May 6, 2008, followed by establishment of SRI practices and applications in 16 demonstration fields.

• A field day was held on October 22, 2007, at the Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station in Najaf, Iraq. In attendance were the Director of Rice Development Department; General Director of State Board of Agricultural Research; Head of Najaf Agricultural Committee; and Director of Najaf Directorate of Agriculture.

• The State Board of Agricultural Extension and Cooperation and MRRS held a five day training course, 9-13 September 2007, at the Agriculture Extension and Training Center in Diwaniya province. Flayeh Abed Jaber, MRRS director, and Khidir made presentations to 28 agricultural staff from 8 provinces (Baghdad, Messan, Babel, Diwaniya, Muthanna, Thi Qar, Basrah, and Najaf).

• Hameed, Khidhir. 2006. Extension of SRI methods in Iraq marshes, Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station. Najaf, Iraq. 6p. (also includes 3 -page section on SRI organic matter trials).

The Iraq Agriculture magazine published by the Ministry of Agriculture to support its agricultural extension efforts, contains an article on the concepts of SRI.

Dr. Khidir Hameed has provided the following downloadable Arabic language TV program clips about his SRI work and related rice projects in Iraq (2007):
• Al Ghadeer TV clip (23.8 MB) in the province of Najaf
• Al Diyar TV in Baghdad (2.84 MB)
• Salah Al-Deen, in Baghdad (18.0 MB).

Note: Many of the reports listed above in the Report and Articles section have photos attached.