The Jubilee Justice Black Farmers' Rice Project, launched in 2020, supports smallholder Black farmers to grow organic, regenerative, specialty rice. The rice is processed and marketed through their own cooperative with support from Jubilee Justice.
After Konda Mason, founder of Jubilee Justice, learned of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), she was emboldened by the idea that Black farmers could lead the development of growing regenerative, organic rice systems using the SRI method. In 2020, Mason joined forces with Erika Styger, an SRI expert at Cornell University, organic farmer Mark Fulford, and Iriel Edwards, 2020 Cornell graduate and first farm manager for Jubilee Justice.
WEEDBLAZER merupakan alat pembasmian gulma presisi pada lahan padi SRI menggunakan laser. WEEDBLAZER menggunakan baterai akumulator sebagai sumber daya. WEEDBLAZER dilengkapi dengan panel surya untuk pengisian ulang daya baterai sehingga memungkinkan alat beroperasi dalam jangka waktu lama, selama terdapat energi matahari yang dapat diserap oleh photovoltaic. WEEDBLAZER bekerja dengan algoritma deep learning object detection pada You Only Look Once (YOLO) sehingga memungkinkan laser dapat tepat menembak titik centroid gulma yang telah dideteksi. --PKM KC 2024 IPB University
SRI-Rice's insight:
WEEDBLAZER is an autonomous precision weeding tool for SRI rice fields made as a prototype by students at IPB University in Indonesia. It uses an accumulator battery as a power source and is equipped with a solar panel for recharging the battery. WEEDBLAZER works with the deep learning object detection algorithm in You Only Look Once (YOLO) so that it allows the laser to precisely shoot the centroid point of the weed that has been detected. With this innovation, it is hoped that WEEDBLAZER can increase the efficiency of weed eradication without damaging and polluting the environment.
Lonah, a 63-year-old Kenyan farmer from Kisumu in the Western region, transformed from a housewife to a successful rice farmer over four decades.Through education and adoption of SRI and other innovative farming techniques, she increased her yields significantly, improving her family's livelihood and educating her seven children to university level. Her success has inspired other women in her community to become landowners and farmers, revolutionising gender roles in agriculture.
Monrovia – The Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP), under the National Executing Entity (NEE-CHAP), is spearheading the Scaling up of Climate Resilient Rice Production Project organized by the Rice Production Improvement Consortium of West Africa (RICOWAS) in Liberia. In Liberia, RICOWAS targets 13,620 farmers across 2,641 hectares in six project zones. Training sessions, including a TOT in Montserrado County and five other project zones, focus on SRI and CRRP, aiming to strengthen the skills of extension service providers and farmers.
Researchers from Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), extension officers and Rice farmers at Ruvu scheme in Chalinze District, Coast Regional and Mkula schemes in Kilombero District, in Morogoro Region have trained on integrated ways of control pests that affect rice farming and benefit of Plant Clinic model as continuation of the training under the project of System of Rice Intensification (SRI).
The SRI project in Tanzania is implemented by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Bio economy research (NIBIO) and the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) based in India.
The theme of the first event in the SRI Global Research Webinar series is “Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Mitigation with the System of Rice Intensification (SRI)”
Date: 9.00 – 10.30 AM (UTC-4), August 22, 2024
Speakers:
Chusnul Arif (IPB University, Indonesia) will speak on “Managing Water in SRI Paddy Fields to Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Maintain Yield“
James Dahlgreen (SRI-2030, UK) will speak on “Harnessing the Climate Credentials of SRI Through Top-down Interventions”
By joining the SRI Global Research Network, you can learn about upcoming webinars in this series and access the Network's newsletter and SRI research database. (visit sri-research.org.for details)
It’s late summer and the rice is high and ready for harvest. Nazirahk Amen of Purple Mountain Grown in Maryland (USA) has been growing rice for almost a decade and today he is harvesting one of the seven varieties that he grows and sells. Find our more about how he has adapted the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for conditions on his farm in Prince Georges County, Maryland.
The Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP) is implementing Climate Smart Agriculture under the Livelihood Innovation Food Security Entrepreneurship (LIFE) Project with funding from Irish Aid through Concern Worldwide Liberia. The project, which began in Grand Bassa, Liberia, during 2023 and extended to Rivercess in February 2024, is currently working with 25 smallholder farmers per community, which comprises a total of 214 smallholder farmers who are being introduced to the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for rice cultivation.
Since the introduction of the SRI in Grand Bassa County, farmer groups like the one in Crayton Estate, have been able to grow rice twice in a year with less external inputs. The resulting SRI adoption has proven sustainable for farming thus far and is achieving high yields. In addition to SRI methods for production, CHAP has created a market for the SRI farmers’ out-grower scheme across the country in support of the “I love Liberian rice” domestic rice production in keeping with the Ministry of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP), which includes cultivation of 50,000 ha of lowland rice across the country from 2023 to 2030.
PARIS, FRANCE / ACCESSWIRE / Cornell University and CarbonFarm are announcing the launch of the ClimateRice Initiative. ClimateRice leverages satellite-verified carbon credits to scale the adoption of climate-resilient rice production practices based on the System of Rice (SRI) Intensification, reducing methane emissions by 50%.
Rice production contributes about 10% of the world's methane emissions. Reining in rice methane is a sticky problem. An innovative SRI method developed in Madagascar in the 1980s increases yields and has the promise of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Also covered is the collaboration between cooperative efforts of Chinese and US researchers to develop perennial rice that could be a game changer for our ever-warming planet. [This is a production of Sustainable Asia podcast series.]
Herbicide use may pose a risk of environmental pollution or evolution of resistant weeds. As a result, an experiment was carried out to assess the influence of different non-chemical weed management tactics (one hoeing (HH) at 12 DAS followed by (fb) one hand weeding at 30 DAS, one HH at 12 DAS fb Sesbania co-culture and its mulching, one HH at 12 DAS fb rice straw mulching @ 4t ha−1, one HH at 12 DAS fb rice straw mulching @ 6 t ha−1) on weed control, crop growth and yield, and economic returns in direct-seeded rice (DSR).
Zero-till seed drill-sown crop (PN) had the lowest weed density at 25 days after sowing (DAS), while square planting geometry (PS) had the lowest weed density at 60 DAS. PS also resulted in a lower weed management index (WMI), agronomic management index (AMI), and integrated weed management index (IWMI), as well as higher growth attributes, grain yield (4.19 t ha–1), and net return (620.98 US$ ha–1). In the case of weed management treatments, one HH at 12 DAS fb Sesbania co-culture and its mulching had the lowest weed density at 25 DAS. However, one hoeing at 12 DAS fb one hand weeding at 30 DAS (HH + WH) achieved the highest grain yield (4.85 t ha–1) and net returns (851.03 US$ ha–1) as well as the lowest weed density at 60 DAS. PS × HH + WH treatment combination had the lowest weed persistent index (WPI), WMI, AMI, and IWMI, and the highest growth attributes, production efficiency, and economic return.
SRI-Rice's insight:
As we move toward more integration of SRI with CA and direct-seeding, these studies are becoming more important!
The ideas and methods that constitute the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) were first synthesized in Madagascar by Henri de Laulanié in the early 1980s. The principles and practices of SRI have now been validated in over 60 countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas. Yet, many individuals still know little or possibly nothing about this methodology for raising the productivity of the land, labor, capital, seeds, and water employed in rice cultivation.
This introductory article outlines research and reviews included in the Special Issue of Agronomy which is entitled “The System of Rice Intensification (SRI)—Contributions to Agricultural Sustainability”
SRI-Rice's insight:
The journal Agronomy's Special Issue on “The System of Rice Intensification (SRI)—Contributions to Agricultural Sustainability” includes ten papers that present findings on ways in which SRI concepts are being utilized in diverse environments with modified practices, such as reducing labor requirements through mechanization and improving the production and profitability of crops other than rice. Various objectives are also being served, such as enhancing crops’ resilience to the stresses of climate change, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, increasing the micronutrient content of the grain, and conserving crop biodiversity.
The Southeast Asia SRI Regional Network (SeaSRI) official website has been officially launched (https://seasri.org/)! This regional network was formed at the 6th International Rice Congress held in Manila in October 2023. It was constituted by representatives of SRI national networks in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Myanmar, with Vietnamese colleagues also supportive of this initiative but not present. SeaSRI is a collaborative network dedicated to promoting SRI practices throughout Southeast Asia. It brings together academics, researchers, farmers, and other stakeholders to embrace this environmentally friendly and economically viable approach, with the ultimate goal of enhancing food security and farmer well-being in Southeast Asia.
The inaugural edition of the SRI Global Research Network newsletter is scheduled for release in May 2024. This newsletter will take a closer look at recently published System of Rice Intensification (SRI) research articles, information about events and activities related to SRI, as well as awards and grants received by our SRI colleagues globally. Information about how to subscribe to SRI Global Research Newsletter can be accessed here: https://sri-research.org/newsletter/
SRI-Rice's insight:
The newly organized System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Global Research Network, which publishes this online newsletter, is jointly hosted by the Indonesian SRI Research and Innovation Network (IndoSRInet) and the SRI-Rice Center at Cornell University. Find out more about the Network's activities, which include access to an upgraded Zotero library as well as other activities and information.
The impact of climate change on methane (CH4) emissions from rice production systems in the Coimbatore region (Tamil Nadu, India) was studied by leveraging field experiments across two main treatments and four sub-treatments in a split-plot design. Utilizing the closed-chamber method for gas collection and gas chromatography analysis, this study identified significant differences in CH4 emissions between conventional cultivation methods and the system of rice intensification (SRI). Over two growing seasons, conventional cultivation methods reported higher CH4 emissions (range: from 36.9 to 59.3 kg CH4 ha−1 season−1) compared with SRI (range: from 2.2 to 12.8 kg CH4 ha−1 season−1). Experimental data were subsequently used to guide parametrization and validation of the DeNitrification–DeComposition (DNDC) model. The validation of the model showed good agreement between the measured and modeled data. The validated model was then used to develop future CH4 emissions projections under various shared socio-economic pathways (henceforth SSPs) for the mid- (2021–2050) and late (2051–2080) century. The analysis revealed a potential increase in CH4 emissions for the simulated scenarios, which was dependent on specific soil and irrigation management practices. Conventional cultivation produced the highest CH4 emissions, but it was shown that they could be reduced if the current practice was replaced by minimal flooding or through irrigation with alternating wetting and drying cycles. Emissions were predicted to rise until SSP 370, with a marginal increase in SSP 585 thereafter. The findings of this work underscored an urgency to develop climate-smart location-specific mitigation strategies focused on simultaneously improving current water and nutrient management practices. This research also highlighted the critical interaction that exists between agricultural practices and climate change, and emphasized the need to implement adaptive crop management strategies that can sustain productivity and mitigate the environmental impacts of rice-based systems in southern India
A scientific symposium on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) was organized by Directorate of Agricultural Research on August 6, 2024, in the Birah Magrun sub-district of Dokan district (30 km west of Salymania Governorate). More than 75 government officials, technical staff, and rice farmers attended this symposium; ten farmers expressed a desire to try out SRI methods.Khidhir Abbas Hameed presented a seminar entitled “Positive Opportunities of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) under Current Conditions of Climate Change,” which included justifications for implementing SRI in the Kurdistan Region; overview of SRI principles/practices; and the with SRI methods in the Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station (MRRS) plots and on farmers' fields in central and southern Iraq.
SRI-Rice's insight:
The effort to bring SRI to Iraqi Kurdistan is especially welcome given the unrest in this region of Iraq over the past few years. This is the second SRI symposium in Kurdistan during the past year, the first taking place in Erbil in May 2024. Thanks to Khidhir Abbas Hameed, a long-time member of the global SRI community, for continuing to expand the borders of the SRI world.
Compatibility between Conservation Agriculture (CA) and the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Find out more in this PowerPoint presented by Francesco Carnevale Zampaolo, July 24, 2024, at the 9th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture, Cape Town, South Africa.
Rice consumption in Angola, like in many other African nations, is rising due to shifts in eating habits and population growth. The surge in consumption combined with low domestic production and productivity has led to a consistent rise in rice imports. In 2021 the State Treasury of Angola spent over US$260 million on rice imports.
During a February 2024 African Paddy Rice Greenhouse Gas Mitigation workshop, Eng. Carlos Francisco Canza, Angola's focal point within the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD) from the Rural Extension Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, learned about SRI. Elielda Lopes Fernandes, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) Manager for Food and Agriculture in Angola, was also interested in SRI, and with SRI-2030 knowledge materials, they transplanted the rice seedlings in early July 2024 following SRI principles, marking the first known experimentation of SRI methods in Angola.
Green manuring–system of rice intensification (SRI)–blackgram (rice fallow pulses) cropping system is novel, and appears to be a 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. The demonstration was conducted in 50 hectares with 92 locations of Ponnaniyar sub-basin.
The improved practice of SRI recorded higher plant height and other yield attributes, including yields from 7580 to 9400 kg ha−1. Concurrently, within the IPT framework for the GM–SRI–Rice fallow pulses cropping system, the yields for Rice fallow Blackgram were 590 to 730 kg ha−1. A remarkable 39.9 percent enhancement in system productivity through the adoption of IPT practicesas well as significantly higher water productivity, 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 Tamil Nadu's Ponnaniyar sub-basin.
Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) in the northern sector have attended a two-day training workshop during July to enhance their capacity on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) technology. The training, organised by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), formed part of the Scaling up of Climate Resilient Rice Production in West Africa (RICOWAS Project). In Ghana, the project is being carried out in the Northern, North East, Upper East, Savannah, Volta, Oti, Western North and the Ashanti Regions.
SRI-Rice's insight:
[Togo also held an SRI trainer event during July]. The 13-country $14 million RICWAS Project in West Africa, which is funded by the Adaptation Fund and supported by Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel Sahara and Sahel Observatory, held the initial region-wide SRI training effort in Cote d'Ivoire, last April. Togo and several other countries have subsequently held national training-of-trainer and extension efforts in mid-2024..
El presente estudio presenta una investigación bibliográfica de trabajos realizados por instituciones de enseñanza superior en el Ecuador sobre el Sistema Intensivo de Cultivar Arroz (SICA). A esta investigación se le añadió la experiencia de los autores siguiendo una secuencia por objetivos. SICA es una práctica de cultivo amigable con el medio ambiente que, a pesar de haber sido introducida en el 2004 y respaldada por varios trabajos de investigación, no ha sido muy difundida entre pequeños y medianos productores.
An article in Agronomy shows that there need not be a trade-off between food security and climate change mitigation. A review of field studies found that SRI is associated with both reduced GHG emissions and higher yield compared with conventional flooded rice farming. The authors found that the mean reduction in emissions per kilogram of rice produced was 48% when SRI is compared with conventional practices. Yield benefits of SRI compounded the already significant reduction in emissions associated with alternate wetting and drying (AWD). The authors recommend that farmers be encouraged to adopt SRI practices given the dual benefits for food security and climate change mitigation. They also cited other benefits of SRI, and call for more research into the potentially even more significant benefits of soil carbon sequestration with SRI. [This article is published in Agronomy's Special Issue on “The System of Rice Intensification (SRI)—Contributions to Agricultural Sustainability”]
The regional training of trainers’ workshop on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and Climate-Resilient Rice Production (CRRP) took place in Grand-Lahou on Friday, April 5th, 2024. Mr. Nabil Ben Khatra, OSS Executive Secretary, expressed his gratitude towards the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire for hosting the event, highlighting National Rural Development Support Agency (ANADER) and its excellent agricultural mechanization training center in Grand-Lahou. He also thanked Dr. Erika Styger and Dr. Karim Traore for training of the future Master Trainers who will play a significant role in the RICOWAS project. [See also French version.]
SRI-Rice's insight:
The first regional RICOWAS training of trainers workshop was hosted by ANADER in Côte d’Ivoire. It included 45 experts from 13 West African countries belonging to the regional Scaling up Climate Resilient Rice Production in West Africa (RICOWAS) project, a four-year, $14 million effort funded by the Adaptation Fund to apply principles of SRI and Climate-Resilient Rice Production (CRRP). RICOWAS is overseen by the Sahara and Sahel Observator (OSS).
The Sustainable Rice NDC Alliance continues to support its core aim of implementing high-yield low-emission rice agriculture by elevating rice-related NDC commitments. SRI-2030, the Alliance secretariat, is now focusing its support on Africa, although it will continue to support all nations pursuing sustainable rice production.
The Alliance continues to work directly with governments to design rice roadmaps with a current focus on West African nations. These are practical implementation plans combining agricultural policies such as National Rice Development Strategies or Climate Smart Agriculture frameworks with climate policy commitments as in countries’ NDCs.
Events: A Focus on Finance meeting was followed by a panel on Food and Agriculture in Dubai in November 2023. Other recent activities include co-hosting a February workshop in Nairobi on African Paddy Rice Greenhouse Gas Mitigation. and an April webinar with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to examine how the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) can contribute to climate and development objectives of the Bank’s goals.
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