Introduction

• System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is special method of rice

cultivation originally developed at Madagascar in 1983.

• SRI is a combination of several practices that includes changes

in nursery management, time of transplanting and management

of water, nutrients and weeds.

• SRI emphasizes certain changes in agronomic practices from

conventional rice cultivation. However, fundamental cultivation

practices remain more or less same.

Soil and seed bed preparation

• Soil with good drainage and

enough organic matter should be

used for bed preparation.

• Size of rice nursery bed in SRI

method varies according to

seedling requirement.Raising Seedlings in a Box

• Raising seedlings in egg boxes filled with vermi-compost or

organic manure is advantageous.

• Wet beds on land can be used with addition of organic manure.

Sowing on seed beds

Seed Rate: 2 Kg / acre seeds are used to raise the seedlings. Seed rate can different for Short duration, Medium duration and Long duration rice cultivars.

Sowing Time: Seed sowing should be done before first July.

A. Sowing of seeds on seed bed B. Covering with soil and watering seed bed

Water Management

• Minimum of water is applied during the Germination stage. Soil surface should be kept moist enough to allow seed germination.

• Seed beds are irrigated every 3 days. Water management practices depend on the soil type, labor availability.

• System of Rice Intensification (SRI) saves up to 40 % water and gives 10 to 15 % higher yield than other conventional method of transplanting.

Nutrient Management

• Soil nutrient should be supplied preferably with FYM or

compost made from biomass.

• Value added bio-compost such as vermi-compost gives

additional advantages.

• Small quantity of Chemical fertilizer can be used for better

results. Use of mixed chemical fertilizer NPK (46-46-50) is

recommended.

Plant Protection:

Weed Management:

•Practice hand weeding in SRI nursery 7 days after sowing and

use of herbicides and Mechanical weeding is avoided.

Pest and Disease Management:

•Integrated pest management (IPM) in SRI method is practiced to

avoid investment on plant protection chemicals. Synthetic

pesticides are used only when the incidence of pest or disease is

very severe.

Cost- Effectiveness:

• SRI method of rice cultivation is popular among the farmers as it

increases grain yield with the same level of inputs and capital.

• Reduce water, seed, and chemical fertilizer inputs making it

more profitable than conventional methods of rice cultivation.

• Initially it require significantly more labor mainly for preparing

land and weeding operation.

SRI Method: from nursery to harvesting

A. 2 Leaf stage seedlings ready for transplant

B. Transplanting of single seedlings

C . Rice Crop stand in SRI Method.