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Demonstrated Opportunities to Raise Agricultural Production
with Water-Saving and with Climate-Change Resilience for
Diverse Crops and Countries
Norman UphoffSRI International Network and Resources Center
(SRI-Rice), Cornell University
Brown bag lunch with Foreign Agricultural Service,USDA, Washington DC, November 6, 2017
Although there has been controversy over some of the high yields reported with the System of Rice
Intensification (SRI) -- an agroecological crop/water management system developed in Madagascar --
SRI has been gaining acceptance around the world.
Demonstrable improvements in plant phenotype and substantial increases in average yield have
been reported from >50 countries when farmers have used SRI methods, not even always using them fully.
It is average yields that feed people and make farmers richer – but we can learn a lot from ‘super-yields’
SPREAD OF SRI METHODS -- developed in Madagascar in the 1970s and 1980s; validation and spread started in China (1999) and then
in Indonesia (1999-2000). To date, SRI methods have been validated in 58 countries (http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/countries/index.html)(validation = better, more robust phenotypes from any given
genotype) SRI effect is seen with both traditional and improved varieties
(HYVs/hybrids)
SRI is constituted of ideas and insights rather than being a fixed technology like the Green Revolution –
SRI is still a work in progress(SRI has been called disparagingly or respectfully
“just good agronomy” – yes, Agronomy 101)
SRI use is a matter of degree > kindIt is an open-access innovation based on
knowledge rather than on particular inputs
This makes SRI somewhat difficult to evaluate --But those who work with SRI ideas and insights
have little difficulty in understanding and using them SRI is better understood as an adjective than as a noun
What does the System of Rice Intensif ication involve?
Changes in how plants, soil , water, nutrients are managed:
• Wider spacing : transplanting of single seedlings in square pattern, usually 25x25 cm reduction in plant population m -2 by 80-90%
• Young seedlings : transplant before 4 th phyllochron, when <15 days old; this promotes more vigorous t i l lering and greater root growth
• Mostly aerobic soil conditions : stop continuous flooding; AWD avoids degeneration of roots and promotes more aerobic soil biota
• Active soil aeration, using mechanical push-weeder to control weeds
• Enhanced soil organic matter better soil s tructure and functioning for better root growth and more abundant, diverse, active soil biota
SRI ideas have been adapted to establish rice crops through (a) direct-seeding and (b) for
upland/rainfed cultivation
SRI methods result in (a) larger, deeper ROOT SYSTEMS and (b) more abundant, biodiverse & active
SOIL ORGANISMS
According to FAO, achieving three major impacts qualifies SRI as ‘climate-smart agriculture’:
1.Increased production, together with2. Adaptation to climatic stresses, including a.
reduced water requirements and b. greater pest and disease resistance, and
3. Mitigation of global warming – GHGs ↓Additional benefits:
4. Higher milling outturn (kg rice/paddy)5. Shorter growing season -- reduced risks6. Less burden for women -- gender equity7. Higher micronutrient content in grains
8. Often labor-saving (mechanization possible)
1. Increased production
Generally 20-50%, often 100% higher production, sometimes 200% or more – with less water, fewer external inputs (seed, fertilizer), often with less labor
Make better use of available resources
Average yields are more important than super-yields
Data (2013) on production increases in China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia where SRI has
had extension support from the governments> 3,466,710 farmers were using SRI methods on > 9,527,366 ha
with average yield 6.22 t ha-1 vs. comparison yield of 4.56 t ha-1 = 40% increase with reductions in inputs and cost
Average increase in SRI yield (1.66 t ha-1) x SRI area (3.467 m ha) means an SRI increase in rice production of 5.75 million tons.-- @ a farmgate price of $150 ton-1 this means that
farmer incomes were increased by $862 millionWith lower cost of production, estimated @ $160 million,* this comes to >$1 billion, plus the value of water saved and lower GHG emissions.
@ farmgate price of $300 ton-1 the value to farmers was >$2 billion * Based on a 2013 study in India by TNAU/IWMI researchers of 2,234 farmers in 13 states
Data reported in “Developments in the system of rice intensification (SRI),” N. Uphoff, in Achieving Sustainable Cultivation of Rice, Burleigh-Dodds, Cambridge, UK (2016)
This is attributable to better expression of rice plants’ genetic potential with same varieties
(same genotypes)-- visual evidence of this from Indonesia and Liberia
While these comparisons are extreme, they show the impact that management changes can
have on plant growth
Picture of a rice plant phenotype in Indonesia, with
223 ti l lers grown from a single seed using SRI methods
Presented by SRI farmers in East Java, Indonesia, to Uphoff in 2009;in 2004, a Sri Lankan farmer showed him SRI panicle with 930 grains
Rice plant phenotypes in Cuba - - of same age (52 DAS) and same variety (VN 2084), so have
same genetics
SRI plant on r ight was transplanted from the same nursery when 9 days old and put into an SRI growing environment
43 t i l lers vs. 5 t i l lersNote also the signif icant difference in the color of the
respective roots
Comparisons of r ice plant phenotypes of same variety in Iran and Iraq showing effects of SRI
management
Pictures sent to Cornell by researchers at the national r ice research stat ions at Haraz and Al-Mishkhab, respectively,
showing how they found SRI methods inducing the growth of larger, healthier rice root systems
Test plots at Al-Mishkhab research station at Najaf, Iraq, where varietal responses to SRI management
were compared
SRI management methods induce the growth of larger root systemswhich also resist senescenceSRI practices (young seedlings, wider spacing, compost, etc.)
were used in the lef t -hand plots of these paired plots, each with the same rice variety, 2007
SRI
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
IH H FH MR WR YRStage
Org
an d
ry w
eigh
t(g/
hill)
I H H FH MR WR YR
CK Yellow leafand sheath
Panicle
Leaf
Sheath
Stem
47.9% 34.7%
Average weight of rice plant organs at initial heading (IR), heading (H), full heading (FH), milky rice (MR), waxy rice (WR), yellow rice (YR) stages
Phenotypical comparisons made at the China National Rice Research Insti tute in Hangzhou in 2002 by Dr. Tao Longxing
(CK = control)
SRI effects on the soil biota are not as easy to see, but they are similarly crucial
for SRI resultsResults from research at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
ICRISAT, and Bogor Agricultural University (IPB)
“A review of studies on SRI effects on beneficial soil organisms in r ice soil rhizospheres,” I. Anas, O.P. Rupela, T.M. Thiyagarajan and N. Uphoff , Paddy
and Water Environment , 9: 53-64 (2011)
Beneficial effects of endophytic bacteria associated with SRI practices seen in replicated trials at Anjomakely, Madagascar, 2001 (Andriankaja thesis, 2002)
CLAY SOIL
Azospirillum in rice plant roots (103 CFU/mg)
Tillers/plant Yield (t/ha)
Farmer methods with no soil amendments 65 17 1.8 SRI methods with no soil amendments 1,100 45 6.1 SRI methods with NPK amendments 450 68 9.0 SRI cultivation with compost 1,400 78 10.5 LOAM SOIL SRI methods with no soil amendments 75 32 2.1 SRI methods with compost 2,000 47 6.6
Effects on root architecture of inoculating two rice varieties with Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii E11 : (a) Rootlets per plant (no.);
(b) Cumulative root length (mm); (c) Surface area (cm2); (d) Root biovolume (cm3)
Y. G. Yanni et al., Australian Journal of Plant Physiology, 28: 845–870 (2001)
Evidence of positive interactions between soil microbes and growth of rice plant roots
Dark bars = inoculated roots; light bars = uninoculated
“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: 7271-7278 (2005)
Rhizo-bium strain
Total plant root
vol/pot (cm3) ± SE
Shoot dry wt/pot
(g) ± SE
Net photosyn-thesis rate
(µmol of CO2 m-2 s-1) ± SE
Water utilization efficiency
± SE
Grain yield/pot
(g) ± SE
Ac-ORS 571
210 ± 36A
63 ± 2A
16.42 ± 1.39A
3.63± 0.17BC
86 ± 5A
Sm-1021 180 ± 26A
67 ± 5A
14.99 ± 1.64B
4.02 ± 0.19AB
86± 4A
Sm-1002 168 ± 8AAB
52 ± 4BC
13.70 ± 0.73B
4.15 ± 0.32A
61± 4B
R1-2370 175 ± 23A
61 ± 8AB
13.85 ± 0.38B
3.36 ± 0.41C
64± 9B
Mh-93 193 ± 16A
67 ± 4A
13.86 ± 0.76B
3.18 ± 0.25CD
77 ± 5A
Control 130 ± 10B
47 ± 6C
10.23 ± 1.03C
2.77 ± 0.69D
51 ± 4C
“Proteomic analysis of rice seedlings infected by Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021”
Feng Chi et al., Proteomics 10: 1861-1874 (2010)
Increased water productivity
Development of larger, less senescing root systems and having soil that is better structured to absorb and retain water will enhance crop performance
under water stress
Comparative evidence on water saving/water eff iciency
Results of a meta-analysis of 251 comparison trials across 8 countries reported in 29 published studies between 2006 and 2013
Average water use : Standard mgmt. = 15.33 mill ion l i ters ha -1
SRI management = 12.03 mill ion l i ters ha -1
With less water, SRI gave 11% more yield: 5.9 tons vs. 5.1
tons ha -1
Note: on-farm SRI yield increases are usually much more than this
SRI = 22% reduction in TOTAL water use ( irr ig + rainfall)
per ha SRI = 35% average reduction in IRRIGATION water use
per ha
Total water use eff iciency 52% higher : 0.6 vs. 0.39 g rice per l i ter
Irrigat ion WUE 78% greater : 1.23 vs. 0.69 grams of r ice per l i ter
“Evaluation of water use, water saving and water use eff iciency in irrigated rice production with SRI vs. tradit ional management,” P. Jagannath, H.
Pullabhotla and N. Uphoff, Taiwan Water Conservancy (2013)
Phenotypic (plant- level) evidence on water productivi ty Comparative analysis of same-variety phenotypes of rice, with all
experimental conditions the same except for management practices Trials at ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar
SRI r ice phenotypes showed greater water-use eff iciency within plants
as measured by the RATIO between photosynthesis and transpirat ion
For each 1 mill imol of water lost by transpirat ion,SRI plants f ixed 3.6 micromols of CO 2 while
conventionally-grown plants f ixed 1.6 micromoles
Such efficiency becomes more important with cl imate change,
and as water becomes a scarcer factor of production“An assessment of physiological effects of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) compared with recommended rice cultivation practices in India,” A.K. Thakur, N. Uphoff and E. Antony,
Experimental Agriculture, 46(1), 77-98 (2010)
2. EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE RESILIENCE which makes SRI ‘cl imate-smart agriculture’
* Drought resil ience
* Resistance to lodging caused by wind and rain
* Resistance to pests and diseases
* Cold temperature tolerance
A.K. Thakur and N. Uphoff, “How the System of Rice Intensif ication can contribute to climate-smart agriculture,” Agronomy Journal, 109: 1163-
1183 (2017).
Visual evidence of drought resi l ience in Sri Lanka: rice f ields planted with same variety and served by the same irrigation system, which had dried up 3 weeks earl ier –
SRI f ield is on the right
On-farm evidence of SRI plants’ drought resi l ience Team from the Internat ional Water Management Inst i tute
(IWMI) did evaluation in two districts of Sri Lanka comparing the rice crops of 60 farmers who used SRI methods and 60 matched farmers using conventional methods. The paddy crop in that 2003/04 maha
(main) season had been subjected to 75 days of severe drought.
• On SRI-grown plants, 80% of the t i l lers formed panicles , while only 70% of t i l lers on rice plants grown with usual management did
this. • In this drought-stressed season, even though farmer-practice fields
had 10 t imes more rice plants per sq. meter , the number of panicle-bearing t i l lers per m -1 was 30% higher in the
SRI fields. • Also, on SRI plants the number of grains panicle -1 was 115 vs. 87.
• Harvested yield was 33% higher: 6.37 tons ha-1 vs. 4.78 tons ha-1.• Under drought conditions, the SRI-managed rice phenotypes
demonstrated greater translocation of photosynthates into the grains. “The practice and effects of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Sri Lanka,” Namara, Bossio, Weligamage and Herath, Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture (2008)
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
SRI area (ha) 1,133 7,267 57,400 117,267 204,467 252,467 301,067 941,068
SRI yield (kg/ha) 9,105 9,435 8,805 9,075 9,300 9,495 9,555 9,252
Non-SRI yield (kg/ha) 7,740 7,650 7,005 7,395 7,575 7,710 7,740 7,545
SRI increment (t/ha)* 1,365 1,785 1,800# 1,680 1,725 1,785 1,815# 1,708
SRI yield increase* 17.6% 23.3% 25.7% 22.7% 22.8% 23.2% 23.5% 22.7%
Grain increase (tons）
1,547 12,971 103,320 197,008 352,705 450,653 546,436 1,664,640
Added net income due to SRI (million RMB)*
1.28 11.64 106.51 205.10 450.85 571.69 704.272,051
(>$300 m)
* These comparisons for SRI paddy yield and profitability are made with the provincial average for Sichuan # In drought years (2006 and 2010), SRI yields were 12% higher than with conventional methods in more normal years (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009) Source: Data from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture
Province-wide evidence of SRI drought-resistance from Sichuan, China - - where 2006 and 2010 were drought
years
On-station evidence of weather resi l ience in wheat Two seasons of trials evaluating System of Wheat Intensif icat ion
(SWI) at the Indian Agricultural Research Inst i tute (IARI), Pusa, New Delhi
-- in the rabi seasons 2011/12 and 2012/13 -- comparing SWI methods used in Bihar state vs. IARI’s s tandard recommended practices
(SRP)
In a normal season, SWI had 30% yield advantage over SRP
In a cl imate-stressed season (high temperatures, then excess rain), SWI’s yield advantage over SRP was 46%.
Yield reduction in climate-stressed season was 12.5% with SWI, while SRP reductions ranged from 18% to 31%.
Economic net returns with SWI were 35% higher than with SRP.“Comparing System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) with standard recommended practices
in the northwest plain zone of India,” S. Dhar, B.C. Barah, A.K. Vyas and N. Uphoff, Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science (2015)
Visual evidence of storm resistance in Vietnam:
Adjacent paddy f ields after being hit by a tropical s torm
in Dông Trù vil lage,Hanoi province, 2005
SRI field and plant on left ; conventionally-managed f ield and plant on right
The same rice variety was grown in both fields.
Serious lodging on right,but not on the left .
More visual evidence of storm resistance in Vietnam : Adjacent
paddy f ields in Trà Vinh province in the Mekong Delta, after a
tropical s torm had passed over them; SRI plot is on the right. (Picture from a publicat ion by GIZ and IFAD, 2013)
Phenotypical data on resistance to lodgingLodging-related traits of the third internode from the top of rice plants as affected by N rates (kg ha-1) and by management practices during
2008 late season and 2009 double season, Hubei province, China
N fert i l izer applicat ion
Manage-ment
practice #
Breaking resistanc
e(g cm)
Bending moment(g cm)
Internode length
(cm)
Dry weight/ length
(mg cm -1)
Diamete
r(mm)
0 applicat ion*
SRI 449 a 953 a 7.4 a 40.4 a 4.90 a
MRMP 385b 809a 7.5a 39.0a 4.80a
RMP 350bc 609b 8.6ab 28.2b 4.27b
180-195 kg/ha**
SRI 515 a 1287 a 8.7 a 56.9 a 5.77 a
MRMP 498ab 1171a 9.2ab 46.8ab 5.45ab
RMP 330bc 1070b 10.8b 37.8b 5.10b
# SRI: System of Rice Intensification; RMP: Recommended management practices; MRMP: Modified RMP: same seedling age, water mgmt, nutrient mgmt. and weeding as for SRI; but plant density = 2x SRI (½ of RMP) *Averages for 2 seasons: 2009 early and 2009 late **Averages for 3 seasons: 2008 late, 2009 early and 2009 late
Data from “Evaluation of System of Rice Intensif icat ion methods applied in the double rice-cropping systems in Central China,” Wu, Huang, Shah and Uphoff ,
Advances in Agronomy, Vol. 132 (2015)
Field evidence of disease and pest resistancefrom Vietnam: evaluation by its National IPM Program with
data averaged from on-farm trials in 8 provinces, 2005-06Spring season Summer season
SRIplots
Farmerplots
Differ-ence
SRIplots
FarmerPlots
Differ-ence
Sheath blight
6.7% 18.1% 63.0% 5.2% 19.8% 73.7%
Leaf bl ight - - - - - - 8.6% 36.3% 76.5%
Small leaf folder*
63.4 107.7 41.1% 61.8 122.3 49.5%
Brown plant hopper*
542 1,440 62.4% 545 3,214 83.0%
Average 55.5% 70.7%
* Insects m-2
Visual evidence of resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses in E. Java, Indonesia: both f ields were hit by brown
planthopper (BPH) and then by a tropical storm -- standard practices on left , organic SRI on right
Modern improved variety
(Ciherang) – no yield
Traditional aromatic variety
(Sintanur)- 8 t/ha
Data on resistance to cold temperatures from India:
Yield and meteorological data from an IPM experiment affected by sudden unexpected cold spell
(ANGRAU, Andhra Pradesh)
Period Period Mean max. Mean max. temp. temp. 00CC
Mean min. Mean min. temp. temp. 00 C C
No. of No. of sunshine sunshine
hourshours
1 – 151 – 15 NovNov 27.727.7 19.219.2 4.94.916–3016–30 Nov Nov 29.629.6 17.917.9 7.57.5 1 – 15 Dec1 – 15 Dec 29.129.1 14.614.6 8.68.616–31 Dec 16–31 Dec 28.128.1 12.2 12.2 ## 8.68.6# Sudden drop in minimum temp. for 5 days, 16-21 December
(9.2-9.9 o C )
SeasonSeason Normal (t/ha)Normal (t/ha) SRI (t/ha)SRI (t/ha)
Rabi (winter) 2005-06Rabi (winter) 2005-06 2.25 2.25 3.473.47
Kharif (monsoon) 2006Kharif (monsoon) 2006 0.21*0.21* 4.164.16
* Low yield was due to cold injury (see below)
3. Reduced net GHG emissionsFlooded paddies are major source of CH4
-- stopping continuous flooding reduces CH4 emissions (everyone agrees)
Question: what happens to N2O emissions when soil conditions are more aerobic?
Evidence shows not enough N2O increase with SRI to offset GWP gains from reducing CH4
Reducing N fertilizer diminishes CH4 substrate
CO2 emissions will be reduced by cutting the production and distribution of fertilizer/biocides
Data on reductions in GHG emissions
• An evaluation for GIZ in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam found a significant reduction in CH4 of 20%, with a NS 1.4% reduction in N2O – it was significant that there was not an increase in N2O (Dill et al., 2013)
• A life-cycle analysis (LCA) in Andhra Pradesh, India found SRI management compared to standard practices reduced global warming potential (GWP) emissions by >25% per ha, and by >60% per kg of rice produced (Gathorne-Hardy et al., 2013, 2016)
• Another study by IARI researchers in India found that SRI methods lowered GWP per hectare by 28% (Jain et al., 2013)
Comparison of methane gas emissionComparison of methane gas emission
CT SRI
kg C
H4
/ ha
0
200
400
600
800
1000
840.1
237.6
72 %
Treatment
Emission (kg/ha)CO2 ton/ha
equivalentCH4 N2O
CT 840.1 0 17.6
SRI 237.6 0.074 5.0
SRI ideas and practices have been adapted and extended to the broader System of Crop
Intensif ication (SCI) - - with many reports of increased cl imate resi l ience
• Wheat (SWI) -- India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Mali
• Finger millet (SFMI) - - India, Ethiopia, Nepal, Malawi
• Sugarcane (SSI) - - India, Cuba, Kenya, Tanzania
• Sorghum and tef – Ethiopia
• Maize -- India
Also reports on SCI benefits for mustard, soya bean, black gram, green gram, red gram, tomatoes, chil l ies, eggplant, sesame, green leafy vegetables, turmeric, cumin, coriander, etc. - - India, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone
SWI wheat crop in Bihar state of India, Chandrapura vi l lage, Khagarla district – these f ields are the same age
and same variety
Size and width of finger millet panicles
and roots with alternative crop
management methods:SFMI plants on left, and farmer practice on right-- Jharkhand state, India
Sustainable Sugarcane Intensification (SSI) plants in Maharashtra, India
SSI sugarcane in Cuba @ 10.5 months;eventual yield estimated @ 150 t/ha
System of Tef Intensification in Ethiopia – yields of 3-6 t/ha with TP STI vs. 1 t/ha with broadcasting --
direct-seeded STI used by >2 million farmers in 2014/15 -- 70% more yield
4. Data from China on improvements in grain quali ty
Conv. methods SRI methods Characteristic (3 spacings) (3 spacings) DifferenceChalky kernels (%) 39.89 – 41.07 23.62 – 32.47 - 30.7%
General chalkiness (%)
6.74 – 7.17 1.02 – 4.04 - 65.7%
Milled rice outturn (%) 41.54 – 51.46 53.58 – 54.41 +16.1%
Head milled rice (%) 38.87 – 39.99 41.81 – 50.84 +17.5%
From paper by Prof. Ma Jun, Sichuan Agricultural Universi ty, presented at 10th conference on
“Theory and Practice for High-Quali ty , High-Yielding Rice in China,” Harbin, August 2004
Note: Chalkiness is associated with more breakage of grains during milling; also, higher protein (N) content in the grains is associated with less breakage.
Reports from Cuba, India and Kenya also show 10-20% more milled rice per bushel of SRI-grown paddy rice,
compared to rice grown with usual methods – fewer unfil led grains ( less chaff) and fewer
broken grains
5. Crop duration reduced in Nepal by average of 16 days, from seed to seed, for 8 rice varieties -- SRI = 125 days (average
6.3 t/ha) vs. conventional = 141 days (average 3.1 t/ha)
Varieties (N = 412)
Conv. duration
SRI duration(range)
Difference(range)
Bansdhan/Kanchhi (248) 145 127 (117-144) 18 (11-28)
Mansuli (48) 155 136 (126-146) 19 (9-29)
Swarna (40) 155 139 (126-150) 16 (5-29)
Sugandha (12) 120 106 (98-112) 14 (8-22)
Radha 12 (12) 155 138 (125-144) 17 (11-30)
Hardinath 1 (39) 120 107 (98-112) 13 (8-22)
Barse 2014/3017 (14) 135 126 (116-125) 9 (10-19)
Data from Morang District Agricultural Development Office, Biratnagar, Nepal, 2006
6. Field studies show SRI methods improving health and reducing discomfort of women
working in rice paddies
Vent, Sabarmatee and Uphoff , “The System of Rice Intensif ication and i ts impacts on women: Reducing pain, discomfort and labor in rice farming while enhancing household food security,” Women in Agriculture Worldwide , eds.
Fletcher and Kubik, Routledge, Abingdon, UK (2016)
• With rice paddies no longer continuously flooded, women no longer work in standing water and have
fewer infections associated with transplanting & weeding• With fewer, smaller and lighter seedlings, women’s
work in nurseries and transplanting is less arduous• Controlling weeds, a task usually assigned to women,
is quicker and less painful with SRI mechanical weeding• ANGRAU study showed 78% reduction in women’s
labor for weeding with less physical stress & discomfort • RACOPA methodology (left) has documented the
reductions in women’s pain when using SRI methods • SRI’s reduced labor requirements free up women’s
time once the new methods have been learned
7. Nutritient/nutritional impacts of SRI: Research on nutrient uptake from the soil and
the concentrations of nutrients in the grain
Research is indicating that larger root systems and greater density of soil microorganisms have an effect on amounts
and profiles of nutrient uptake and on nutrient concentrations in the grains and straw.
The links between microorganisms and micronutrients warrant much more research.
Micronutrient accumulation (mg kg-1) in rice grains under conventional flooded crop
management vs. System of Rice Intensification
Data from Adak et al. , ‘Micronutrient Enrichment Mediated by Plant-Microbe Interactions and Rice Cultivation Practices,’
Journal of Plant Nutrition, 39: 1216-1232 (2016)
Iron Zinc Copper ManganeseTreatment Con
v.SRI
Conv.
SRIConv
.SRI Conv. SRI
Control – no ferti l izer
40.87
76.0312.7
038.7
33.23 6.50 6.80 11.23
NPK ferti l i -zat ion
75.00
100.37
15.56
43.73
3.93 7.20 7.73 15.80
Treatment
S (%)
Zn (ppm)
Fe (ppm)
Mn (ppm)
Cu (ppm)
Grain Straw Grain StrawGrai
n StrawGrai
n Straw Grain
SRI 0.075 a 0.127 a 30.4 a 48.4 a
47.8a
101.0a
45.2a
115.6a 4.6 a
CT 0.064b 0.114b 27.0 b 39.0b
44.0b 89.7b
40.1b
108.0b 3.3b
Difference 0.011 0.013 3.4 9.4 3.8 11.3 5.1 7.6 1.3LSD 0.003 0.012 2.5 3.8 3.6 7.0 2.8 6.4 0.4
Concentration of secondary and micro-nutrients in rice grains and straw using System of Rice
Intensif icat ion (SRI) vs. conventional transplanting (CT) methods
Data from Dass, Chandra, Uphoff, Choudhury, Bhattacharyya and Rana, “Agronomic fortif icat ion of rice grains with secondary and
micronutrients under differing crop management and soil moisture regimes in the north Indian plains,” Paddy and Water Environment ,
15 (2017)
Effects of cultivation practices and nutrient management on the concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu
and Mn (mg kg -1) in rice grains , with equal amounts of soil nutrient amendments in all
treatmentsTreatments Iron Zinc Copper Manganese
Conv. - INM 71.3c 34.1c 3.7d 9.0b
Conv. – Organic 81.6bc 33.8c 4.9c 13.5a
SRI – INM 97.4b 39.2b 6.0b 13.2a
SRI – Organic 117.3a 48.3a 7.1a 16.1a
LSD 0.05 18.4 4.7 1.0 4.1Conv. = conventional flooded rice mgmt SRI = System of Rice Intensification
mgmtINM = integrated nutrient mgmt (inorganic NPK + decomposed cow manure)
Organic = decomposed cow manure + green manure (Sesbania ) + vermicompostMean values followed by different letters in a column denote a significant (P≤0.05) difference
between the treatments by Duncan’s multiple range test
Data from article not yet published on “Rice cultivation methods and nutrient management: Impact on crop growth, physiology, nutrient uptake, and yield,” A.K.
Thakur et al., ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar, India, Sept. 2017
Effects of cultivation practices and nutrient management on micronutrient uptake (kg ha -1) in
rice grainsTreatments Iron Zinc Copper Manganese
Conv. – INM 0.299c 0.143b 0.016b 0.038c
Conv. – Organic 0.326b 0.135b 0.020b 0.054b
SRI – INM 0.588a 0.237a 0.036a 0.080a
SRI - Organic 0.584a 0.241a 0.035a 0.080a
LSD 0.05 0.017 0.009 0.004 0.006Conv. = conventional (f looded) rice mgmt SRI = System of Rice Intensif ication
mgmtINM = integrated nutrient mgmt. ( inorganic NPK + decomposed cow manure)
Organic = decomposed cow manure + green manure ( Sesbania ) + vermicompostMean values followed by different letters in a column denote a significant (P≤0.05) difference
between the treatments by Duncan’s multiple range test
Data from article not yet published on “Rice cultivation methods and nutrient management: Impact on crop growth, physiology, nutrient uptake, and yield,” A.K. Thakur et al., ICAR-
Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar, India, Sept. 2017
8. Labor-saving: Mechanization of SRI Pioneered in Punjab province of Pakistan
by Mr. Asif Sharif, Pedaver Pvt. Ltd.
Agricultural labor supply is rather limited in Punjab, so
he combined System of Rice Intensification (SRI) with Conservation Agriculture (CA) and organic agriculture
‘PARADOXICAL AGRICULTURE’ (PA)
Mechanized System of Crop Intensification (MSCI) leading to
Conserving/Regenerative Paradoxical Agriculture (PA)
Rice crop on raised-beds – saves 70% water and other inputs
Lahore, Punjab, PakistanWebpage: www.pedaver.comE-mail: [email protected]
Raised-beds making on laser-leveled land – Giving more control over water and improving the soil-- first ‘test plot’ was 44 acres 12 t/ha average yield
Furrow irrigation –Saving of energy also economizes on water
10-day-old seedlings are dropped into mechanically- punched holes, which are then filled with water. The field is flooded only once, just after transplanting. Thereafter, furrow irrigation is used to reduce water consumption.
Radio-controlled tractor-weeding of precision-planted raised beds, actively aerating the soil while furrow irrigation economizes on water
PA wheat plantation on raised beds
PA carrots planted on raised beds -- more uniform carrots get higher price
Summary results to date from applications of ‘Paradoxical Agriculture’ (PA) in Punjab
province, Pakistan, by crop
Yields (t/ha) (% increase)
Cost of production (USD/kg)
(% reduction)
Net income (USD/ha)
(% increase) Current PA Current PA Current PA
Wheat 3 5 0.35 0.20 $242 $345*( + 60% ) ( - 43% ) ( + 43% )
Maize 9 11 0.18 0.13 $484 $1184
( + 22% ) ( - 28% ) ( + 145% )Sugarcane+ 70 110 1.26 0.99 $75 $400
( +57% ) ( - 21% ) ( + 433% )Potatoes 30 42# 0.09 0.06 $2008 $4063
( + 40% ) ( -32% ) ( + 102% )Carrots 15 35 0.10 0.03 $475 $3398
( +133% ) ( -67% ) ( + 615%)
* This is 1st year net income for SWI; net income 2nd year is $550, and 3rd year $620.+ Figures are an average for February and September plantings.# After PA has been used enough to improve the soil, potato yields of 50 t/ha are obtained. Source: Data collected by Asif Sharif, Pedaver, Lahore, Pakistan
