System of Rice Intensification (SRI) -System of Rice Intensification (SRI) -““Less can Produce more”Less can Produce more”

Dr. A. SATYANARAYANADirector of Extension

Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural UniversityRajendranagar, Hyderabad

Modern Agriculture

Overly Genocentric Productivity gains were possible with increased use of inputs – Fertilizers, Pesticides, Water etc.

They are now giving • Diminishing returns• Creating environmental hazards, health risks• Rising costs of production

More productive in terms of

- Land, Labour, Water, Capital, Energy, inputs More environmentally benign More robust in the face of climate change More socially beneficial - reducing poverty, greater food security

21st Century Agriculture needs to be

Biological power and Eco-agriculture should Biological power and Eco-agriculture should be basic foundations for soil health be basic foundations for soil health

Micro organisms and other soil biota as creators and maintainers of soil fertility

Greater attention to plants roots

The basic idea of SRI

Rice plants do best when their

- roots can grow large because

the plants are transplanted carefully

at wider spacing and

grown on soil that is kept well aerated

with abundant and diverse soil microorganisms

The contribution of soil microbial activity need to be taken more seriously

The microbial flora causes a large number of biochemical changes in the soil that largely determine the fertility of soil (De Datta, 1981)

System of Rice Intensification (SRI) – a way out

SRI offers increased factor productivity of Land

Labour

Water

Rice is the most important food crop of India

Rice has been identified as Growth Engine under vision 2020 of Andhra Pradesh

The area and production of rice is coming down in recent years due to lack of sufficient water in irrigation systems

SRI has the potential to meet the challenge by virtue of its capacity to double or even triple the productivity and less water requirement

• SRI was first developed in Madaskar during 1980’s• Not known outside Madagaskar until 1997• Its potential is under testing in China, Indonesia, Combodia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India• In A.P, SRI is experimented all the 22 districts with encouraging results

• Over 1,00,000 farmers are experimenting with this system world wide at present

• Few thousands of acres are under SRI in the very second season in AP

SRI Technology usesSRI Technology uses

Less external inputs

• Less seed (2 kg/ac)

• Fewer plants per unit area (25 x 25 cm)

• Less chemical fertilizer

• More organic manures

• Less pesticides

SRI is initially labour intensiveSRI is initially labour intensive

- Needs 50% more man days for transplanting and weeding

- Mobilises labour to work for profit

- It offers an alternative to resource poor, who puts in their family labour

- Once skills are learnt and implements are used, the labour costs will be lesser than the present day Rice cultivation

SRI encourages rice plant to grow healthy with

Large root volume Profuse and strong tillers Non-lodging Big panicle More and well filled spikelets and higher grain weight Resists insects

Because it allows Rice to grow naturally

Root growthRoot growth

Root growth can be massive in response to SRI practices

3 hills under conventional method required 28 kg of force to be pulled up

Single SRI rice plants required 53 kg for uprooting

Tillering is greatly increasedTillering is greatly increased

30 tillers per plant are fairly easy to achieve 50 tillers per plant are quite attainable With really good use of SRI, individual plants can

have 100 fertile tillers or even more Because no set back due to early transplanting

and no die back of roots Maximum tillering occurs concurrently with panicle

initiation With SRI positive correlation is found between the

number of panicles per plant and number of grains per panicle

Rice plantRice plant

Everybody believe that Rice is an aquatic plant and grows best in standing water

Rice is not an aquatic plant, it can survive in water but does not thrive under hypoxic conditions

Rice plants spends lot of its energy to develop air pockets (aerenchyma tissue) in its roots under continuous inundation

70% of Rice root tips get degenerated by flowering period

Under SRI paddy fields are not flooded but keep the soil moist during vegetative phase

SRI requires only about half as much water as normally applied in irrigated rice

Conventional system with more water

Intermittent wetting and drying and Aeration

SIX MECHANISMS AND PROCESSES FOR SRISIX MECHANISMS AND PROCESSES FOR SRI

1. EARLY TRANSPLANTING seedlings 8-12 days old, when plant has only two small leaves,before fourth phyllochron

2. CAREFUL TRANSPLANTING Minimize trauma in transplanting Remove plant from nursery with the seed, soil and roots carefully and place it in the field without plunging too deep into soil

More tillering potential

More root growth potential

More tillering potential

After 12 days in nurserythe plant height is 7.7 inches(18.8cm)

Length of main root is 5 inches(12.7 cm)

4 leaves

8 small roots

Diagram of possible stalks of a rice shootDiagram of possible stalks of a rice shootstalks grow following a regular cycle (phyllochron)stalks grow following a regular cycle (phyllochron)

Contd..

3. WIDE SPACING plant single seedlings, not in clumps, and in a square pattern, not rows, 25cm x 25cm or wider

4. WEEDING AND AERATION

needed because no standing water; use simple mechanical “rotating hoe” that churns up soil; 2 weedings required, with 4 recommended before panicle initiation; first weeding 10 days after transplanting

More root growth potential

More root growth, due to reduced weed competition, and aeration of soil, giving roots more oxygen and N due to increased microbial activity we left in soil; can add 1+tons per weeding? Each additional weeding after two rounds results in increased productivity up to 2 t/ha/weeding

Contd..

5. WATER MANAGEMENT regular water applications to keep soil moist but not saturated,

with intermittent dryings,alternating aerobic and anaerobic soil

conditions

6. COMPOST/FYM applied instead of or in addition to chemical fertilizer; 10 tons/ha;

More root growth because avoids root degeneration able to acquire more and more varied nutrients from the soil

More plant growth because of

better soil health and structure, and more balanced nutrient supply

Green Manure crop (Sunhemp)

Crop residues

Crop residues

Nursery Management Seed rate 2 kg/ac Nursery area 1 cent/ac Select healthy seed Pre-sprouted seeds are

sown on raised nursery bed Prepare nursery bed like garden crops Apply a layer of fine manure Spread sprouted seed sparcely Cover with another layer of manure Mulch with paddy straw Water carefully Banana leaf sheath may be used for easy lifting and transport of

seedlings

Main field preparation

Land preparation is not different from regular irrigated rice cultivation

Levelling should be done carefully so that water can be applied very evenly

At every 3 m distance form a canal to facilitate drainage

With the help of a marker draw lines both way at 25 x 25 cm apart and transplant at the intersection

PADDY YIELDS UNDER SRI IN COASTAL AREA YIELD( Kg/ha)

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PADDY YIELDS UNDER SRI IN TELANGANA AREA YIELD( Kg/ha)

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PADDY YIELDS UNDER SRI IN RAYALASEEMA YIELD( Kg/ha)

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PADDY YIELDS UNDER SRI REPORTED BY DOA YIELD( Kg/ha)

Performance of SRI in AP- Kharif 2003

No. of trials

Yield results > 10 t/ha

Range of results

Yield advantage (kg/ha)

AP State 134 33 3.2-16.2 1869Rayalaseema 10 6 7.8-15.5 4731Telangana 40 10 4.2-16.2 2504Coastal 84 17 3.2-14.3 1145

Performance of SRI in AP- Kharif 2003 (Trials organized by State DOA)

No. of trials - 69

Average SRI yield (t/ha) - 8.36

Control (t/ha) - 4.89

State average productivity (t/ha) - 3.87

5 districts averaged over 10 t/ha10 t/ha

Report on SRI Cultivation

Name of the Farmer : Mr.A.Jayasurya ReddyAddress : Tarimala Village, Singanamala Mandal Anantapur district, Andhra PradeshSeason : Rainy season 2003Area under SRI : 0.2 haVariety : BPT 5204 S.No. Parameter Farmers method SRI

1. No. of productive tillers/m2 503 706

2 No. of grains/panicle 87 152

3 Length of panicle (cm) 15.5 14.2

4 1000 grain weight (g) 13.3 14.4

5 Chaffy grain (%) 19.2 3.2

6 Grain yield (kg/ha) 5850 13297

7 Straw yield (kg/ha) 7110 12600

8 Duration(days) 150 140

Report on SRI Cultivation

Name of the Farmer : Mr.K.Venka Subba ReddyAddress : Konidedu Village, Panyam Mandal Kurnool district, Andhra PradeshSeason : Rainy season 2003Area under SRI : 840 m2

Variety : BPT 5204 S.No. Parameter Farmers method SRI

1. Date of sowing 22-6-2003 19-7-20032 Date of Transplanting 31-7-2003 28-7-20033 Date of harvesting 10-12-2003 10-12-20034 Productive tillers/m2 510 1040

5 Panicle length (cm) 17.2 20.2

6 No. of grains/panicle 105 202

7 1000 grain weight(g) 18.8 21.1

8 Grain yield kg/ha 5625 15774

9 Cost of cultivation (Rs/ha) 16250 18000

Report on SRI Cultivation

Name of the Farmer : Mr.RakeshAddress : EdulapalliVillage, Kotturu Mandal Mahabubnagar district, Andhra PradeshVariety : BPT 5204Area under SRI : 0.8 ha S.No. Parameter Farmers method SRI (*)

1. Date of sowing 6-6-2003 7-7-2003

2 Date of Transplanting 28-6-2003 17-7-2003

3 Date of harvesting 6-11-2003 5-12-2003

4 No. of productive tillers/hill 20 40

5 Length of the panicle (cm) 14 20

6 No. of grains/panicle 150 210

7 Grain yield t/ha 4.7 8.9

(*) Only organic manures were applied

Report on SRI Cultivation

National Seed Project, ANGRAU, Hyderabad

Variety : BPT 5204Area under SRI : 0.2 ha

S.No. Parameter Farmers method SRI

1. Age of seedling at transplanting 30 102 Days to 50% flowering 114 1083 No. of productive tillers/hill 10 284 Panicle length (cm) 21.4 21.0

5 No. of grains per panicle 162 166

6 1000 grain weight (g) 14.4 14.4

7 Yield t/ha 5.7 7.1

SRI crop matured 10 days earlier

Report on SRI Cultivation

Name of the Farmer : Mr.T.Sambi ReddyAddress : Bhadirajupalem Village, ThotlavallurMandal Krishna district, Andhra PradeshArea under SRI : 0.2 haVariety : BPT 5204 S.No. Parameter Farmers method SRI

1. Date of sowing 20-7-2003 20-7-20032 Date of Transplanting 17-8-2003 1-8-20033 Date of harvesting 13-12-2003 13-12-20034 No. of productive tillers/hill 13 42

5 Length of the panicle(cm) 22 30

6 No. of grains/panicle 254 357

7 Grain yield (kg/ha) 8036 12576

8 Cost of cultivation per ha 15,000 17,500

SRI is counter - Intuitive

Less can produce more

Younger seedlings becomes larger and more productive

Fewer plants/hill and per m2 give more yield

Less water can give greater yield

SRI utilizes Biological PowerSRI utilizes Biological Power

Rice root system grown under SRI i.e., aerated soil do not degenerate, are much larger and function better

Soils that are aerated and well supplied with organic matter can support longer and diverse populations of soil micro organisms, which inturn mobilizes nutrients to the plant

Phytohormones produced by bacteria and fungi living in soils and roots promote root growth and the health of the plants

Root exudates provide food to microorganisms

Application of fertilizers and other agro chemicals has inhibiting effect on soil biota

Benefits of SRIBenefits of SRI

1. Higher yields – Both grain and straw 2. Reduced duration (by 10 days) 3. Lesser chemical inputs 4. Less water requirement 5. Less chaffy grain % 6. Grain weight increased without change in grain size 7. Higher head rice recovery 8. Withstood cyclonic gales 9. Cold tolerance10. Soil health improves through biological activity

Future needs

Research to produce different models for different situations

To promote SRI by way of making information available

To organise a few demonstrations with farmers participation

Swarna under SRI