Before talking about SRI, Let us tell you, that across the world, farmers are struggling with resources and nature is suffocating with exploitation. This is where the terms sustainability and optimal usage come into the picture. In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
How farmers can adopt newer ways to grow more food without using up more resources is what we are looking at today with an example of SRI.
System of Rice Intensification (SRI), was started in Madagascar in 1983. SRI changes how we grow rice. Instead of using lots of seedlings planted close together, it uses fewer and younger seedlings with more space between them. This method is not just about growing more rice; it’s also about using land, money, water, and labour more effectively. Plus, it’s better for the soil’s health. SRI is a smart way to farm rice sustainably.
SRI distinguishes itself by employing single-seedling transplantation and wider spacing, contrary to the conventional multiple and mature seedlings used in conventional paddy cultivation methods. This approach not only enhances the productivity of land, capital, water, and labour but also fosters soil biotic activities, making it an ideal choice for sustainable rice farming.
Paddy Cultivation: A Must-Know Myth & SRI Method
Let’s understand a myth around Paddy Cultivation – that paddy grows best in standing water and is an aquatic plant. Paddy can survive in water but doesn’t thrive under reduced oxygen levels. Rice plants spend a lot of their energy developing air pockets in their roots under continuous inundation. Nearly 70% of rice root tips get degenerated by the flowering period.
Under the SRI method, farmers keep paddy fields moist rather than inundated during the vegetative phase, aiding the easy development of air pockets (aerenchyma tissue) in the rice plants’ roots. Later, they maintain only “1 inch” of water instead of the traditional 1.1811 – 1.9685 inches. Thus, the SRI method requires less water, involves less expenditure and gives more yield thus a boon for small and marginal farmers.
SRI (System Of Rice Intensification): An Overview
The System of Rice Intensification involves using abundant organic manure, planting young seedlings individually at wider spacing in a square pattern, and applying intermittent irrigation that maintains soil moisture without inundation. This system also includes frequent intercultivation with weeds, which farmers turn into the soil instead of discarding. This practice actively aerates the soil and allows the weeds to decompose
Unlike standard fixed agricultural practices, SRI represents a dynamic set of ideas that adapts to each farm’s unique conditions. It revolutionizes the utilization of land, seeds, water, nutrients, and human labor, offering a comprehensive methodology for managing and conserving resources.
Key Attribute Of The SRI Method For Enhanced Productivity
1. Wide planting: Allows each plant to access more space, air, and sunlight, resulting in healthier growth and more “tillers (grain-bearing branches)”. As the plant is strong and healthy, the number of tillers and panicle length would be greater. The panicle has a greater number of grains and the grain weight would also be more.
2. Less seed: Thanks to wider spacing, the seed requirement is lesser.
3. Transplanting young seedlings: Transplanting at the 2-leaf stage leads to healthier growth and increased tillers.
4. Optimised water usage: Intermittent irrigation and avoiding water stagnation promote healthier root systems.
5. Incorporating Weeds into the Soil: Utilizing a ‘weeder’ to turn weeds into the soil enhances soil aeration and converts weeds into organic matter
6. Use of Organic Manures: Boosts soil microbial activity, making nutrients readily available to the plants.
Comparative Analysis: SRI VS Traditional Methods
System Of Rice Intensification(SRI) Principles: The Six Pillars
SRI is based on the following “six” principles:
1. Young seedlings between 8-12 days old (2-3 leaf stage) are transplanted to preserve potential for tillering and rooting ability.
2. Careful planting of single seedlings rather than in clumps that are often plunged into the soil.
3. Wider spacing at 25 cm x 25 cm. in square planting rather than in rows.
4. Use of cono-weeder/ rotary hoe/power weeder to aerate the soil as well as control weeds.
5. Alternate wetting and drying methods rather than continuous flooding in the field.
6. Use of organic manure or vermicompost/FYM (Farm Yard Manure).
General Requirements In The SRI Method Of Paddy Cultivation
Farmers who want to cultivate paddy by using the SRI method:
1. Should level their plots.
2. Should plan for drainage channels
3. Should make plots of small sizes
4. You should ensure that the soil remains free from salinity. The intermittent draining of water from the field can cause salt to accumulate on the surface as the land dries, potentially damaging the plants.
System Of Rice Intensification (SRI) Process
In SRI, farmers create an artificial environment to exploit the full genetic potential of rice plants, as well as to make efficient use of land and water resources. They accomplish this through the following process:
PROCESS 1 – Raising Nursery
a. Selection of site
In the SRI method, preparing the nursery bed requires utmost care, since farmers transplant seedlings that are 8-12 days old, and in some places, 14-15 days old (at the 2-3 leaf stage). Ideally, you should prepare the nursery bed at the center or corner of the plot for quick and efficient transplanting.
b. Size of bed
To transplant rice in one acre, farmers can raise the nursery bed in a 48 square yard (40 square meter) plot. Depending on the situation, they can create two beds, each measuring 24 square yards (20 square meters) for every 1 kg of seed bed with a width of 125 cm or 4 feet is ideal. Farmers can decide the length of the nursery bed based on the ground situation.
For convenience, they can either prepare a single large bed or several smaller beds, such as four beds each measuring 4 X 28 feet or 1.25 X 8 meters. As the roots of 8-10 days-old seedlings grow up to 3 inches (7.5 cm), it is necessary to prepare raised beds of 5-6 inches (12.5-15 cm). To drain excess water, appropriate channels should be provided on all sides by making drainage cum irrigation channels (0.5-1 feet width). You should secure the bed on all sides with wooden reapers/planks or paddy straw, etc., to prevent soil erosion.
c. Bed preparation
The nursery bed is prepared with the application of farm yard manures (FYM) and soil in four alternating layers:
- 1st layer: 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick well decomposed FYM
- 2nd layer: 1 .5-inch (3.75 cm) soil
- 3rd layer: 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick well decomposed FYM
- 4th layer: 2.5-inch (6.3 cm) soil
You should mix all these layers well to aid in the easy penetration of roots. Additionally, you can use and spread compost or vermicompost over all the beds in a 3-5 cm layer.
d. Seed rate
You need 2 kg of seeds (5 kg/ha) to transplant in one acre of land. You should spread the seed thinly to avoid crowding of seedlings and take care to ensure that no two seeds touch each other.
e. Seed Treatment
Healthy and pure seeds are used. Soak the seeds for 12 hours in water. Drain the water and treat the seed with Bavistin (2 gm/kg seed) Trichoderma (3 gm/kg seed) or streptomycin (1gm / kg of seeds). Thereafter transfer the treated seeds to a water-soaked gunny bag. Leave it for 24 hours. Sprouted seeds are taken to the nursery for sowing. To ensure uniform broadcasting, divide the seed into four parts and broadcast thinly over the bed (each part at a time). It is better to broadcast seeds in the evening.
f. Mulching
Cover the bed with paddy straw, to protect from direct exposure to the sun and also from birds. Depending upon the requirement, apply water with rose cans twice daily. Care should be taken to see that the seeds do not come out while watering. Remove the straw once the seeds germinate.
PROCESS 2 – Preparation Of Main Field
Farmers should select well-leveled land without waterlogging conditions for SRI. When irrigating the plot, the water must spread uniformly across the field. Similarly, they must ensure provisions for draining excess rainwater whenever needed. They must have their irrigation resources to provide irrigation whenever necessary. A day before planting, for grid marking, they should prepare and level the main field with a little standing water. They should also make provisions for 30 cm wide channels at 2 meters intervals. Perfect leveling is essential for proper water management and a good crop stand.
PROCESS 3 – Transplanting
In the SRI method, farmers transplant young seedlings that are 8 to 12 days old. They must raise the nursery with utmost care. Similarly, it is crucial to transplant the seedlings without causing any ‘shock’. During uprooting or transplanting into the main field, the seedling should not suffer any damage. Family members and farm labourers involved in this activity should receive education on these practices.
In the conventional method, the practice is to pull the seedlings by holding the plant. But in the SRI method, the plants would be very small.
For uprooting the seedlings, push a metal sheet 4-5 inches below the nursery bed and then lift it onto the plate. This method allows for lifting the seedlings, along with the soil, onto the sheet. Then, transport these seedlings to the main field on the metal sheet itself or transfer them into a wicker basket.
After uprooting, it is essential to complete the transplantation as soon as possible, preferably within half an hour. This minimizes the trauma to the seedling.
It is important to see that a peaceful atmosphere prevails during transplantation. Transplantation should be done with utmost care and concentration. Transplanting wouldn’t be proper amidst shouts, quarrels and tension.
Method Of Transplantings
In the conventional method, seedlings are transplanted by thrusting them into the soil using the middle and the pointing fingers. With this, the root takes a ‘U’ turn. This means that the roots are looking upwards. Thus, the root takes time to turn downward again and get established in the soil. However, in the SRI method, the seedlings are transplanted shallowly with the roots forming an ‘L’ shape. Start at 1 inch above the intersection of the horizontal and vertical lines and gently pull down using the pointing finger. The seedling is taken along with the soil using the thumb and pointing finger. As a result, the seedlings establish quickly and grow healthily. The field should be lightly irrigated either on the same day or the day after transplantation.
Initially, the SRI method requires 10-15 persons to transplant one acre. Once the farmers/labourers gain experience it can be completed with fewer persons.
PROCESS 4 – Weed Management
As there is no standing water in the SRI method, weeds would be more. Instead of weeding manually and throwing the weeds outside the plot, there are several advantages of turning the weeds into the soil by using an implement called ‘weeder’. Weeds are useful for the soil as organic manure. So the weeds should be allowed to grow and then turned into the soil intermittently. Use the weeder on the 10th and 20th day after transplantation.
The weeding problem is addressed to a large extent with this effort. If the weeder is used on the 30th and 40th day after transplantation, there will be more aeration to the plant roots resulting in their healthy growth. As the plant is strong and healthy, the number of tillers would be more. Weeder should be moved front and back between every two rows. Start using the weeder, when the weeds are small, i.e. On the 10th day after transplantation. If the rice plant is tender or weeds are less, weeding should be done manually.
PROCESS 5 – Water Management
In the SRI method, farmers do not flood the fields but provide irrigation water just enough to wet the soil. They should irrigate the field again once the soil develops hairline cracks. Depending on the soil and environmental conditions, they need to decide the irrigation frequency. Since the soil is not flooded, the paddy plant’s roots grow healthily and deeply in all directions. The wide spacing also contributes to extensive root growth. When farmers intermittently irrigate and dry the field, microorganisms make nutrients available to the plant.
A day before using the weeder, farmers should lightly irrigate the field. After weeding, they must not drain the water under any circumstances. Draining this water would result in the loss of all nutrients from the field. From the panicle initiation stage until maturity, they should maintain one inch of water in the field. They can remove the water after 70% of the grains have hardened.
If the plot is uneven, water would stagnate at low points and the field dried up at high points. To use irrigation water efficiently, farmers should make the plots small and level. Farmers may stop the water flow after irrigating 3/4 of the field, instead of letting it reach the end of the field, based on local conditions. The water will automatically spread to the entire field. If they need to drain any excess water from the field, they can use it to raise vegetables in a small plot at the field’s end or for plants on the bunds
PROCESS 6 – Pest And Disease Management
The uniqueness of the SRI method lies in not using chemical pesticides and herbicides. Wider spacing and the use of organic manures result in healthy growth of the plants and incidence of the pests and diseases is naturally low. The pests can be easily managed by using some organic concoctions either as a preventive measure or as and when needed.
PROCESS 7 – Harvesting
The grain matures even while the crop is green in colour. Hence farmers should be ready to undertake timely harvesting.
Advantages of the System of Rice Intensification(Sri) Method: A Boon for Small Farmers
1. Saving on seed cost as the seed requirement is less.
2. Saving on water as Irrigated – The dry method is followed.
3. The cost of external inputs gets reduced as chemical fertilizers and pesticides are not used.
4. The incidence of pests and diseases is low as the soil is allowed to dry intermittently.
5. More healthy and tasty rice as a result of organic farming practices.
6. Higher yields due to profuse tillering, increased panicle length and grain weight.
7. Seed multiplication with less quantity of parent seed.
8. Farmers can produce their own quality seed.
The SRI method stands as a testament to the potential of innovative agricultural practices in enhancing paddy cultivation. By adopting SRI, small and marginal farmers
can significantly improve their yield and resource efficiency, paving the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future in rice farming.
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