The Hindu Business Line : SRI paddy enhances yields

First introduced in Madagascar 25 years ago, the system largely remained obscure until success stories from Asian countries such as China, Indonesia and Sri Lanka started attracting the attention of the agricultural scientists and farmers.

Kurnool , June 19

When Mr K Nageshwara Reddy, a `progressive' farmer in K Singavaram in the district, decided to take to SRI (System of Rice Intensification) paddy cultivation in a half-acre plot three years ago, some of his peers thought he was crazy. Others didn't even know that such a system existed.

But at the end of season, Mr Reddy recorded a yield of 29 bags in that plot against the average of 19 bags. Two kharif seasons later every paddy-growing farmer in this district would like to join the system. From a 0.5-acre area in 2003, the area covered by SRI cultivation expanded to 2,500 hectares in 2005.

"This year, we are expecting it to cross the 5,000-hectare mark," Prof. G Narasimha Rao of Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University, told Business Line.

According to him, the system required less water. "In the traditional farming, paddy requires 1.31 crore litres of water an acre. This is roughly sufficient to provide water to a village of 10,000 people (at 70 litres a head) for 25 days," Mr Narasimha Rao, who is also the coordinator of DAATT (District Agricultural Advisory and Technology Transfer Centre), said.

The new system offered a saving of 25-30 per cent of water. Besides, it just needed 2 kg of seed ( against 20-22 kg in the traditional method) as it involved fewer plants per unit area. Accordingly, input costs on fertilisers and pesticides too were lesser.

He, however, said that the primary requirement for the system was to have control over water management. Unlike in the traditional method where standing water was required through out the 150-day crop period, the new system required water just enough to keep the top soil moist for the first 75 days.

"This makes the roots long for moisture and, in the process, get access to nutrients from deeper areas," Prof Narasimha Rao said.

He cautioned that tackling of weed was very important. "They need to address this every 10 days for four times," he said.

Cost of cultivation, however, was higher in this system. "They need to use markers for planting the saplings and the implements to address weed. Also, more labour was needed," he pointed out.

He, however, added that significant increase in yields and savings on water and reduction in power consumption would prove to be a great cost differentiator.

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