System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

 

System of Rice Intensification

SRI is an improved method of rice cultivation developed through participatory on farm research conducted at Madagascar during 1980.

It is a system of growing rice that involves principles that are radically different from traditional ways of growing rice.

It involves single seedling transplantation of young seedlings with wiser spacing instead of transplanting multiple and mature seedlings in conventional method.

This method has the potential to improve the productivity of land, capital, and water and labour simultaneously.

The system promotes soil biotic activities in and around the root zone, through liberal applications of compost and weeding with a rotating hoe that incorporates the weeds and aerates the soil.

With the adoption of SRI yields can be improved upto 6-8 tonnes per hectare with improved management, hybrid varieties which often 20-40% increased in yield compared to conventional methods. However actual yield increase depends on how well farmers practice it. These practices lead to enhance yields and considerable savings in terms of seeds, water etc.

Package and practices of SRI

Preparation of nursery:  

·     Nursery for Kharif rice should be sown during the last week of May at high altitude (1200m MSL), mid June at mid altitude (800 to 1200m MSL) and end of June at low altitude (less than 800 m MSL).  

·        Select HYV of seeds like Shahsarang, Lampnah, IR64 etc

·        For nursery, raised beds should be prepared (height: 5 to 7.5 cm and width: 1m).

·        Seed rate for nursery is 50g/m2 or 5 kg/ha

·        A mixture of soil and FYM (2:1) should be used for nursery.

·        Water the beds regularly whenever required.

·        The seedlings may be scooped out with khurpi when ready instead of uprooting to avoid root injury.  

·        The seedlings are ready for transplant when they are 10-12 days old.

Preparation of main field:  

·      Uniformly level the field for better water management.

·      Properly drainage channel may be made. The drainage/irrigation channel can be provided after every 8 to 10 rows.  

·   Transplanting should be done quickly after gently scooping out the seedlings from the nursery bed.  

·      Maintain a thin film of water for easy transplanting and seedling establishment.

·      Transplant single seedling using square spacing of 25 x 25 cm

·     Apply sufficient organic manure (5t/ha) along with 130 Kg urea (50 Kg at transplanting, 40 Kg at tillering and 40 Kg at panicle initiation), 281 Kg SSP and 50 Kg MOP at transplanting.  

·       Avoid continuous flooding and irrigate when field develops hairy cracks.

·       Control weeds through hand weeding (25 and 50 DAT) and cono weeding at 35 DAT.

Advantages:

·        Saving on seed cost due to less requirement of seed.

·        Saving on water as SRI method does not require continuous flooding of the field.

·        Cost of other inputs is reduced as chemical fertilizers and pesticides are not use.

·        Incidence of pests and diseases is low as the soil is allowed to dry intermittently.

·        Higher yield due to profuse tillering increased panicle length and grain weight.

·        The crop matures 10-12 days earlier than the crops grown under conventional method.

·        The yield of paddy in SRI method is also higher than the conventional method.

 

Yield:

·        SRI: 6-8 tonnes/ha

·        SRI with Hybrids: 10-12 tonnes/ha