DPRK Agriculture Program:SRI Project in four local farms

Brief history of AFSC agriculture development work in DPRK

New program cycle of agricultural development approach in DPRK

Farm experience with SRI practices and initial reports

Next stage of focus on SRI and some of the issues we are facing

Brief history of AFSC agricultural development work in DPRK

1990-2000 Humanitarian assistance 2000-2007Focus on agricultural development- soil fertility,

with winter cover crop and forage 2007-presentImprovement in cultivation methods - rice and corn,

tackle shortfalls in production issue and structural challenges

Seed breeding and generation advancement - tackle long-term production bottlenecks

Soil fertility - address long-term agricultural needs and environment sustainability

The new program cycle of agricultural development approaches in DPRK

Three focuses:

- Cultivation methods - rice and corn - Seed breeding and generation

advancement- Soil fertility

Cultivation methods - rice and corn

Based on each farm’s situation, specific location, crop, labor force, natural and economic condition, address immediate needs of increased food production

Results: By 2009, 250 hectares of rice paddy in experiments with the new cultivation methods. Average yield increases of 0.5 t to 1 t per hectare

Seed breeding and generation advancement

Address one of the fundamental issues of low food production in a poor country which is lack of knowledge and means to have appropriate policy and research opportunities for producing better crop seeds

Results: three new rice varieties have been released; positive results from DPRK-based exchange programs with other institutions in Southeast Asia

Soil fertility

Address long-term agriculture and environment sustainability issues to find ways to gradually improve soil fertility, with changes in conventional agricultural practice and systematic structure

Result: Extremely difficult to find sustainable solutions. Initial findings need more test.

First element: address immediate need for increase food production at farm level

Evaluate changes in cultivation methods on the farm for rice cultivation

Farm experience with SRI and initial reports: see pictures below

Reasons and processes for the original introduction of SRI to farms

- Ease shortage of labor and resources at planting period, and at the some time, increase crop yield and, if possible, soil fertility.

-Establish experimental stages for gradual introduction of new production methods:

1) Seeding 2) Transplanting 3) Water management 4) Other related issues.

Introducing of tray seeding bed method

Tiller effect of new cultivation method

In 2009, total experimental area in the four farms was up 250 hectares

Different transplanting spacing experiments

Seed: Pyong Do 11 Seeding date: April 30 April 21Transplanted June 5 June 6 Tillers/ pyong 380 310 As of June 24, 640 440

Seed: Pyong Do 15Seeding date: April 30 April 21Transplanted June 5 June 6Tillers/pyong 360 300As of June 24 560 520

Visiting the experimental fields

Comparison of the effects of conventional and new cultivation methods on rice plants

Color differences between rice seedlings in the experimental field: new on the left---conventional on the right

Some improvement

Average increase of 0.5 t to 1 t per hectare on 250 hectares of experimental fields

Next stage of focus on SRI and some of the issues that we are facing

- Better scientific experimental design for the on-farm trials for finding the best combination of methods in each location

-More experiments on different transplanting densities

-Look into the possibilities of more efficient water management and ways of weed control

-Look into ways to increase the soil biomass-Expand the experiment fields in more farms

Thank you

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

Wuna ReillyChina and DPRK Country Representative