The SRI Global Research Network Webinar #6, took place on October 14, 2025. The webinar, entitled Cyanobacteria: Revisiting their Role as Nutrient Enriching and Resource Conserving Options under SRI/SCI, was presented by Dr Radha Prasanna, ICAR-IARI, India. The video of the event is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpN2Q0fQVpM For information on upcoming events: contact@sri-research.org or visit the SRI Global Research Network website: https://sri-research.org/
Swarnalata Sahu seemed to have started a stir, but the revolution in the farming sector she was fueling in Brajeshpentha village in Rangeilunda block of Ganjam district in Odisha carries with it the potential to turn into a storm. Identified as a Climate Champion, she has been encouraging the use of SRI (System of Rice Intensification), an agroecological method for increasing rice yield while reducing water, seed, and fertilizer requirements.
In a village with 148 households and a population of 756, most of whom depend on agriculture for sustenance, Swarnalata’s intervention has clicked well among the lead farmers, particularly women, who play a major role in farming.
This video by Warasha Najmin was inspired by an interview with Ashraf Uddin, a farmer from Dinajpur, Bangladesh. It explains the principles and practices of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).
Over 188 local farmers from Rivercess and Grand Bassa Counties are appealing to the Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP) and Concern Worldwide to continue their farming support initiative. The project, now in its second to third year, introduced farmers to the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), a method many initially found difficult. However, they say they have now mastered the technique and are reaping its benefits.
“At first, the SRI method was tough for us because it was new. But now we are used to it. It makes rice farming easier and faster." Farmers reported that they are now able to use the same plots of land continuously, significantly reducing the labor and environmental degradation associated with traditional shifting cultivation methods.“Rice farming used to be backbreaking work, but not anymore. We can now grow more rice using less seed and labor...”
Dans le cadre de la collaboration entre l’initiative SRI-2030 et Enda Pronat, un champ école paysan (CEP) a été mis en place à Ndoundour pour expérimenter et promouvoir le Système de Riziculture Intensive (SRI). Portée par les femmes du Groupement de Promotion Féminine (GPF) de la localité, cette initiative marque une étape clé vers une […]
As part of the collaboration between the SRI-2030 initiative and Enda Pronat, a Farmer Field School (FFS) was established in Ndoundour to pilot and promote the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). Led by the local Women's Promotion Group (GPF), this initiative marks a key step towards more ecological, economical, and productive rice farming.
This short AI-generated video on YouTube's "World of Agriculture" channel explains in 3 minutes System of Rice Intensification (SRI) practices and how they offer flexibility for farmers to tailor the methods according to local conditions. This adaptability makes SRI an excellent option for smallholder farmers in regions where resources may be scarce.
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) pilot programme implemented by Propcom+ across different locations in Nigeria has shown potential to enhance rice productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Nigeria.
During the pilot, Propcom+ said 22,269 smallholder farmers, 41% of whom were women, received SRI training through onsite demonstrations and SMS-based education.The pilot also attracted commercial investments, with three suppliers committing to providing motorized transplanters, mobile solar-powered pumps, and organic fertilizers. Additionally, the initiative created 199 jobs, with rural entrepreneurs adopting the service delivery models for mechanized transplanting and irrigation services. The pilot also achieved improvements in farm productivity, with 66% of adopting farmers reporting higher yields compared to conventional farming.
The Malian government has unveiled a US$24.4 million initiative to nearly double the nation’s rice production by 2030. Dubbed the National Program for Scaling Up the Intensive Rice Farming System (PN-SRI), the initiative was formally launched at a national forum in Bamako on April 17. Led by the Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with GIZ-Mali, the 10-year strategy targets a production increase from 3 million tonnes to 5.5 million tonnes of paddy rice.
The initiative is grounded in the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), a cultivation method designed to optimize yields through improved water and soil management, better spacing, and input efficiency. The initiative is expected to benefit approximately 245,000 producers across one million hectares, boosting local paddy rice production.
Discover how Tanzanian farmers are boosting rice production despite climate change using System of Rice Intensification (SRI)! Learn key practices like young seedlings, reduced water use, less fertilizers, and smart spacing to grow more rice with fewer resources.
Dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre du projet Promotion du Système de Riziculture Intensive au Cameroun (ProSRI-Cam), le CIPCRE a organisé, du 22 au 28 avril 2025, une série d’ateliers de formation théorique sur les méthodes du Système de Riziculture Intensive (SRI) dans quatre villages pilotes : Santchou, Bamendjo, Koutaba et Bangourain.
Ciwara Capital, set up with support from IFAD and EU funding and entirely owned by members of the Malian diaspora, invests in small and medium-size enterprises in Africa including agri-businesses, aiming to raise US$2 million by 2026 and US$10 million over the longer term. In Mali, Ciwara has invested in Zira Capital, an impact investment fund.
Among the new investments of Ciwara and Zira is SOPROTRILAD, a Malian company that provides over 3,000 small-scale farmers with inputs, such as seed and fertilizer, and in return buys the rice they harvest. IFAD’s INCLUSIF project has supported SOPROTRILAD in building relationships with rice cooperatives and introducing them to climate-smart production techniques, such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).
Ibrahima's cooperative has signed an agreement with SOPROTRILAD, and despite a steep learning curve, he immediately spotted the potential of the new farming approaches. “It is more beneficial for us,” he says. “For example, for a 0.25-hectare field, we used to use 13 kg of seeds, while with SRI we only use 2–3 kg. SRI uses less water, which reduces the use of motor pumps and saves fuel.”
“We are moving from the age of food security to the age of sustainability.” With this resonant message, Ambassador V.B. Soni (Retd.) set the tone for his address at the 6th Agri-Business Conclave and Awards on May 21, 2025. “From being a food-deficient country dependent on imports in the 1960s, India has emerged as the world’s largest producer of milk, pulses, and the second-largest in cereals, fruits, and vegetables. But this success story is now at a turning point. This growth has been achieved at a cost — depleting groundwater, degrading soils, and excessive chemical use. Sustainability is no longer an optional value; it is the defining principle of future agribusiness.” Indian farmers, scientists, and entrepreneurs are pioneering climate-smart solutions — from low-input agriculture and organic farming to resource-efficient practices like the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). “India’s farmers are innovating every day. They need enabling systems, not just schemes.”
Two years in, the SRI Tanzania project has made a significant impact on the lives of 2,880 farmers, with a 30-40% increase in yield and an approximately 90% reduction in seed usage.
The emphasis of the Norad-funded project SRI Tanzania is on the promotion of the climate-smart agriculture System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methods. The project is currently being implemented in five districts in Tanzania by the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) and the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI).
NIBIO’s CEO Ivar Horneland Kristensen reflected on the project’s wider potential: “On a larger scale, if all two million rice farmers in Tanzania adopted this approach, the impact would be transformative. Tanzania could not only secure its own food supply but also help feed six neighbouring countries, improving lives and bolstering regional and global food security,” he says.
Karla Cordero-Lara, Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA-Chile), presented "A novel climate smart rice production system based on SRI and new varieties in Chile" on October 8, 2025, at the "International Scientific Conference on Problems and Achievements of Rice and Legume Crops in the Context of Global Climate Change" in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
"Highlights of National Efforts and Innovation on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) over the Past 20 Years in Iraq" was presented by Khidhir Abbas Hameed on August 18, 2025, at the SRI Network Capacity-Building and Research Workshop, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Khidhir also presented a blueprint for an Arabic language SRI Network for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at the workshop.
A new research initiative has been launched to compare methane emissions from System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and conventional rice fields in West Java. The study integrates satellite observations with empirical data collected directly from the field to assess methane emissions under both systems. The combined data will generate valuable insights into how SRI practices can help reduce methane emissions and promote cleaner, more sustainable rice production. The project is conducted in collaboration with IPB University and Padjadjaran University, and funded by Jizoku Inc., a start-up based in Japan.
Principal Investigators: Prof. Chusnul Arif and Dr. Febri Doni
Roy Mosley, a Georgia farmer, has been experimenting with a black-husked “sticky” rice for the past three years. “It is an African rice that was grown in the Serengeti close to the desert. It needs water, but it doesn’t have to be flooded." Roy is a member of the Jubilee Justice farming co-op, which is based in Louisiana and promotes sustainable farming by Black farmers, especially in a “System of Rice Intensification” that uses fewer seeds and less water. This co-op has rice-growing members from Louisiana to South Carolina.
The first couple of years he mulched with wheat straw. But seeing that this was impractical for scaling up, he “direct seeded” the rice with no mulch. “I’m the first one in the co-op to do direct seeding…,” Mosley said. “I’m so proud, because this is the first year I’ve actually made rice.” Now he expects to harvest enough to sell for the first time.
Hanoi is expanding the area applying the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), striving to have 80% of the rice area applying SRI by 2030. According to the Head of the Hanoi Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection, Luu Thi Hang, SRI has now been applied to about 70% of the city's rice area. The 2025 spring crop is the first year the Department coordinated with Me Linh district to bring transplanters into SRI rice production in an organic, low-emission direction.
Currently, Hanoi's rice production area is about 160,000 hectares, of which the proportion of high-quality rice is expected to increase from 62% to over 80%. In addition, following the Government’s direction, Hanoi also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Applying the SRI model not only helps reduce rice production costs by about 7-8 million VND/ha but also increases productivity by 18-20% and saves 2% of irrigation water, contributing to protecting water resources and the environment
This study evaluates the combined effects of irrigation and fertilization strategies on yield, water productivity, and greenhouse gas emissions in paddy fields. The main plots included two irrigation methods (flooding and adjusted deficit irrigation), and the subplots involved three fertilization treatments (none [control], mineral fertilizer, and vermicompost). The results indicated that vermicompost application produced a paddy yield of 4.281 kg ha-1, comparable to that of mineral fertilizer. The interaction between irrigation and fertilization practices revealed that the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) management that combined deficit irrigation and vermicompost, achieved 2.5 times higher water productivity than continuous flooding (1.13 kg rice m-3 water vs. 0.41 kg m-3).
Furthermore, under SRI, cumulative methane (CH4) emissions were 10-39% lower than those from conventional treatments, peaking at 39% for the treatment combining deficit irrigation and vermicompost. This indicates the complementary advantages of SRI components. These findings suggest that SRI can be a practical climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technique when properly managed, enhancing water productivity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving rice yield sustainability.
Ñiquén (Chile) (AFP) – A cold, dry part of Chile might not sound like the best place to grow rice, a famously thirsty grain that thrives in tropical conditions. Javier Munoz has been trialling the "Jaspe" strain created by experts at the Agricultural Research Institute's (INIA) Rice Breeding Program, in combination with SRI, which cut the Munoz family's water consumption in half in a country that has for generations cultivated rice in flooded paddies.
The Jaspe rice strain was obtained by INIA agricultural engineer Karla Cordero and colleagues by crossing a Chilean seed with a Russian one better adapted to cold and dry climates. The modified seed is then grown using the SRI technique that involves spacing seedlings further apart in enriched soil, and watering only sporadically to build a more resilient root system. Apart from using less water and fewer seeds, the new Jaspe-SRI method also emits less methane. The team hopes to test Jaspe soon in other South American countries. "This is the future," said Munoz. "If we want... food security and care about the environment, this is the way."
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At the same time, yield rocketed, with each seed yielding about thirty plants -- nearly ten times more than a conventional rice field.
The theme of this webinar is "Insect Diversity and Dynamics in System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Cultivation" Date: 27 March 2025 Speaker: Padmavathi Chintalapati (Principal Scientist, Entomology, ICAR - Indian Institute of Rice Research, India) This is seminar #4 of the SRI Global Research Network's webinar series. See https://SRI-research.org for details
Don't miss the next SRI Global Research Network webinar (#5) on July 10, 2025! Sonali McDermid will speak on integrated climate-crop-economic SRI modeling assessment with an overview of work in Vietnam, Bangladesh, and India. Details are forthcoming...
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Le riz, vital en Afrique de l’Ouest, est au centre d’un forum régional clé à Bamako depuis hier, lundi 5 mai 2025. En effet, 13 pays et des organisations internationales discutent de systèmes agricoles durables et de l’essor du Système de Riziculture Intensif (SRI). Riz : Enjeu Clé de la Sécurité Alimentaire. L’Afrique de l’Ouest […]
Representatives from thirteen countries and international organizations discussed sustainable agricultural systems and the development and promotion of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Bamako on May 5, 2025. Mali's Prime Minister emphasized the urgency of helping vulnerable producers. He also reiterated the alignment of SRI with Mali's national development strategies and assured the government's full commitment to the development of the regional SRI. In conclusion, collective action was deemed essential for West African food security, in which the SRI could play a major role.
For generations, Sarawak’s Indigenous rice farmers have cultivated more than just crops—they have nurtured a way of life deeply rooted in tradition, sustainability, and resilience. In the face of climate change and modern challenges, their time-honoured practices offer valuable lessons in ecological balance and community survival. As technology and tradition converge, these silent teachers continue.
The Sarawak rice farmers practise agriculture in a way that is sustainable in nature, emphasising a harmonious relationship with the natural ecosystem. One such practice is the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), which was introduced to enhance yield without compromising environmental integrity. SRI is environmentally friendly and gives a higher yield compared to conventional planting techniques. With these eco-friendly practices, farmers have observed increased paddy yields and sustained income while decreasing the need to clear more forests for cultivation. This chemical-free approach keeps rivers clean and minimises environmental impacts, showing a win-win situation for farmers and the environment alike.
The India rice market size was valued at USD 10.12 billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group estimates the market to reach USD 12.21 billion by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 2.1% from 2025-2033. The India rice market share is growing due to the increasing population, rising domestic consumption, government support through Minimum Support Price (MSP), advancement in farming technology, increasing exports, climate-friendly rice varieties and improved irrigation systems.
…With growing concerns about environmental sustainability and soil health, India's rice sector is embracing eco-friendly farming methods. Sustainable cultivation techniques such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), direct-seeded rice (DSR), and organic farming are becoming more prevalent, helping reduce water consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance yield efficiency.
Identifying rice management interventions to reduce methane emissions while improving productivity is critical for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and food security. We leverage site-based data to model combined rice yields, methane emissions, and water productivity for 83 sites across the Red River Delta, Vietnam. We test three rice management interventions with our coupled crop-soil model, characterized by Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and other System of Rice Intensification (SRI) principles. Our simulations are forced with historical as well as future climate conditions, for a high-emission climate scenario centered on 2050.
We evaluate the efficacy of these interventions for combined climate change mitigation and adaptation under historical and future climate change. Two SRI interventions significantly increased yields (one by over 50%) under historical climate conditions while also reducing (or not increasing) methane emissions. These interventions also increase yields under future climate conditions although climate change decreases absolute yields across all management practices. Generally, where yield improved, so did crop water-use efficiency. However, impacts on methane emissions were mixed under future climate conditions. SRI principles combined with high-yielding varieties, implemented for site-specific conditions, can serve climate change adaptation and mitigation goals.
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