The Hindu Business Line : `SRI method better for rice cultivation'

IT was a meeting with a difference. Around 48 paddy farmers from 10 districts of Andhra Pradesh met to discuss the merits and demerits of SRI method of rice cultivation.

The facilitators were the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International Dialogue Project and the Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU).

What emerged was an appeal from the farmers that that the SRI method was useful, especially in the drought hit and low water available areas. The Government, scientists and agricultural officials must support in popularising it, they felt.

The day-long meeting discussed the SRI method also called the Madagascar method. It is based on minimum input for maximum gain. Unlike in regular paddy cultivation, the saplings are sown at wider distance (25 cm) from each other with alternate wetting and drying of the field rather than flooding of water. The plant grows stronger roots and would be able to withstand disease, thereby reducing fertiliser input.

The WWF initiated a pilot project in collaboration with ANGRAU last rabi season with 250 paddy cultivators in 10 districts of AP. Today's meeting was a sharing of experience of the farmers, a press release said.

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