The System of Rice Intensificationin Jharkhand and Bihar

Bringing new perspectives to thesearch for household food security

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_____NEEDS

www.needsngo.in

SRI paddy cultivation, experiences, 2005 to 2007

A Presentation on

The shift: a glimpse

53 farm families harvesting rice for only 5-7 months consumption are now harvesting 14-18 months’ worth of rice from a single crop in the same piece of land

Food security level of over 1000 families has increased, and these families are now able to take risks in diversified livelihoods [so financial inclusion is taking place]

System of Rice Intensification

Jharkhand

District: Deoghar Block: Sarwa Coverage of

villages: 41

Bihar

District: Banka Block: Chandan Coverage of

villages: 16

System of Rice Intensification

Total coverage of farmers : 1030 Total coverage of area (hectares): 430 Maximum yield (ha) : 12.9 MT Minimum yield (Kg / ha) : 6.2 MT

Farmer’s name : Sh. Rajeshwar Village : Bichgarha Panchayat : Sarwa Area : 10 decimals (0.1 ha) Variety : MTU-7029Block : Sarwa District : Deoghar

System of Rice Intensification: A Case

Particulars: SRI

Date of sowing 12-07-2006

Date of transplanting 25-07-2006

Date of harvesting 10-11-2006

Number of weedings and hoeings 4

Maximum number of tillers/hill 108

Minimum number of tillers/hill 62

Average number of tillers / hill 81

Number of effective tillers / hill * 32, 39, 43, 46, 86*

Length of panicle (cm) * 15 to 23.7*

Number of grains / panicle * 173, 223, 269, 303, 305*

No. of plants / m3 * 11, 11, 12, 15, 15*

Grain yield (t/ha) (*samples) 12.9

SRI Traditional

Comparison of SRI and TraditionalPaddy Cultivation

Farmer’s name : Sh. Rajeshwar Village : Bichgarha Panchayat : Sarwa Area : 10 decimals (0.1 ha) Variety : MTU-7029Block : Sarwan District : Deoghar

Particulars SRI Traditional

Date of sowing 12-07-2006 02-07-2006

Area (dm) 10 10

Date of transplanting 25-07-2006 25-07-2006

Date of harvesting 10-11-2006 13-11-2006

Number of weedings and hoeings 4 0

Maximum number of tillers/hill 106 13

Minimum number of tillers/hill 62 4

Average number of tillers / hill 78 8

Number of effective tillers /hill* 32, 39, 43, 46, 81 4, 5, 8, 8, 11

Length of panicle (cm) * 15 to 23.7 8 to15.1

Number of grains / panicle* 173, 223, 269, 303, 305 104,143,167,170, 184

No. of plants / m3 * 12 to 15 38 to 43

Grain yield (t/ ha) (* samples) 9.25 3.45

Learning:

Boro rice cultivation was experimented first time in Jharkhand during summer 2007 on 7 acres area, the result was excellent; the yield recorded (11.9 MT/ha) was over 3 times of their normal yield

Medium and upper-medium lowlands are suitable for SRI cultivation. Lowlands, where water drainage is not quick, yield less

The water percolation /drainage rate in upper-medium lowlands in Jharkhand is high, hence farmers require some reserve water for drying and soaking

Learning: We registered a high yield, up to 12.9 MT per hectare,

because of high tillering; 109 tillers as a maximum against 18-20 tillers maximum in conventional practice

In the summer crop, we registered 11.9 MT yield as against 3.3 MT per hectare; the practice was conducted with 30 farmers in a cluster of 7 acres last summer

Weeding is a critical input required in SRI; the better the drying and soaking is practiced, the higher is the weeding required to get highest yield.

We introduced rotary weeder and cono-weeder to make weeding an easy intervention, which helped a lot. However, farmers are reluctant to practice as many as 5 weedings.

Learning:

Seed quality must be good as fewer seeds are used. However, HYV variety of seed may not required for SRI as local seeds have shown outstanding results in terms of both quantity and quality

It is important that we work on producing good quality local seeds through SRI methods so that control over seeds remains with farmers locally

This would ensure that marginalized farmers have assured access to good seeds. This would also have an impact on household food security

The critical areas of PoP:

Water management: alternatively drying and soaking the soil

Age and quality of seedlings for transplantation: two-leaf stage

4-5 weedings Potassium split-dose for stem borer

control

Challenge:

Soil nutrient management

Huge biomass production with SRI extracts maximum nutrients from the soil

Hence, green manuring is important

Challenges:

Weeding – timeliness and frequency; access to weeders

Water harvesting with paddy – to ensure reliable supply

We got good results from:

Pre-sowing green manure Cowpea and Cassia species Dhaincha

Post-harvest green manure Niger and Cosks comb can be a good post-

harvest green manure / rich in potash

Conclusion: SRI can be an answer to household food

security for marginalized farm households SRI cannot be a package but is a dynamic

practice, requiring regional variance per temperature, pest types, in terms of water management, etc.

States like Jharkhand require large-scale, area-based NGO interventions to influence Govt. institutions to bring more opportunities to marginalized communities

Nursery:

Single seedling ready for trans-planting

25 days after sowing

After 50 days

At the verge of maturing:

We express our gratitude to SDTT for their support in scaling up SRI in the state of

Jharkhand

Thank you