In December the first phase of the Agro-ecological Rice Supply Chain Programme was concluded. 18 hectares of paddy rice were planted in Kampunda by using the SRI method (System of Rice Intensification). The Provincial Minister of Social Affairs and the Family lauded the rice programme for the huge contribution the project is giving, in partnership with WFP-PAM, to the local agricultural development and especially to peace and stability of this area. The Minister refers to the decisive role which the inclusion of Pygmies population in the project (more than half of the 3,160 beneficiaries) has played in building stability in this area. Pygmies involved decided not to join their nearby brothers which recently attached lots of villages in the zone to pump the actual conflict between Bantu and Pygmies.
A new method of rice farming known as rice intensification is taking root in various rice growing areas in Kenya. [Click on the video to listen to the show about SRI on Kenya's Citizen TV channel.]
The soft-spoken Mrs. Lonah Anyango Okumu is an uncelebrated heroine in her own right. This mother of seven children is a widow who has overcome many odds to bring up and educate her family single-handedly as well as become a leading champion of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), in western Kenya.
Presenter: Jean Njiru Title: Some observations on introduction and rapid growth of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) among smallholder farmers in Kenya …
...Dr. Bush, Projet Équateur’s principal investigator, explains, “What we’re looking for with climate financing is how to apply funds to help with focus-areas like adoption. If we’re introducing SRI into a community as part of the REDD program, how could we use some of the REDD funds to provide incentives for people to stay on their fields, and really adopt that new technology—technology that in turn, will increase the yield up to three times.”
SRI-Rice's insight:
Projet Équateur’, which is located in the northern Équateur province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is sponsored by the Woods Hole Research Center in Massachusetts, USA.
.. in the small rural community of Madina Oula, Kindia, Martin Kourouma, Head of Project Development with NARSEME helped me to share our mission with NARSEME field agents and started identifying key farmers and resource people in the community to participate in a training. We led a session on SRI theory and seed sorting using a seed variety one of the farmers supplied. Farmers were especially intrigued by the 95% reduction of seed: as the only purchased input for small holder rice farming, this represents a significant reduction in expenses for farmers and is very appealing to subsistence farmers.
The Ghana Rice Inter-Professional Body (GRIB) has developed a certification logo, a mark of quality rice that will be on all Ghana Rice brands to promote locally produced rice. This certification is aimed at promoting the consumption of Ghana Rice among rice consumers in the country. According to GRIB president, Imoro Amoro, “.. To be able to compete with others in the market and eliminate the idea local rice is inferior, we need to produce good quality rice that meets the expectation of consumers...We are training the farmers with a system known as rice intensification -- a system based on transplanting instead of the traditional broadcasting method, whereby one seed can grow so much rice and the paddy also comes out clean and of very high quality. So this is what we are doing to improve the quality of the local rice.”
You can now VOTE! for SRI-Rice’s proposal, “Unleashing the climate-smart potential of Africa’s forgotten rice,” which a finalist in both the Land Use and Adaptation categories in the Climate CoLab contest. The Climate CoLab is an idea innovation contest run by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to harness the collective intelligence of thousands of people globally to address global climate change.
Robert Bimba presented this ppt on "Community of Hope Agricultural Project - SRI in Liberia" on June 15, 2016, at the SRI-Rice seminar series at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
On the verge of abandoning Kenya’s third most popular staple, however, Francis heard of a new technology that could reverse his dwindling fortunes. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI), introduced for the first time at the neighbouring Ahero Irrigation Scheme in 2011, had forayed into West Kano, raising hope for Francis and his contemporaries.
Gerald Aruna, ENGIM Internazionale, has modified the traditional planting method for the local krain krain leafy vegetable (Cochorus Olitorius) to use System of Crop Intensification (SCI) methods. Called "SKKI" (System of Krain Krain Intensification), the modifications use: Less seeds, more organic matter, wide spacing between plants, transplanting of young seedlings between 8 to 15 days old, and overhead shading. The crop is harvested twice, the first time by cutting / pruning branches of the plant at a point which leaves at least two other branches for fast re-growth and for collecting seeds at the end, so farmers can replant with their own seed. Weeding / earthing up / soil aeration of the crop is done every 7 days. This promotes robust root and plant growth and results in robust leaves as well as very big pods of seeds at the end to be harvested.
Weeds are important constraints for rice production. Effective weed management can increase yields by more than 50%, but usually takes a lot of time.
SRI-Rice's insight:
I recently came across the 2013 video again and thought you might want to watch it again too! It was made by Jonne Rodenburg and his colleagues at AfricaRice.
This working paper assesses the consequential risk impacts of the recent system of rice intensification (SRI) implemented in the Morogoro region of Tanzania, one of the largest semi-arid regions, using household and farm plot level data extended to incorporate farmers’ perceptions of climate change.
The study also highlights the importance of climate perceptions and moisture-conserving technology in risk management in semi-arid lands.
Au Burkina Faso, le secteur agricole occupe 80 % de la population active pour une contribution de 30,1 % au PIB. Des 6 filières agricoles, dites prioritaires identifiées par le ministère de l’Agriculture, le riz apparaît comme celui qui dispose d’un potentiel de croissance à court terme le plus élevé. Cette production rizicole occupe la quatrième place par les céréales cultivées au Burkina Faso. Pour autant, la production nationale ne couvre que 42 % des besoins de la consommation nationale. On comprend donc le recours à des techniques d’intensification comme le système de riziculture intensive.
SRI-Rice's insight:
Radio broadcast from RFI in France about SRI being carried out by Bricop Burkina, which grew out of AGRA, in Burkina Faso.
This article summarizes an evaluation of SRI by a group of 90 rice farmers on 32 plots in two rice ecosystems in Benin. This farmer-conducted research showed that SRI methods could increase average yields under farmer conditions by 54%, while reducing seed requirements by 87% and shortening the growing season by 14 days. To achieve these benefits required an increase in the amount of labor by 36%. Producers concluded that SRI offers significant opportunities to increase their rice production, provided its methods are adapted to local conditions.
Bamada.net - Après une première phase couronnée par une conférence débat organisée, le mercredi 21 septembre dernier, par le Réseau des Journalistes Scientifiques (RJS) en partenariat avec PASSIP, une dizaine de journalistes étaient sur le terrain à San du vendredi 23 au samedi 24 septembre 2016 pour rencontrer les paysans de cette localité qui sont en train de révolutionner la culture du riz à travers la technique SRI (Système de Riziculture Intensif), devenant ainsi une référence nationale et même sous-régionale.
SRI-Rice's insight:
A dozen journalists traveled to San, Mali, on September 23-24, 2016, to meet with farmers that are revolutionizing rice cultivation through the SRI technique, which is becoming a national, and even regional, benchmark.
During 2015 and 2016, Buddhist Global Relief partnered with Oxfam America in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia to increase the productivity of vegetable crops (tomato and onion) by teaching farmers the System of Crop Intensification (SCI). SCI adapts SRI principles to crops other than rice resulting in increased productivity through the the use of efficient, climate-smart techniques.
Though rice is the most widely consumed cereal in Côte d’Ivoire, the country is not self-sufficient. Production deficit is covered by annual imports which cost on average 223 billion CFA francs. Through the implementation of a National Rice sector Development Strategy (SNDR), the country hopes to achieve self-sufficiency in 2018. SRI has helped to increase significantly paddy production in several African countries. SRI was experimented with in irrigated conditions in 9 localities of Côte d’Ivoire to assess the level of overall agronomic performance. Analyses focused on total tillers number per hill, number of fertile tillers, height (cm) of the main tiller, number of grains per panicle and paddy yield (tha-1). Results show real advantage of SRI, especially in production of fertile tillers production. The increase in number of tillers under SRI method is between 17 and 338 p.c. with yield increases of 10 to 67 p.c. However, SRI is most adopted when the level of original technical ability of the producer is low. On a larger scale, SRI can help to achieve rice self-sufficiency. Therefore, this technology should be adopted at national scale. Short or medium technical support of volunteers of SRI implementation and learning among producers are also necessary.
SRI-Rice's insight:
Bouet, A., F. Bahan, A. Boka, M. Esmel, and J. Keli. 2016.
Une mission de contrôle de la mise à l’échelle du SRI (Système de riziculture intensive) qui est un système innovant de culture du riz, introduit dans la région de Matam depuis 2008 par le Projet de développement Agricole de Matam (PRODAM), s’est rendue le jeudi 07 juillet dernier dans les périmètres agricoles de Diowol.
SRI-Rice's insight:
SRI was introduced into Senegal's Matam region in 2008 by Projet de développement Agricole de Matam (PRODAM). This article has lots of photos!
La clôture officielle de la saison rizicole 2015-2016, s’est tenue le 21 juillet dernier, pour les quatre communes bénéficiaires du Programme Avotra, dans la région Itasy. Il s’agit d’un programme d’agriculture biologique et de SRI.
SRI-Rice's insight:
Programme Avotra, an SRI project funded by the French NGO CODEGAZ in the Itasy region of Madagascar, wrapped up the rice growing season on July 21. With an average production of 11t / ha, the four municipalities in this project rank among those with the most significant returns in the country. A farmer reported "We did well to practice the system of rice intensification, as it allowed us to triple our returns.”
The results of the study revealed that SRI plants responded better to the soil amendments and were superior to those using farmer practice in all parameters measured. See the freely available article for a detailed description of the various treatments studied.
Are you interested in adapting rice production equipment to use with the System of Rice Intensification? Come join the SRI Equipment Innovators Exchange! Just push the "join" button... and if you have an interest in small-scale weeders, transplanters, markers, direct-seeders, etc., you can begin to talk about SRI equipment with other people who are on the same page....
To get content containing either thought or leadership enter:
To get content containing both thought and leadership enter:
To get content containing the expression thought leadership enter:
You can enter several keywords and you can refine them whenever you want. Our suggestion engine uses more signals but entering a few keywords here will rapidly give you great content to curate.