Perspectives on SRI: Biksham Gujja

Perspectives on SRIPerspectives on SRI

For IDS sri meetingFor IDS sri meeting1717thth December 2009 December 2009

WWF's MISSION IS TO STOP THE DEGRADATION OF THE PLANET'S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND TO BUILD A FUTURE IN WHICH HUMANS LIVE IN HARMONY WITH NATURE, BY:

• Conserving the world's biological diversity• Ensuring that the use of renewable natural

resources is sustainable• Promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption

Food is back Food is back on the table, front pages, streets. on the table, front pages, streets.

Onto global agenda..Onto global agenda..Rice is in the Centre of it.Rice is in the Centre of it.

• Food Prices are going up

• Grain as Fuel

• Grain to animal feed

• Changing food habits• Shifting economic power• Panic in the Cereal market

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The Hindu, 14th Dec.09The Hindu, 14th Dec.09

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Big issues..Big issues..

• Water, Food, Ecosystems

• interrelated and interdependent

• Climate Change is further complicating the situation and changing every other issue...

Food crisisFood crisis means even more means even more water crisis…water crisis…

Rice cultivation DemandsRice cultivation Demands more water more water

Need to produce Need to produce

more rice with less water…more rice with less water…

A water scarcity crisis:A water scarcity crisis:

• 54% diverted for human use

• 70% agriculture

• 20% industry• 10% urban

useEradicating malnutrition by 2025, with current productivity, requires additional diversions “close to all the water withdrawals at present” (IMWI & SIWI).

WWF LPR 2002

Extreme Scarcity<500

Scarcity500-1,000

Stress1,000-1,700

Adequate1,700-4,000

Abundant4,000-10,000

Surplus>10,000

Ocean/Inland Water

No Data

m3/person/year

Water Availability: 1975Water Availability: 1975

Water Availability: 2025Water Availability: 2025

Crop water useCrop water use

=1kg 1,500 - 3,000 litres water

=1kg 3,000- 5,000

litres water

=1kg 3,000 – 5,000 litres water

So, we eat, wear, drink.. water…

Water is the issue in India and going to Water is the issue in India and going to be even more so..be even more so..

precipitation* 4,000

annual water resource after runoff, evaporation etc.*

1,953

usable water* 1086

water use in 2000# 634

irrigation in 2000 542

Total per capita water use 600 cu.m

water use in 2050 973- 1,180

irrigation in 2050 628

Total estimated need per person in 2050 (agriculture) 500 cu.m

Total estimated need per person in 2050 (domestic) 70 cu.m

Water use (Unit: BCM)Source: *NCIWRDP, 1999a, #Planning Commission 2007 and NCIWRDP Vol.1, 1999

Water issue contd..Water issue contd..• 2000 - irrigation - 85 % of the total• Additional 339 to 546 BCM of water• By 2050, irrigation may need 65% more..• So is there a water?- what are the

implications?? Cost, ecosystems??• How climate change is going to impact on it?

India’s Water Storage Capacity and India’s Water Storage Capacity and Future NeedFuture Need

• Now 81 major reservoirs have a full capacity of 152. BCM

• By 2050- projected- 381 BCM

• For this 120 major dams!!• Lot of money!!,

displacement!!• Implications to other

drylands?

Solution …??Solution …??• Government investments may be

exacerbating the problem ?• Ecosystem impacts• River basins are shared by more

than one state• Basin level approach is difficult

with existing legal frame work• Focus on sub-basins within one

state may be next best• So looked at the options in Maner

Searching for solutions..Searching for solutions..Some initiatives from the projectSome initiatives from the project

1. Restoring traditional water infrastructure- Maner sub basin, Godavari basin

2. Cost benefits of Major structures- Polavaram.

3. Establishing dialogues on national issues- Interlinking of rivers.

4. Improving water productivity- SRI, SSI

Experiences with SRIExperiences with SRI

‘‘Green revolution’ is based on one Green revolution’ is based on one thing.. More (thing.. More (to get moreto get more))

Farmer need to give more (inputs, water, seeds,…) to get more (production).

After 5 decades Giving more has become so much more,

farmer, Governments nor ecosystem able to give any more..

That is the crisis in agriculture.. ‘More crisis’.

Answer to ‘More crisis’ is Even Answer to ‘More crisis’ is Even more technology, inputs, money..more technology, inputs, money..

• Bio tech• GMs• High tech irrigation• Industrial agriculture

• In the process thinking is to focus on more complicated more expensive solutions.

• Gates is putting some $500 million? to ag research to find solutions ( ‘more’ problem)

‘‘More with less’ is major challengeMore with less’ is major challenge

• It is conceptual challenge• almost negating everything we thought is

modern agriculture. • It is management challenge• What will (we) experts do?- livelihoods?• It is an economic challenge.. Fertilisers,

pesticides, companies, dams..

SRI: Back to basics..SRI: Back to basics..

• It is about productivity of land, labour, water.. There are limits, costs and trade-offs to all of it.

• It is not how much you produce- how, with what, for what and how long.. etc.

• It is about choice for farmers, consumers• It is about reducing our foot print- less

water use, less pollution, less impact..

Perspectives on SRI..Perspectives on SRI..SRI: Less with More..1. Less water requirement 2. Less seed 3. Lesser chemical inputs4. Soil health improvement through biological

activity 5. Reduced duration (by 10 days)6. Higher yields – Both grain and straw

and more… SRI is neither a new variety nor a hybrid…

it is a method of rice cultivation

December 2, 2009

India could be a new pole of global growth: World Bank presidentRobert Zoellick

Everyone cites India’s Green Revolution. But I’m even more intrigued by what is known as SRI, or system of rice intensification, and I know this is also an area of interest for PM Manmohan Singh. Using smart water management and planting practices, farmers in Tamil Nadu have increased rice yields between 30 and 80 per cent, reduced water use by 30 per cent, and now require significantly less fertilizer. This emerging technology not only addresses food security but also the water scarcity challenge that climate change is making all the more dangerous. These are all lessons for our world.

SRI like practice 100 years agoSRI like practice 100 years ago

Single seedling planting, row planting, wider

spacing, intercultivation were practiced

a century ago in India

Visit : www.sri-india.net (SRI Newsletter 6)

…In Madras, 120,000 copies of a leaflet on the single-seedling planting of paddy have been issued… the

leaflets circulated in that Presidency, as in other provinces, are of little

real value, unless they are issued in connection with a definite demonstration of their subject matter. The results of leaflets advocating the single-seedling planting of paddy are likely to prove

very disappointing, unless the cultivators to whom they are given are

provided with ample opportunities of seeing for themselves the advantages arising from the

adoption of this practice… (pages 154-155).

Single seedling planting promoted in 1928 …..

Madan, J.A., and F.W.H. Smith. 1928. Royal Commission on Agriculture in India. Government Central Press. Bombay. 754p.

benefits of a smaller nursery, low seed rate, very low cost for removing seedlings, labour saving and water saving were appealing to farmers to adopt SRI

Impact of IAMWARM project in Hosur area, Tamil Nadu

Grain yields jumped from 4200 - 6000 kg/ha under conventional transplanting to 5800 - 13600 kg/ ha under SRI

SRI suffers from poor light interception because of low plant densities

Sinclair’s (IRRI) wrong perception on SRI-1

A Tamil Nadu farmer showing a single plant (hill) with more than 100 panicles, grown with single-seedling planting at 25x25 cm spacing.

Sinclair’s wrong perception on SRI-2

‘ample’ water maximizes rice yields whereas SRI replaces paddy flooding by simply maintaining “moist” soil conditions

little is known about the physiology of rice when it is grown under conditions of low plant density and shallow irrigation with alternate wetting-and-drying, plus soil-aerating intercultivation with mechanical hand weeders

SRI farmer’s field without flood water

Sinclair’s wrong perception on SRI-3

SRI emphasizes organic nutrients to the exclusion of mineral fertilizer

SRI emphasizes organic fertilization in preference to mineral fertilizer.

Many SRI farmers are adopting integrated nutrient management

Perspectives of Farmers…Perspectives of Farmers…

NAME OF THE FARMER : KAPIL BEHAL: VILLAGE HAYATNAGAR : DIST:GURDASPUNAME OF THE FARMER : KAPIL BEHAL: VILLAGE HAYATNAGAR : DIST:GURDASPUSEASONSEASON : KHARIF SEASON 2008-09: KHARIF SEASON 2008-09AREA UNDER SRIAREA UNDER SRI : 1 ACRE: 1 ACREVARIETYVARIETY : PHB-71: PHB-71

S. No. Parameter Conventional Technique S.R.I Technique1 Total number of Tillers 10 582 Average plant height (cm) 145 c.m. 174 c.m.3 Productive Tillers 6 414 Average Panicle length (c.m.) 20 c.m. 24 c.m.5 Average number of

Grains/Panicle 130 254

6 Total Output Grain 30 kg/nali (15.00 Q/ha)

62.5 kg/ nali (31.25 Q/ha)

7 Total Output Straw 40.0 kg/nali(20.00 Q/ha)

88.5. kg/nali(44.25 Q/ha)

8 Total cost on cultivation (Rs.) Rs. 435/nali(Rs. 21,750/ha)

Rs. 250/nali(Rs. 12,500/ha)

9 Net Profit earned - Rs. 2,750/ha Rs. 27,600/ ha

Name: Shri. Rikeshwar PrasadAge: 42 YearsEducation Qualification: B.A. Pass.Name of Village: AndarthiName of District: Tehri GarhwalName of State: UttarakhandNumber of family members: 4Primary Occupation: Agriculture, Animal Husbandry Number of years in farming: Since childhood

Perceived BenefitsPerceived Benefits

• Less seed i.e. 250 gms/nali• Less water (0.5” - 1.0”)

required in this method. • Less time required• Needs less labour work• Grain production double than

conventional method• Green fodder production 2-

2.5 times more

THE EXPERIENCE WITH SRI

• Higher root growth• Less cost of cultivation• More weed infestation• More yield

Name : Mr. Revanna

Village : KB Hatti

Taluk : Kudligi

District : Bellary

State : Northern Karnataka

Land Holding : 3 acres dry land & 0.4 acre irrigated

Particular Farmer’s Practice SRI Practice

Cost of cultivation

Rs.12,150 /ac Rs.8,450/ac

Grain yield 19.5 q/ac 20.5 q/ac

Fodder yield 13 cart loads / ac 15 cart loads/ ac

Net Income Rs. 9,286.00 / ac Rs.14,872.00/ ac

SRI ManualSRI Manual

Types of Weeders in useTypes of Weeders in use

Mechanised weeder (under testing)

Japan Weeder

Single drum weederCono weeder

Mandava weeder

3 – Rows Raichur weeder

Latest tools displayed during the 3Latest tools displayed during the 3rdrd National Symposium on SRI National Symposium on SRI

So What is next?So What is next?• Support to the farmers

• Convincing the Scientists- Process for Independent evaluation- partnership with Wageningen, IRRI,..

• Support to National Institutions- India, China, Indonesia to prepare national reports.

• Improvement of tools• National targets• More extension, more support

to farmers• Building partnerships

• Linking with Climate change work and getting Carbon credits from farmers..

SRI Map

Launching of SSI Manual

SSI Map

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conclusions...

• It is possible to produce more with less.• SRI kind of approaches re-emphaised the

need for doing agriculture differently• Farmers have accepted and embraced

these methods and experimenting with other corps

• Institutions have to follow what is going on in the real world.

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