SRI Global News: February - April 2024 **sririce -- System of Rice Intensification

The “Agriculture Is the Solution to Climate Change” conference in Otsu, Japan, was co-sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,  the 4 per 1000 Initiative, and was supported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), FAO, the World Bank, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Rothamsted Research, and the governments of France and Germany, among others.
Regenerational International's  (RI) director Andre Leu gave a keynote presentation on System of Rice Intensification (SRI). SRI can double rice yields, and massively reduce methane emissions, thanks to its lower water usage – and when combined with cover crops, SRI can result in significant soil sequestration of carbon. SRI is a powerful solution for rice farmers all around the world faced with increasing threats of drought, typhoon and coastal storm surge.

自然農田んぼ塾参加者募集
自然農田んぼ塾とは認定 NPO  法人宍塚の自然と歴史の会の活動の 一つで不耕起 ・無農薬・ 無施肥で米づくりを行っているグループです。
「耕さず　草や虫を敵とせず」の川口由 一  氏の自然農のやり方に独自の方法を加え、 一昨年より SRI （the System of Rice Intensification)  :稲作強化法： 乳苗植え付け、  間断灌漑）を取り込んで自然農と SRIの組み合わせを試験的に行っています。
今年は、  作付け品種にイセヒカリ  （伊勢神宮で発見されたコシヒカリ系統のうるち米） プリンセスサリー  （カレーやピラフに適した香り米）  を加え９品種のお米を育てます。

...Paddy fields are thought to be a major emitter of GHGs (greenhouse gas) such as methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. In 2007, IPCC reported that agriculture contributed about 14% of GHG emission annually. Many techniques involving the control of resources like water and fertilizers are known as ways to increase rice production. Few studies have conducted lysimeter experiments to study the methane emission with water management that showed percolation of soil organic matters and nutrients through water drainage from the rice paddies decreases methane gas emission.  The management of water, and in particular mid-season drainage, is an effective measure for reducing the methane flux from rice fields. Some of the sustainable rice practices have been in existence already, such as the SRI (System of Rice Intensification).  SRI is a technique for farmers to improve rice production by controlling water, soil nutrients, and plants in the paddy fields. It is known to produce higher yields, save water, and reduce fertilizer use....