The System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

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The System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

• IFAD Presentation
• January 23, 2009
• Norman Uphoff, CIIFAD

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SRI Has been Controversial,Quite Unnecessarily

• Very simple to explain - no magic
• Results are both evident great
• Strong visual evidence plus
• Accumulating conclusive data
• SRI is especially beneficial and relevant to the
  poor
• Should be of interest to IFAD

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Brief Presentation

• Mei Xie (WB) will review what is involved in the
  practice of SRI
• My presentation will summarize
• What underlies the phenomenon of SRI?
• What are effects of SRI practice?
• What are the benefits of SRI use, especially for
  the poor?

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Status of SRI As of 1999
Known and practiced only in Madagascar
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Now in 2009, SRI benefits have been validated in
35 countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America
SRI benefits have been demonstrated in 34
countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America
Before 1999 Madagascar 1999-2000 China,
Indonesia 2000-01 Bangladesh, Cuba Cambodia,
Gambia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines,
Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Thailand 2002-03
Benin, Guinea, Mozambique, Peru
2004-05 Senegal, Mali, Pakistan, Vietnam 2006
Burkina Faso, Bhutan, Iran, Iraq, Zambia 2007
Afghanistan, Brazil 2008 Egypt, Rwanda,
Congo, Ecuador, Costa Rica gt 1 million
farmers/acres
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Two Paradigms for Agriculture

• GREEN REVOLUTION strategy was to
• (a) Change the genetic potential of plants, and
• (b) Increase the use of external inputs --
  more water, more fertilizer and insecticides
• SRI (AGROECOLOGY) instead changes the management
  of plants, soil, water nutrients
• (a) Promote the growth of root systems, and
• (b) Increase the abundance and diversity of
  soil organisms to better enlist their benefits
• The goal is to produce better PHENOTYPES

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47.9
34.7
Non-Flooding Rice Farming Technology in Irrigated
Paddy Field Dr. Tao Longxing, China National Rice
Research Institute, 2004
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CAMBODIA Rice plant grown from single seed in
Takeo province
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NEPAL Single rice plant grown with SRI methods
in Morang district
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INDIA Roots of a single rice plant (MTU 1071)
grown at Agricultural Research Station Maruteru,
Andhra Pradesh
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CUBA farmer with two plants of same variety (VN
2084) and same age (52 DAP)
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IRAN SRI roots and normal, flooded rice roots
note difference in color as well as size
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IRAQ Comparison trials at Al-Mishkhab Rice
Research Station near Najaf
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AFGHANISTAN SRI field in Baghlan Province,
supported by Aga Khan Foundation Natural Resource
Management program
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Afghan farmer observing his SRI field at 30 days
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Afghanistan SRI plant with 133 tillers at 72
days after transplanting
Farmers yield was calculated as 11.56 t/ha
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MADAGASCAR Rice field grown with SRI methods
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INDONESIA Rice plants of same age and same
variety in Lombok province
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Indonesia Results of 9 seasons of on-farm
comparative evaluations of SRI by Nippon Koei
team, 2002-06

• No. of trials 12,133
• Total area covered 9,429.1 hectares
• Ave. increase in yield 3.3 t/ha (78)
• Reduction in water requirements 40
• Reduction in fertilizer use 50
• Reduction in costs of production 20
• Note In Bali (DS 2006) 24 farmers on 42 ha SRI
  Longping hybrids ? 13.3 vs. 8.4 t/ha

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INDONESIA Rice plants in Nippon Koei office,
Jakarta
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What Can SRIDo Specificallyfor the Poor?
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MYANMAR Mean rice production increase per FFS
household, Kachin and Shan States, 2002-2004
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Costs of rice production net returns in real
terms (kg ha-1), 2002-2004Both costs of
production and yields are expressed in same
physical terms kg of rice
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What Else Can SRI Do for the Poor?

• Give degree of protection against
• Biotic stresses pests/diseases
• Abiotic stresses drought,storm damage, extreme
  temperatures
• More net food production higher milling outturn
  (by 15)
• Shorter time to maturity 1-3 wks

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Incidence of Diseases and PestsVietnam National
IPM Program average of data from trials in 8
provinces, 2005-06
Insects/m2
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SRI LANKA same rice variety, same irrigation
system same drought -- left, conventional
methods right, SRI
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VIETNAM Dông Trù village, Hanoi province,
after typhoon
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Nie Fu-qiu, Bu Tou village, China

• 2004 SRI highest yield in Zhejiang province 12
  t/ha
• 2005 His SRI rice fields were hit by three
  typhoons despite these, he was able to harvest
  11.15 tons/ha -- while other farmers fields were
  badly affected by the storm damage
• 2008 He used chemical fertilizer -- and crop
  lodged

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Measured Differences in Grain Quality
Conv. Methods SRI
Methods Characteristic (3 spacings)
(3 spacings) Difference
Paper by Prof. Ma Jun, Sichuan Agricultural
University, presented at 10th conference on
Theory and Practice for High-Quality,
High-Yielding Rice in China, Haerbin, 8/2004
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Reduced Time to Maturitywith Younger Seedlings

• 51 Nepali SRI farmers in terai planted
• the same 145-day variety (Bansdhan) in
  monsoon season 2005, Morang District
• Age of N of Days to Reduction
• seedling farmers harvest (in days)
• gt14 d 9 138.5 6.5
• 10-14 d 37 130.6 14.4
• 8-9 d 5 123.6 21.4
• With SRI doubling yield from 3.1 to 6.3 t/ha

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Crop duration from seed to seed for different
rice varieties using SRI vs. conventional
methods, Morang district, Nepal, 2008 (in days)
Data from Morang district, Nepal, 2008 main season
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SRI Ideas/Principles Are Now Being Applied to
Other CropsIndian farmers and NGOs are
extrapolating SRI concepts and methods to--
Wheat-- Millet and other cereals-- Sugar cane
and mustard-- Vegetables (pulses,eggplant)Khmer
farmers are even applying SRI concepts to
chickens
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Sugar cane grown with SRI methods (left) in
Andhra Pradesh
Reported yields of 125-235 t/ha compared with
usual 65 t/ha
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Extensions of SRI to Other Crops Uttarakhand /
Himachal Pradesh, India
Rajma (kidney beans)
Manduwa (millet)
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MADAGASCAR This all starts with the careful
transplanting of single, young seedlings, widely
spaced
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CHINA innovation with raised-bed, zero-till SRI
field measured yield 13.4 t/ha Lius 2001 yield
(16 t/ha) set provincial yield record and
persuaded Prof. Yuan Longping
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COSTA RICA Mechanized version of SRI produced 8
t/ha yield in first season
Careful transplanting of single, young seedlings,
widely spaced
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THANK YOU

• Check out SRI website http//ciifad.cornell.edu/s
  ri/
• Email ciifad_at_cornell.edu or ntu1_at_cornell.edu or
• Email tefysaina.tnr_at_simicro.mg

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What Are the Basic Ideas for SRI?

• TP young seedlings to preserve growth potential
  (although DIRECT SEEDING is becoming an option)
• Avoid trauma to the roots -- transplant quickly
  and shallow, not inverting root tips which halts
  growth
• Give plants wider spacing - one plant per hill
  and in square pattern to achieve edge effect
  everywhere
• Keep paddy soil moist but unflooded - soil
  should be mostly aerobic, never continuously
  saturated
• Actively aerate the soil as much as possible
• Enhance soil organic matter as much as possible
• First 3 practices stimulate plant growth, while
  the latter 3 practices enhance the growth and
  health of plants ROOTS and of soil BIOTA

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Factorial Trial Evaluations in Madagascar,2000
and 2001 Effects of SRI vs. conventional
practices comparing varieties and soil
differences at Morondava N288 and Anjomakely
N240,not evaluating spacing or weeding
(active soil aeration)
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CONVENTIONAL Clay Soil Loam Soil
Average SS / 20 / 3 / NPK 3.00 (6)
2.04 (6) 2.52 (12) 1 SRI Practice SS /
20 / 3 / C 3.71 (6)
2.03 (6) SS / 20 / 1 / NPK
5.04 (6) 2.78 (6) SS
/ 8 / 3 / NPK 7.16 (6)
3.89 (6) AS / 20 / 3 / NPK
5.08 (6) 2.60 (6)
5.25 (24)
2.83 (24) 4.04 (48) 2 SRI
Practices SS / 20 / 1 / C
4.50 (6) 2.44 (6) SS / 8 / 3
/ C 6.86 (6)
3.61 (6) AS / 20 / 1 / NPK
6.07 (6) 3.15 (6) AS/20/ 3 / C
6.72 (6)
3.41 (6) SS/ 8 /1/NPK
8.13 (6) 4.36 (6) AS/ 8 /3/NPK
8.15 (6) 4.44
(6)
6.74 (36) 3.57 (36)
5.16 (72) 3 SRI Practices SS / 8 / 1 / C
7.70 (6) 4.07
(6) AS / 20 / 1 / C 7.45 (6)
4.10 (6) AS / 8 / 3 / C
9.32 (6) 5.17
(6) AS / 8 / 1 / NPK 8.77
(6) 5.00 (6)
8.31 (24)
4.59 (24) 6.45 (48) ALL-SRI
PRACTICE AS / 8 / 1 / C 10.35 (6)
6.39 (6) 8.37 (12)
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Factorial trials by CNRRI, 2004 and 2005using
two super-hybrid varieties --seeking to break
plateau limiting yields

• Standard Rice Mgmt
• 30-day seedlings
• 20x20 cm spacing
• Continuous flooding
• Fertilization
• 100 chemical

• New Rice Mgmt (SRI)
• 20-day seedlings
• 30x30 cm spacing
• Alternate wetting and drying (AWD)
• Fertilization
• 50 chemical,
• 50 organic

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Average super-rice yields (kg/ha) with new rice
management (SRI) vs.standard rice management at
different plant densities ha-1
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Average super-rice yields (kg ha-1) with new rice
management (SRI) vs. standard rice management at
different N application rates ha-1
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CUBA SRI field at CFA Camilo Cienfuegos, Bahia
Honda, 14 t/ha Los Palacios 9 cv. -- 2003
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Pest incidence in nursery (TNAU)
Figures in parentheses transformed values
Significant difference (Plt0.001)
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Pest incidence in main field (TNAU)
Figures in parentheses are transformed
values significant difference (Plt0.001)
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Fig 1 Trasplantadora motorizada AP100 Yanmar
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Mechanization of weeding, i.e., soil aeration,
is also possible
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Yield x Age of Seedlings Used with SRI Methods,
Morang district, Nepal, 2005(conventional
average yield 3.1 t/ha)
Range of seedling ages 8-21 days average
seedling age 11.4 days
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Effect of Young Seedlings Seen in Factorial
Trials at AnjomakelyNote Each average is from 6
replicated trials

• Clay Soil Loam
  Soil
• SS/20/3/NPK 3.00 2.04
• SS/ 8 /3/NPK 7.16 3.89
• SS/ 8 /1/NPK 8.13 4.36
• AS/ 8 /3/NPK 8.15 4.44
• AS/ 8 /3/Comp 6.86 3.61
• SS/ 8 /1/Comp 7.70 4.07
• AS/ 8 /1/NPK 8.77 5.00
• AS/ 8 /1/Comp 10.35 6.39

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Young Seedling Effect

• can be explained and understood in terms of
  phyllochrons
• Phyllochrons are the periods of time (4-10
  days) that pattern the emergence of tillers and
  of roots (reflect conditions)
• These relationships can be analyzed also in terms
  of leaf-age or degree-days
• Phyllochrons discovered by T. Katayama in
  1920s-30s published work in 1951 never
  translated into English language
• Analysis improved upon by de Laulaniè

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Main shoot stem emerges during 1st phyllochron
no further tillering until 1st primary tiller
emerges in the 4th phyllochron
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Challenge speed up the biological clock and
shorten phyllochrons to complete more cycles of
tiller-root growth lt PI(adapted from Nemoto et
al., Crop Science, 1995)

• Shorter phyllochrons Longer phyllochrons
• Higher temperatures gt cold temperatures
• Wider spacing gt crowding of roots/canopy
• More illumination gt shading of plants
• Ample nutrients in soil gt nutrient deficits
• Soil penetrability gt compaction of soil
• Sufficient moisture gt drought conditions
• Sufficient oxygen gt hypoxic soil conditions

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Effect of Weeding (Soil Aeration)

• 412 farmers in Morang district, Nepal, using SRI
  in monsoon season, 2005
• SRI yield 6.3 t/ha vs. control 3.1 t/ha
• Data show how WEEDINGS can raise yield
• No. of No. of Average Range
• weedings farmers yield of yields
• 1 32 5.16 (3.6-7.6)
• 2 366 5.87 (3.5-11.0)
• 3 14 7.87 (5.85-10.4)

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Impact of Weedings on Yield with SRI
Methods Ambatovaky, Madagascar, 1997-98
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Lessons Recommendations for SRI Paddy for
Mountainous Regions (PSI)

• Transplanting Time (days)
• (i)  10-15 days 7.0-7.5 t/ha
• (ii) 16-23 days 5.5-6.0 t/ha
• (iii) gt 23 days 4.0-4.5 t/ha
• Weeding (no. of times)
• (i) 3 times 7.0-7.5 t/ha
• (ii) 2 times 6.0-6.5 t/ha
• (iii) 1 time 5.0-5.5 t/ha

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Microbial populations in rice rhizosphereTamil
Nadu Agricultural University research
T. M. Thiyagarajan, WRRC presentation, Tsukuba,
Japan, 11/04
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Ascending Migration of Endophytic Rhizobia,
from Roots and Leaves, inside Rice Plants and
Assessment of Benefits to Rice Growth Physiology
Feng Chi et al.,Applied and Envir. Microbiology
71 (2005), 7271-7278
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Ascending Migration of Endophytic Rhizobia,
from Roots and Leaves, inside Rice Plants and
Assessment of Benefits to Rice Growth Physiology

• Rice-adapted isolates of rhizobia have
  previously been shown to produce the
  growth-regulating phyto-hormones IAA and GA in
  pure culture and to increase IAA levels
  accumulated externally in root exudates of
  gnotobiotically-cultured rice plants
• We predict that this rhizobium-induced elevation
  of the levels of these growth-stimulating
  phytohormones within the above-ground rice
  tissues contributes to the underlying
  mechanism(s) allowing certain strains of these
  bacteria to enhance vegetative and reproductive
  growth of cereals in general (Feng et al.,
  2005)

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Functioning of ROOTS Is KeyEvaluation of roots
of rice plants growing under continuously flooded
vs. well-drained soil conditions(Kar et al.,
1974)By flowering, 78 of the roots of rice
growing under anaerobic soil conditions had
degenerated, while few of the rice roots growing
under aerobic soil conditions were affected
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What is going on toproduce better phenotypes?

• SRI plants have profuse ROOT GROWTH with little
  or late senescence
• Continue taking up N until end of cycle
• Roots are reaching lower horizons
• More uptake of micronutrients (Cu, Zn )
• Also more uptake of silicon (Si)?
• Interaction and interface with SOIL
  MICROORGANISMS phytohormones?

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• ROOT GROWTH Research findings from on-farm
  studies in 2005 by Dr. O.P. Rupela, ICRISAT/WWF
• Average yield
• SRI 7.68 t/ha vs. FP 6.15 t/ha
• Length of roots in top 15 cm of soil
• SRI 19.8 km/m3 vs. FP 2.4 km/m3
• Should not consider roots separately from
  soil biota instead, roots and biota are best
  regarded as a single system

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Root length density (cm cm-3) under SRI, SRA and
conventional systems (Barison, 2003)
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Comparison of root pulling resistance (RPR), in
kg, different stages of plant growth (Barison,
2003)
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Regression relationship between nitrogen uptake
and grain yield for SRI and conventional methods
(Barison, 2003) same relationship for P and K
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Why WIDER SPACING?To get what is known as the
border effect orthe edge effect forthe whole
field !
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Radiation intercepted (lux) at heading stage
with different spacings and Ciherang variety,
dry season, Sukamandi, Indonesia, 2002
Radiation intercepted above and below canopy was
averaged for 8 points measured in each plot,
observed at 924-1040 am, 14 July 2002. Values
in column followed by the same letter are not
significantly different at 5 with Tukey test.
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Grains characteristics at different
spacings, with Ciherang variety, dry season,
Sukamandi, Indonesia, 2002
Values are averages for 12 hills per plot. Values
in a column followed by same letter are not
significantly different at 5 with Tukey test.
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Results of NARROW SPACING Lower leaves that do
not get enough sunlight are below the threshold
for photosynthesis as a result they become
parasitic Lower leaves are a main source of
photosynthate for rice root systems (Yoshida,
1981) - so crowding can starve the roots
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Contributions of Larger Root Systems and Soil
Organisms?

• Uptake of N until end of growth cycle
• Higher protein ? less breakage in milling?
• Higher nutritional value of grains?
• Uptake of more micronutrients
• Heavier grains are denser ? less breakage?
• Greater conversion of macronutrients taken up
  into grain output?
• Higher nutrient value of grains?
• Many research Qs SRI is not finished