What is SRI?

The System of Rice Intensification involves cultivating rice with as much organic
manure as possible, starting with young seedlings planted singly at wider spacing
in a square pattern; and with intermittent irrigation that keeps the soil moist but
not inundated, and frequent inter cultivation with weeder that actively aerates the
soil.

SRI is not a standardised, fixed technological method. It is rather a set of ideas,

a methodology for comprehensively managing and conserving resources by changing the
way that land, seeds, water, nutrients, and human labour are used to increase
productivity from a small but well-tended number of seeds. As Father de Laulanié
observed, SRI is an amalgamation of multiple beneficial practices.

Paddy Cultivation: Some Myths

Everybody believes 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
reduced oxygen (hypoxic) levels. Rice plants spend lot of its energy to develop air
pockets (aerenchyma tissue) in its roots under continuous inundation. Nearly 70% of
rice root tips get degenerated by flowering period.

SRI: Debunking myths

Under SRI paddy fields are not flooded but kept moist during vegetative phase.
Later only one inch water is maintained. SRI requires only about half as much water
as normally applied in irrigated rice.Over 1,00,000 farmers are experimenting with
this system worldwide at present.

SRI Paddy Cultivation requires less water, involves less expenditure and gives more
yields. Thus it is beneficial for small and marginal farmers.SRI was first
developed in Madagascar during 1980's. Its potential is under testing in China,
Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. In Andhra Pradesh.
SRI was experimented in all the 22 districts during 2003 Kharif with encouraging
results.

SRI Technology Uses Less External Inputs

In SRI paddy cultivation, less quantity of seeds - 2 kg / acre is required. Hence

fewer plants per unit area (25 x 25 cm) whereas in mainstream chemical intensive
paddy cultivation requires 20 kg seed per acre. (1 acre= apprx 0.4 ha).

A comparison of SRI and conventional method of rice cultivation is as follows

Particulars Conventional Method SRI

Spacing 15x10 cm 25x25 cm
No of plants per sq.m 66 16
No. of seedlings per hill 3 1
No. of plants per acre 792000 64000
Seed requirement per acre 20 kg 2 kg
SRI is initially labour intensive

Needs 50% more man-days for transplanting and weeding.

Mobilises labour to work for profit.
It offers an alternative to the resource poor, who put in their family labour.
Once the right skills are learnt and implemented, the labour costs will be lesser.
SRI encourages rice plant to grow healthy with

Large root volume

Profuse and strong tillers - Maximum tillering (30 tillers/plant can be easily
achieved; 50 tillers per plant are quite attainable) occurs concurrently with
panicle initiation. Under excellent management even 100 fertile tillers per plant
or even more can be achieved due to early transplanting and absence of die back of
roots.
Non lodging
Big panicles
More and well filled grain panicles and higher grain weight
Resists insects because it allows rice to absorb soil nutrients naturally
Source: WASSAN-CSA-WWF Manual on SRI

Do-s and Don’t-s in SRI

Early Transplanting: Transplant 8-12 day old seedlings, with only two small leaves,
( More tillering potential and root growth potential)
Careful Transplanting:Minimise 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)
Wide Spacing: plant single seedlings, not in clumps, and in a square pattern 25cm x
25cm apart or wider. Do not plant in rows. (More root growth potential)
Weeding and Aeration: use simple mechanical "rotating hoe" that churns up soil; 2
weedings required, (More root growth, due to reduced weed competition, and aeration
of soil, giving roots more Oxygen and Nitrogen due to increased microbial activity)
Each additional weeding after two rounds results in increased productivity up to 2
t/ha / weeding.
Water Management:regular water application to keep soil moist but not saturated,
with intermittent dryings, alternating aerobic and anaerobic soil conditions (More
root growth because it avoids root degeneration, enables better abosrption of
nutrients from the soil).
Compost / FYM applied instead of or in addition to chemical fertilizer; 10 tons/ha
(More plant growth because of better soil health and structure, and more balanced
nutrient supply)
In SRI Cultivation 8 to 12 days old seedlings are planted. So root system grows
well and gives 30 to 50 tillers. When all the 6 management practices are followed
then per plant 50 to 100 tillers are produced and high yields can be realised.
Nursery Management
Seed rate 2 kg/acre
Nursery area 1 cent / acre
Select healthy seeds
Pre-sprouted seeds are sown on raised nursery bed
Prepare nursery bed like the one prepared for garden crops
Apply a layer of fine manure
Spread sprouted seed sparsely
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.
Provide a canal at every 3m distance to facilitate drainage.
Draw lines both ways at 25x25cm apart with the help of a marker and transplant at
the intersection.
Transplanting
8-12 days old seedlings are transplanted
Care should be taken during pulling out and transplanting of seedlings
A metal sheet is inserted 4-5 inches below the seed bed and the seedlings along
with soil lifted without any disturbance to the root.
Seedlings are transplanted shallow and therefore establish quickly. Single seedling
with seed and soil are transplanted by using index finger and thumb and gently
placing them at the intersection of markings.
Initially requires 10-15 persons to transplant one acre.
Irrigation and water management
The purpose of irrigation is just to wet the soil, just enough to saturate the soil
with moisture
Subsequent irrigation is only when soil develops fine cracks.
Regular wetting and drying of soil results in increased microbial activity in the
soil and easy availability of nutrients to the plants.
Weed management
Absence of standing water leads to more weed growth in SRI.
Incorporate the weeds in the soil by moving the weeder between the rows
Weeds close to the hills/tillers have to be removed by hand
Benefits of SRI
Higher yields - Both grain and straw
Reduced duration (by 10 days)
Lesser chemical inputs
Less water requirement
Less chaffy grain %
Grain weight increased without change in grain size
Higher head rice recovery
Withstand cyclonic gales
Cold tolerance
Soil health improves through biological activity
Disadvantages
Higher labour costs in the initial years
Difficulties in acquiring the necessary skills
Not suitable when no irrigation source available