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CHINA
NATIONAL SRI NETWORK FORMED
At a national workshop in Hangzhou, March 2-3, 2003,
hosted by the China National Rice Research Institute, 70 researchers,
extensionists and administrators from all over China shared SRI
experience and formed a national network to continue exchange of
information and to encourage expanded SRI evaluation and application.
The national coordinator is Dr. Zhu Defeng. A workshop
report in English has been prepared by Norman Uphoff (CIIFAD).
A report in Chinese can be obtained from Dr. Zhu (zhudf@mail.mail.hz.zj.cn).
REPORTS
FROM NEPAL AND INDONESIA CONFIRM 8 T/HA 'BENCHMARK' FOR SRI
Experience in Madagascar and Sri Lanka has indicated
that an average yield of around 8 t/ha is achievable with SRI methods
under most conditions. Previously, "the SRI effect" has
not been seen or documented in Nepal, but a recently-drafted report
from Sunsari-Morang in the terai shows this yield to
be attainable across a large and complicated irrigation system there.
A report from
Indonesia received about the same time from the Small
Scale Irrigation Management Project in South Sulawesi documents
the same yield level under quite different conditions.
EVIDENCE
OF PLANT and ROOT GROWTH
with SRI in CUBA
Note the two rice plants (click
on picture to enlarge)- same variety, planted at the same time.
The one on right was transplanted at 10 days, while the other was
left in the nursery. In Cuba, transplanting is usually done at about
50 days. Both plants are 52 days old, one with 5 tillers and the
other with 43. An even more important difference is in the root
growth.
PHILIPPINE
NGO SRI MEETING
The Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM)
hosted on March 19, 2003, a national meeting of NGO and farmer representatives
in Manila, organized together with the Philippine Greens. The 35
participants came from as far north as Isabella and as far south
as Mindanao to exchange their experience and especially to discuss
how to solve problems like the golden snail (bohol) which likes
young seedlings. The discussion is summarized in a trip
report by Norman Uphoff (CIIFAD) who attended the meeting.
This reports also on his visits to IRRI, PhilRice, NIA, BIND, UPLB
and other institutions that are interested in and working on SRI.
SRI
IDEAS AND PRACTICES APPLIED TO UPLAND RICE IN THE PHILIPPINES
Broader Initiatives
for Negros Development (BIND), a Philippine NGO based Bacalod in
Negros Occidental, which has been working with SRI methods for three
years now, has done a series of trials this past season adapting
SRI concepts and principles to unirrigated (rainfed) rice production.
The average
yields from 20 test plots, covering an area of 4,000 sq. meters,
was 7.2 t/ha, surpassing most yields from irrigated rice.
The trials evaluated
5 spacings (15x40, 20x40, 25x40, 30x40, and 35x40 cm) with four
replications. The BIND
report gives details on tillering, effective tillers,
spikelet formation, and filled grains.
This opens up
important new possibilities for increasing the food security of
rural households that are farming under resource-limited circumstances.
It is not known how much of this increased yield depended on changes
in soil microbial populations resulting from SRI management practices.
With upland
rice, there is no transplanting. 3-4 seeds per hill were planted.
At 10-12 days, the seedlings were thinned to 1 per hill. At that
time, mulch was applied to (a) control weeds, (b) conserve soil
moisture, (c) lower soil temperature -- to encourage earthworm and
other biotic activity, and (d) possibly add nutrients to the soil.
More trials
and much scientific research should be done to validate and explain
these upland results. This information is posted to encourage others
to follow up the work of BIND. The researcher who planned and supervised
this work is Robert Gasparillo (robgas@pinoymail.com).
REPORT
FROM SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA
From: "Rolando
Bunch"
To: Norman Uphoff (CIIFAD)
Subject: SRI in ADRA/Cambodia
Date: Sat, 17 May 2003
Dear Norman,
I am in Siem Reap, Cambodia, right now, visiting the ADRA program
here. Yesterday, they gave us a report, according to which about
a hundred farmers here tried out SRI last year. People were so afraid
to try it (because of the small seedlings) that ADRA promised to
replace any rice that a farmer lost as a result of trying it (ie
anything less than the 1.0 t/ha that is the traditional average
yield here).
The average yield for all the farmers trying out SRI was 2.5 t/ha!
A 150% improvement! And not one single farmer claimed his yield
insurance (ie not one got below 1.0 t/ha). And this in an area where
virtually no one can control the amount of water in his/her paddy
field.
Now, every single member of the groups in which at least one farmer
tried SRI last year has stated he/she wants to try SRI next year--well
over 500 people!
Sincerely,
Roland Bunch
COSECHA
ADRA
VIDEO
With the initiative of Bruce Ewart, the ADRA program in Indonesia
now working with SRI with great results has made a professionally-produced
video on SRI, which is to be available to anyone who wants to use
it. A different sound-track (in another language) can be added,
with the only proviso that ADRA be acknowledged as the producer
of this video. CIIFAD's technical support person, Stefan Einarson,
has 'streamed' the video so that it is accessible at
http://streaming1.video.cornell.edu:8080/ramgen/courses/pbsynapsis/normtest2.rm.
NOTE: If you are having trouble viewing the
video, go to the RealPlayer
website for a free upgrade.
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