2009 News

 Methodology

 Advantages

 FAQs

 Origins

 Countries

 Research

 Articles

 Extension Info

 CIIFAD Report

 Conferences

 Discussion Communities

 SRI Update Series

 SRI Newsletters

 Videos

 RefWorks Bibliography:

The SYSTEM of
RICE INTENSIFICATION

known as SRI – also as le Systéme de Riziculture Intensive in French and la Sistema Intensivo de Cultivo Arrocero* (SICA) in Spanish -- is a methodology for increasing the productivity of irrigated rice cultivation by changing the management of plants, soil, water and nutrients. SRI practices lead to healthier, more productive soil and plants by supporting greater root growth and by nurturing the abundance and diversity of soil organisms. The agroecological principles that contribute to SRI effectiveness have good scientific bases. SRI concepts and methods have been successfully adapted to upland unirrigated rice, and they are now being extrapolated to other crops like millet, wheat and sugar cane.

SRI does not require the purchase of new seeds or the use of new high-yielding varieties. Although the highest yields with SRI have been obtained from improved varieties, most traditional or local varieties of rice respond well to SRI practices and command a higher market price. And while chemical fertilizer and agrochemicals can be applied with SRI, their use is not required as organic materials (compost, manure or any decomposed vegetation) can give good or even better results at low cost. Farmers report that when SRI methods are used correctly, rice plants are better able to resist damage from pests and diseases, reducing or eliminating need for agrochemical protection.

Because plant populations are greatly reduced with SRI, seed costs are cut by 80-90%, and because paddy fields are not kept continuously flooded, there are water savings of 25 to 50%, a major benefit in many places. However, cessation of flooding means that increased weeding is required. If this is done with soil-aerating implements like a rotating hoe, this cost has a benefit of enhanced crop production.

SRI does require skillful management of the factors of production and, at least initially, more labor, particularly for careful transplanting and for weeding. Since yield increases are usually 50 to 100%, and possibly several times present levels, the returns to labor can be very great. The profitability of rice production can be greatly increased when yield goes up with a reduction in the costs of production. As farmers gain skill and confidence in SRI methods, their labor input in fact decreases, and over time SRI can even become labor saving compared with conventional rice-growing methods.

SRI is a work in progress, with improvements continually being made, including better implements and techniques that further reduce labor requirements. Farmers are encouraged to make their own improvements in SRI methods and to share experience within the farming community. Yield is the most evident (and controversial) feature of SRI, but many other considerations are also driving its spread around the world. Additional information on SRI benefits such as resistance to drought and storm damage, shorter time to maturity, and more milled rice resulting when SRI paddy is processed can be found in a paper on: Features of the System of Rice Intensification apart from Increases in Yield.

*En espanol: El desarrollo del SICA en el mundo

In the News ...
(see also expanded version with blogs and videos)

Hirakud water depleting, farmers left high and dry June 29, 2009, express buzz (India)

TN govt to spend Rs 520 cr on Agri Deptt - June 29, 2009, Business Standard (Chennai, India)

TN govt prepares roadmap to enhance agricultural output - June 22, 2009, FnBnews.com (Mumbai, India)

TN chalks out initiatives to enhance agricultural output, - June 18, 2009, The Hindu (Chennia, India)

Nod for agri clinics in Pudukottai - June 14, 2009, The Hindu (Tamil Nadu, India)

New farming technique yields more paddy - June 10, 2009, The Times of India (Chennai, India)

SRI technology introduced in Kohima - June 8, 2009, The Morung Express (Nagaland, India)

Normal coverage for kuruvai paddy crop - June 6, 2009, The Hindu (Tamil Nadu, India)

SRI cultivation a boon for farmers - June 2, 2009, express buzz (also picked up as Kalahandia blog article) (Orissa, India)

Lok Sanjh Foundation Conducted a System of Rice Intensification Training in Pakistan -May 2009, PANAP

Growing rice debt free - April 3, 2009. Living on Earth (USA radio program distributed by Public Radio International)

New SRI Knowledge-Sharing Resources

Multimedia toolkit prepared by the World Bank Institute: Achieving more with less: SRI - A new way of rice cultivation

SRI Newsletter no.6 - (April/May issue), ICRISAT-WWF Project (India)

SICA America Latina, a Spanish language SRI Google Group

SRI-Orissa, a discussion list (Google Group) of the SRI-Orissa Learning Alliance (Orisso, India)

Groupement SRI, a blog by the Secretariat of the SRI Platform in Madagascar

SRI in Vietnam (website and blog)

Also tune into the latest for 2009...
... Online videos/audio
... SRI Update edition
... Blog/Web posts
... Items in the press

see also 2008 items