Green manuring–system of rice intensification (SRI)–blackgram (rice fallow pulses) cropping system is novel, and this integrated system appears to be holistic and sustainable approach, combining innovative farming techniques to optimize yields, improve soil health, and minimize environmental impacts. Field demonstrations were conducted on a farmer's field through the National Pulses Research Centre, Vamban, Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, within the kharif rabi and summer seasons of 2019–20 under the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization project. The demonstration was conducted in 50 hectares with 92 locations of Ponnaniyar sub-basin.
Results showed that the improved practice of SRI recorded higher plant height and other yield attributes. Notably, the SRI cultivation method exhibited a range of yields from 7580 to 9400 kg ha−1 of rice across various locations, with the highest recorded at Avoor village. Concurrently, within the IPT framework for the GM–SRI–Rice fallow pulses cropping system, the recorded yields for Rice fallow Blackgram ranged from 590 to 730 kg ha−1. Comparative analysis indicated a remarkable 39.9 percent enhancement in system productivity through the adoption of IPT practices compared to conventional farmer practices. Moreover, the IPT framework showcased significantly higher water productivity, recording 0.7087 kg ha−1 m−3 compared to the conventional method, which yielded 0.2512 kg ha−1 m−3. The green manure–system of rice intensification–rice fallow pulses crop sequences emerged as the more productive and sustainable option, displaying the potential to enhance soil productivity and fertility status compared to conventional rice–blackgram/groundnut cropping sequences. These systems present promising alternatives for farmers within the Ponnaniyar sub-basin area of Tamil Nadu.
How can we produce rice in a way that uses fewer resources and regenerates nature? In this episode Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Transforming Tradition series, we hear why a growing number of farmers around the world are changing the way they produce rice, by adopting an agroecological approach called the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).
[Video]: Economic empowerment of Women through the application of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method in Sindhudurg District, Maharashtra, India (2022-23)
Initial evaluations of the System of Rice Intensification focused mainly on its impacts on yield and income. Researchers at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research have conducted a more comprehensive evaluation of SRI methods over six years, comparing them with three alternatives: modified, partially mechanized SRI (MSRI); direct-seeded rice (DSR); and conventional rice with flooding of fields (CTF). Grain yield with SRI methods was found to be about 50% higher than with CTF (6.35 t ha−1 vs. 4.27 t ha−1), while the MSRI yield was essentially the same (6.34 t ha−1), 16% more than with DSR (5.45 t ha−1).
Water productivity with SRI methods was 5.32–6.85 kg ha-mm−1, followed by 4.14–5.72 kg ha-mm−1 for MSRI, 5.06–5.11 kg ha-mm−1 for DSR, and 3.52–4.56 kg ha-mm−1 for CTF. In comparison with CTF, SRI methods significantly enhanced soil microbial populations over time. Biological activity in the rhizosphere was also higher. Similarly, an indicator of soil organic matter, glucosidase activity, was 78% higher compared to CTF. SRI management reduced GHG emissions by 21%, while DSR reduced them by 23%, and MSRI by 13%, compared to CTF. Economic analysis showed both gross and net economic returns to be higher with SRI. While the study documented advantages of SRI, it also showed that MSRI is a promising adaptation that provides similar benefits but with lower labor requirements.
SRI-Rice's insight:
R.M. Kumar, P. Chintalapati. et al. 2023. Comparison of System of Rice Intensification applications and alternatives in India: Agronomic, economic, environmental, energy, and their effects. Agronomy 13(10): 2492. doi:10.3390/agronomy13102492
Tamil language video on featuring a three-row paddy weeder that can be used with SRI methods. (However, rows must be very straight to weed 3 rows at once!)
A solar energy operated two-row weeder was developed for weeding in wetland paddy crop. Its major components are power source, power transmission system, weeding wheels, and a float. The power source comprised a DC motor, solar panel, and power storage unit with maximum power point tracker and motor controller. Solar panel/power storage unit through a motor controller supplied power to the DC motor and it was transmitted to the shaft of the weeding wheel through a dog clutch. A float prevents sinkage of the weeder. The weeder could do weeding at a rate of 0.06 ha per hour with field efficiency, weeding efficiency, and plant damage of 83.3%, 83% and 2-3%, respectively. As compared to cono-weeder, the cost of weeding was 41.2 % lower due to higher field capacity and fewer labor requirements. Annual use less than 4.13 ha for the developed weeder was found uneconomical for carrying out weeding. The developed powering system comprising solar photovoltaic panels could supply power to do weeding continuously for 2 hours with a maximum discharge of 20 % from the battery.
"It has been widely assumed that market mechanisms are central in incentivizing the development of sustainable innovations and that market formation is critical for the diffusion of innovations. We challenge the centrality of markets in understanding and promoting the development and diffusion of sustainable innovations using the case of the System of Rice Intensification. This innovation for sustainable rice cultivation was developed and diffused without relying on market mechanisms yet has been adopted by millions of farmers worldwide. To further our understanding of economic mechanisms beyond markets, we revisit Polanyi's distinction between markets, reciprocity, redistribution, and subsistence. This distinction helps to situate markets in a broader economic context and helps to understand how mechanisms for market exchange intersect with other types of economies in ways that can either positively or negatively affect sustainability."
Paddy, which is predominantly cultivated under the conventional inundation method, is the largest water consuming crop in India. Given the looming water scarcity, the inundation method of paddy cultivation is no longer sustainable. The impacts of SRI on water saving, land and water productivity as well as on profitability are expected to vary in different ecological settings namely tank, canal and groundwater irrigated areas. In this chapter, utilising data collected from a total of 300 sample farmers from three different settings in Tamil Nadu state, an attempt has been made to fill this gap. The study shows that by adopting SRI method, farmers can save about 40% of irrigation water, increase land productivity by about 46% while reducing 23% in cost of cultivation over the conventional inundation method. While increasing irrigation water productivity and economic water productivity substantially, SRI also generates an additional profit of INR 17,169/acre over the same realised by non-SRI farmers.
A field trial was conducted [in] Polba, West Bengal, India, under aerobic culture, SRI, and conventional flooded culture. It was conducted to evaluate the influence of integrated plant nutrition and water-saving rice production methodologies on the crop performance and water productivity of rice and analyse the economic profitability of rice under different nutritional management and crop production methods... The results revealed that crop productivity significantly (p ≤ 0.05) varied from 4.68 t ha−1 (average yield recorded under aerobic culture) to 6.21 t ha−1 (average yield as achieved under SRI). Cultivation of rice under aerobic and conventional culture resulted in 24.6% and 20.9% yield reduction respectively as compared to SRI. Integrating 75% of the recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through chemicals with 25% RDN from vermicompost resulted in maximum crop productivity irrespective of crop culture... The study concludes that, for maximization of economic profitability, value cost ratio and partial factor productivity of nutrients the SRI method can be adopted along with integrated nutrient management (75% of RDN through chemicals with 25% RDN from vermicompost) in the lower Indo-Gangetic Plain Zone (IGPZ) of West Bengal, India.
"SMI stands for System of Millet Intensification. It is similar to SRI (System of Rice Intensification) in rice. This method of agronomic practice is to enhance productivity and to increase the production in Millets. Now SMI in Finger Millet is practiced by most of the farmers in Odisha under Odisha Millet Mission. This practice is getting popular in the farmer field because it is giving promising yield as compared to the traditional method. Generally, this method is followed only for Finger Millet. But this year I made a trial with Barnyard Millet and the performance is good. Let us see the package of practices followed in SMI..."
The “System of Rice Intensification (SRI),” is a way to raise rice which involves the management of seedlings, weeds, and more. See how V. Ravichandran, a farmer in India and member of the Global Farmer Network uses SRI on his farm in this video. [Don't forget to click on the BBC video that accompanies the item about drip irrigation and SRI.]
The People's Science Institute (PSI), a non-profit research and development organisation, has helped close to 50,000 farmers switch from conventional farming methods to SRI in the last 15 years. In 2006, Debashish Sen, director of PSI, and his team of agri-experts began training farmers based in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh in the SRI technique. In MP’s Shahpur Khurd village, Kavita Singh tells The Better India, “Initially, I was hesitant to adopt a new technique that required planting fewer crops. I thought it would be a waste of space, in addition to being more labour intensive. But the staggering results painted a different picture...”
Intense cultivation with narrow row spacing in wheat, a common practice in the Indo-Gangetic plains of South Asia, renders the crop more susceptible to lodging during physiological maturity. This susceptibility, compounded by the use of traditional crop cultivars, has led to a substantial decline in overall crop productivity. The results of a two-year field study on the system of wheat intensification (SWI) was conducted suggested that adoption of SWI at 20 cm × 20 cm resulted in significantly higher intercellular CO2 concentration (5.9–6.3%), transpiration rate (13.2–15.8%), stomatal conductance (55–59%), net photosynthetic rate (126–160%), and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) interception (1.6–25.2%) over the existing conventional method (plant geometry 22.5 cm × continuous plant to plant spacing) of wheat cultivation.
The lodging resistance capacity of both the lower and upper 3rd nodes was significantly higher in the SWI compared to other cultivation methods. In addition, adoption of the SWI at 20 cm × 20 cm enhanced crop grain yield by 36.9–41.6%, and biological yield by 27.5–29.8%.. Further, increased root volumes, surface root density and higher NPK uptake were recorded under SWI at 20×20 cm in comparison to rest of the treatments. Therefore, adoption of SWI at 20 cm ×20 cm and square planting (with cultivars HD 2967) might be the best strategy for enhancing crop productivity and resource-use efficiency.
A novel approach called the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has become a revolutionary force in the vast agricultural areas of India, where crop farming determines the beat of life. This creative farming method not only goes against the accepted wisdom in rice growing, but it also signals a big shift in the lives of many farmers...
Berhampur: SRI (System of Rice Intensification) method of paddy cultivation can help check climate change and benefit the farmers as it consumes less water in comparison to other methods of cultivation. ...In Ganjam district hundreds of acres are left uncultivated [due to climate change]. In this situation, the district project management unit under the Berhampur Forest department is laying stress on SRI cultivation. This has come as a relief for the distressed farmers fed up with crop loss and reduced output in the traditional method of cultivation. SRI method of cultivation is being implemented in the district with the support of the state government, the Green Climate Fund, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Farmers think that this new method is helping them raise their crops without hassle.
…This year over 900 farmers in Chikiti, Rangeilunda, Khallikote and Ganjam blocks have taken up SRI. Assisted by two voluntary outfits Lipika and Pallishree and supervised by 30 experts, an additional 870 farmers have taken up SRI on 200 acre of farmland. The cultivation was initially started by training the farmers in 39 villages
For Vasantha Ganesan, a 32-year-old farmer at Ponnamaravathi taluk in the district, the third time was the charm as she was conferred the C Narayanaswamy Naidu Award by Chief Minister MK Stalin for achieving the highest yield of paddy through the System of Rice Intensification, during the Republic Day celebrations in Chennai on Thursday. Her parcel of land at Aalavayal returned a yield of 14,551.25 kg of paddy/hectare to claim the award that entails a cash award of Rs 5 lakh, besides a medal and a certificate.
Sarvathobhadram-Organic–Farmers Cooperative is helpful in supporting small and marginal farmers in customizing, adapting, and tailoring the system to their specific requirements. The Farmers Club, which has 50 members, was founded in May 2020 to create additional cash while also encouraging farmers to shift to organic farming using System of Rice Intensification (SRI). The club’s mission is to ensure food security, livelihood, and entrepreneurship in the Anthikad Block Panchayat (Kerala). The project addressed climate change and resilience, collaborating with government departments and utilizing convergence to maximize the schemes accessible to farmers in panchayath.
SRI-Rice's insight:
This case study is a detailed account of the methods, constraints/solutions, and outcomes of an organic SRI project in Kerala.
Field experiments were carried out to evaluate the influence of the system of rice intensification (SRI) and microbial inoculation, which revealed significant enhancement in the uptake of nitrogen and zinc in brown rice grain, husk, and straw. Increases of 30–60% in the soil dehydrogenase activity and the total polysaccharide content were recorded with an Anabaena-Mesorhizobium biofilm, while the N recovery efficiency was the highest (86%) with BF1–4 (cyanobacterial consortium) inoculant. Available N and zinc in soil were highly correlated with soil organic carbon and dehydrogenase activity, indicative of the significance of soil microbiological processes in nutrient availability.... Our investigation illustrates that microbial options can significantly contribute toward greater uptake of N and Zn, with superior efficiency-related and agronomic productivity indices.
At this conference (note new dates!), the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and System of Crop Intensification (SCI) [which includes a wider range of crops] will be considered in terms of policy, farming systems research, climate change, resource conservation technologies, resource use efficiency, etc. Date: Dec. 12-14, 2022 Venue: [hybid] ICAR - Indian Institute of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, India Organized by: Society for Advancement of Rice Research Registration: https://forms.gle/gesvRdQbupjaJie26 More information: See website or e-mail: icsci82022@gmail.com or kumaricsci2022@gmail.com
A System of Rice Intensification (SRI) impact assessment was undertaken in 20 project villages in the Narayanpet block. Analyses were carried out on water usage, input cost, plant growth, farmer group collectivization, gross and net returns of SRI, and conventional paddy cultivation. The result shows that significant water saving was achieved for SRI, i.e., 8586 m3∙ha−1 under tubewell irrigation over conventional. Less utilisation of water and distance maintained in SRI reduced biotic and abiotic stress caused by snails and nutrient deprivation, respectively. Yield for sampled SRI farmers showed a 22% increase, 13% less than conventional paddy farmers, which highly impacts the SRI farmers’ net income, i.e., 69% more than the conventional returns. The SRI method has a lower labour deployment of 8 people/ha than the conventional method, which requires 16 people/ha. Input cost saving in these two categories has ranked top and fetched maximum production efficiency among the others. The seed cost was significantly (87%) reduced for SRI as 8 kg per ha was required rather than the conventional that required 62 kg/ha.
Helping farmers adopt the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) enables them to grow far more food more cost-effectively and sustainably, producing higher yields with less water, fertilizer, seeds, and labor. With Oxfam’s support, more than one million farmers and families in Vietnam and Cambodia have practiced SRI and benefited from both improved and local rice varieties. On average, farmers have seen a 10–100 percent or more increase in yields, up to a 90 percent reduction in required seed, and up to a 50 percent savings in water usage. The rice plant health and ecosystems in the paddy fields continually improve. SRI has reached more than 16 percent of the total rice farming population in the northern region of Vietnam—home to most of the small-scale, resource-poor rice farmers in the country.
This summary document provides an overview of the state of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in India. It also covers a literature review of impact studies conducted on SRI in India. It is related to a larger CEEW study-- Sustainable Agriculture in India 2021: What we know and how to scale up (a 92-page handbook on the 16 most promising sustainable agriculture practices in India). [The full study will be covered in the next SRI-Rice newsletter.]
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one among the most important staple food crops globally. In Asia, more than two billion people are getting 60-70 per cent of their energy requirement from rice and its derived products. Food security depends on the power to extend production with decreasing availability of water to grow crops. Rice is among the greatest water users, consuming about 80% of the total irrigated fresh water resources in Asia. Key technological interventions which could rectify the utilization of freshwater in agriculture include direct seeded rice (DSR), system of rice intensification (SRI), alternate wetting and drying (AWD), furrow irrigated raised bed planting systems (FIRB)... Amongst the water saving techniques, SRI proves to be one of the most promising options to save water and increase water productivity without decreasing land productivity.
Apr 9 (IANS): From being a village with a high unemployment rate, whose natives were heavily dependent on alcohol, to becoming a model for SRI (System of Rice Intensification) and organic farming, the transformation of Kailashnagar, a tiny forest village in the Bahraich district of eastern Uttar Pradesh, has been phenomenal. Kailashnagar is today completely free of alcohol and is setting new records in SRI. In 2014, Geeta Prasad won an award from the state government for cultivating 118 quintals of organic rice through SRI farming in one hectare and in 2017. [Read more about how Kailashnagar's inhabitants turned their village around...]
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