SRI Experience 2013-14

Seven Sisters Development Assistance (SeSTA)

Introduction

• SeSTA is presently engaged in Assam & aims at working in poverty pockets of entire North East

• We are directly working in 3 Districts of Assam- Chirang , Bongaigaon & Rural Kamrup.

• The key focus area of SeSTA:Organize women of poor areas into Self help

groupsPromotion of livelihoods Youth development

Context of Agriculture

• Rain-fed condition, mono cropped, yield low 1.9 Ton/Ha

• Small & marginal farmers• Food security is less than 8 months in major

portion of farmers• Huge rainfall, less water harvesting structures

creates flood in peak season then drought during flowering stage of paddy.

• Irrigation infrastructure is less• Bodo rice is practiced in most of the flood prone

areas

SRI work plan 2013-14

• Promotion of SRI & SCI with 5000 families with - Paddy in Kharif & Rabi season - Maize in Rabi Season - Vegetables in Early Rabi• Build a pool of local resource person for extension• Promotion of soil health improvement practices

including vermi-composting and other composting techniques

• Promoting adoption of small mechanization for weeding , spraying.

SRI reach-out :2013-14District No. of

villages

Kharif Paddy

Area SRI-Maize

Area vegetable

Area Total Farmer

Total Area

Bongaigaon 20 638 758 310 155 38 19 808 932

Chirang 85 942 1536 285 325 348 248 1240 2109

Total 105 1580 2294 595 480 386 267 2048 3041

SRI paddy principles

• Proper nursery bed preparation with seed treatment

• Early transplantation of the seedling at the age of 8 to 12 days

• Transplantation with wider and equal spacing • Application of organic fertilizer ( application of

balance fertilizer dose where organic fertilizer is not available)

• Timely intercultural operation

Process of SRI expansion1. Village level motivational & planning meeting2. Exposure of farmers to existing SRI areas3. Indent preparation4. Capacity building training for the community resource persons5. Input arrangement by farmers with support of community

resource person6. Field level technical training to farmers7. On field support by community resource persons & SeSTA

professional8. Yield data collection9. Review meeting with Self help groups, farmer groups & discuss

on success & failures10. Organizing district level & state level workshops to share

learning, processes.

Analysis of production data(200 farmer)

Paddy SRI Traditional

Avg. plant height 132 cm 86 cm

Avg. no of tillers 26 14

Avg. length of panicle

23 cm 16cm

Grain/Panicle 258 175

Yield(Kharif) 5.9 MT 2.8 MT

Vermicompost production & marketing

• 548 farmers from Bongaigaon & Chirang is doing the vermi-compost production

• In 1 cycle farmers are able to harvest 150-200 Kg of compost • Farmer mostly using the compost in vegetables• Availability of cow-dung & waste material is critical for its

production. • In a year farmers have experienced producing 500 Kg of

compost with this method.• One farmer club has started selling vermi-compost in 1 kg

packing, now they are earning RS 3000-4000/farmer. Already sold 2MT of compost in Bongaigaon market

SCI: MaizeThe major principles adopted are :i. Used improved variety & seed treatmentii. Single seed sowing with equal distance (i.e. plant to

plant distance is 12 inch & row to row distance is 24 inch)

iii. Mechanical weeding by using dry-land weeder in 15 days interval

iv. Proper water management • This year 550 farmers are growing maize ,last year it

was only 200 in Chirang & Bongaigaon

SCI: Maize results

Seeds: Dekalb, 900 M gold SCI Traditional

Seed requirement 2 Kg/Bigha 4 Kg/Bigha

Spacing 12*24 Inch, line sowing Broadcast

Weeding 25-30 DAS -

Yield 800-1000 Kg 500-600 Ks

Income Rs 8000- 10,000/- Rs 4000- 5000/-

Net-House for quality seedling production• 12 net houses are constructed, each has a size of 50ft*20ft• It provides control over pest & diseases as well as grazing

problem• Protects the plants from heavy rain • Germination occurs faster than the open nursery• Acts as a cohesive force amongst farmers, mutual support in the

activity• Planning, timely transplanting & quality control can be easily

done• Farmer could able to produce on an avg. 20,000 to 25,000

healthy seedlings in 45 days• Later the net houses are used to grow off-season leafy

vegetables(Coriander, palak)• From one net house 30-40 farmers have taken seedlings & some

of the farmers have sold seedling in local markets

SCI vegetable output• 386 farmers have grown tomato, chilly, brinjal &

knolkhol in the early rabi season• Germination was around 85-90%, 2200 healthy

plants from 5gms of tomato, 1200 brinjal seedlings from 10 gm of seeds

• Uniform growth of seedlings• 2 panchayats in Chirang emerging as good vegetable

production cluster• Due to heavy rains cabbage & brinjal affected• Farmer started earning from chilly & tomato• Production is still going on, farmers have able to

earn Rs,5000 on an average.

Dissemination of SRI learning

• Organized one state level SRI workshop & 2 district level workshop at Chirang & Bongaigaon

• Organized farmer exposures from new areas to existing areas

• Farmer groups organized “ NaKhowa” festival to share

• Publication in local newspaper

Convergence

• SRI demonstration carried out with 70 farmers in Chirang with DAO.

• ASRLM funding to Self help group is providing opportunity to invest in resources.

• MKSP with support of NRLM

Issues & Concern

• Flood & later in flowering stage drought results in poor growth

• Ensuring all the principles of SRI• Small farmers having resource constraints• Migration of farmer with late arrival of

monsoon• Quality seed availability

Way ahead A. Intensifying Production• Staggered nursery in Kharif for paddy• Diversify the crop basket based on area• Scope for beetle vine, black pepper, flower nursery• Promote mechanization• Vegetable cultivation in areas with flood in Kharif is an option• Seed production & local seed preservation• Improving irrigation status

B. Expansion • Scaling up in Chirang & Bongaigaon to reach 10000 families by 2016• Build a SRI group with like minded organizations to act as a pressure

group in the state. • This has started with Centre for Micro-finance & Livelihood taking the

lead• Working in Meghalaya, Tripura & Mizoram with partner organizations

& SRLM

SRI: Planning meeting

Motivational training

Cucumber seedling production

Net House for quality seedling

Vegetable nursery preparation

Crops in Main-field

Chilly sowing uniform growth

Thanks for attention