Presented by: Niraj U. Joshi and R. Sukumar. For IWMI-Tata program Date: November, 2012

1. Factors Affecting Sustained Adoption of SRI
by Tribals in South Gujarat: An Investigation
Niraj U. Joshi
R. Sukumar

2. Programme Area
Tribal South Gujarat Region - Netrang

3. SRI Norms promoted by AKRSP(I)
• Transplantation age (10 - 14 days)
• Maintaining spacing (25 cms X 25 cms)
• Number of seedlings (one seedling per hill)
• Water management (alternate drying and wetting)
• Weeding (at least twice)

4. Efforts of AKRSP(I) in promoting SRI practices
 Awareness campaigns (Jhumbesh Yatra)
 Field-based trainings or demonstrations
 Information dissemination through resource farmers and
extension Vvolunteers
 Exposure visits to immersion sites

5. Objectives of the study
 To document factors affecting continued
adoption of SRI
 To assess if there is a particular sub-set of
practices that farmers give up but retain
others over the years
 To understand how crop yield under SRI on
the same plot behaves over years

6. Methodology
 Population : Tribal farmers from Dediapada, Sagbara, Valia
(Netrang) and Mandvi blocks who have undergone SRI
practice at least once
 Sampling method: A convenience-based stratified sampling
was used where the farmers were stratified based on the
following categories: rainfed, irrigated, as well as those who
are continuing to adopt SRI, and those who dropped out.
 Sample size : 331
 Primary data collection : interview schedule
 Interview period: mid-February to March 2012

7. Findings and data interpretations
Classification of sample farmers based on number of years they
have been practicing SRI
Doing SRI for Doing SRI
less than 3 for 3 or
years more years
Type of Farmer (Disadopters) (Adopters) Total
Large Farmer (LF) 5 4 9
Medium Farmer(MF) 4 6 10
Marginal Farmer (MGF) 102 105 207
Small Farmer(SF) 43 62 105
Grand Total 154 177 331
% of total 47% 53% 100.00
LF - Landholding more than 3.25 ha
MF - Landholding more than 2 ha and less than 3.25 ha
SF - Landholding more than 1 ha and less than 2 ha
MGF - Landholding less than 1 ha

8. Findings and data interpretations
Profile of Adopters, Non-Adopters and Disadopters
Characteristics Adopters Disadopters
Irrigators Rainfed Irrigators Rainfed
Sample Size 162 15 114 40
Avg. Landholding (ha.) 1.13 0.86 0.97 1.07
Avg. Cultivated Area
0.41 0.40 0.38 0.53
(ha.)
Avg. SRI Area (ha.) 0.41 0.40 0.29 0.29
Avg. Conventional
0.39 0.30 0.46 0.70
Paddy Area (ha.)
Avg. Person-months of
1.88 1.00 1.39 1.53
Migration
Avg. Age of
41.18 46.27 43.94 48.50
Respondent
Avg. Years of
4.59 4.80 5.81 4.45
Education

9. Findings and data interpretations
Paddy Cultivation Practices and Yields
Adopters Dis-Adopters
Characteristics
Irrigators Rainfed Irrigators Rainfed
Seed application (2 kgs/ac)
48.57 1.90 37.14 12.38
(% following norms)
Avg. seed application rate 4.83 7.22 5.85 7.99
Spacing (% following norms) 55.49 2.89 34.68 6.94
Transplanting age
61.22 6.12 28.57 4.08
(% following norms)
Avg. transplanting age 17.98 17.33 18.56 17.83
Seedings per hill (% following
50.54 4.69 33.94 10.83
norms)
Avg. seedlings per hill 1.15 1.13 1.17 1.10
Weeding (% following norms) 50.78 4.65 32.17 12.40
Frequency of weeding 1.88 1.80 1.84 1.83
Water management
69.12 0.74 29.41 0.74
(% following norms)
Avg. cash expenditure per Ha. 3657 2670 4224 2438
Avg. paddy yield over the last 3
14.92 12.95 7.82 3.98
years (in quintals/acre)

10. Findings and data interpretations
Combination of practices for adopters
Combination of Practices Total Spacing Young TP AWD Seedling/hill Weeding
00000 4
00040 6 6
00005 5 5
10000 1 1
12000 1 1 1
10300 2 2 2
10040 5 5 5
10005 5 5 5
02040 1 1 1
00340 7 7 7
00305 2 2 2
00045 25 25 25
12040 1 1 1 1
10305 4 4 4 4
10045 20 20 20 20
02045 4 4 4 4
10340 4 4 4 4
00345 18 18 18 18
12340 2 2 2 2 2
10345 36 36 36 36 36
12045 4 4 4 4 4
02345 4 4 4 4 4
12345 16 16 16 16 16 16
Grand Total 177 101 33 95 153 143

11. Findings and data interpretations
Motivation for SRI Adoption
Adopters Disadopters
Characteristics
Irrigators Rainfed Irrigators Rainfed
Sample Size 162 15 114 40
Average Score
Monetary incentive
1.84 2.07 1.72 1.30
(Rs. 250)
Higher production 4.37 4.40 4.07 2.88
Lower expenditure 2.73 3.07 2.56 2.03
Possible in rainfed
1.86 3.60 1.77 1.98
conditions

12. Findings and data interpretations
Constraints in SRI Adoption
Adopters Disadopters
Characteristics
Irrigators Rainfed Irrigators Rainfed
Sample Size 162 15 114 40
Average Score
Doubts on overall SRI technique 1.12 1.20 1.30 1.88
Difficulty in nursery bed preparation
& transplantation (10-14 days 2.94 2.33 3.10 2.43
plants)
Difficulty in managing the lines as
well as spacing between plants
2.64 3.13 3.11 3.35
Labour shortages 3.28 2.60 3.49 3.33
Lack of technical support from the
extension officer
1.94 1.93 2.23 2.33
Lack of timely availability of water
for field preparation (monsoon)
2.85 4.00 3.04 3.50
Lack of awareness among the labors
about transplantation technique
2.61 3.60 2.82 3.08

13. Recommendations
 Seed treatment should be ensured to increase the quality of seedlings
 To maintain the spacing , a wooden marker could be promoted within a
group of five farmers to maintain the 25 cm X 25 cm spacing
 Although raised bed preparation is practiced, bed preparation could be
phased in a gap of 3 – 4 days in three parts to maintain the
transplantation period to 12 – 15 days and rule out the risk of delayed
monsoon
 Cono-weeder to be promoted in groups to encourage weeding practices,
which will ultimately also ensure to maintain proper spacing between the
seedlings
 Promoting “amrut jal” for treatment of seeds and spraying, which could
reduce pest attack and would also reduce the usage of chemical fertilizers