Directed research component sri (system of rice intensification)

1. Directed Research Component: SRI
(System of Rice Intensification)
Siddharth Gahoi, Pankhuri S Agrawal

2. About SRI
2
More nutrition per seedling
Maintain distance between two seedlings
Transplant early for higher growth
Use organic fertilizers, local seed
Weeding using weeder machine
More output from less seed, less chemical fertilizers
Less but timely water requirement

3. The People
4
Mr. Kuntal Mukherjee (PRADAN) our field guide for
village stay in Chattishgarh
Mr. Ramakant Pandey (APSSS) our field guide and
resource person in Khukhri, Balrampur (C.G.) an
expert in organics and SRI practitioner himselfs

4. Background Study
5
Documents for understanding SRI, the program and
ideas for DR shared by Mr. Biswanath and Mr. Kuntal
Attempts of discussing SRI with villagers during
habitation meetings
Discussions with Ramakantji whenever possible
Casual questions during general household interviews-
Do you practice SRI?
If not, why? If yes, since when?
Does it really increase the yield?

5. Objectives
8
1. Matrix of adaptability of principles of SRI
Seed treatment
Seed bed preparation
Early transplantation (18-19 days as per Ramakantji)
One seedling per hill
Maintaining equal distance between seedlings (~ 10
inches)
Use of weeder machine for weeding
Use of local / high yield seed
2. Qualitative understanding of each principle by
farmers

6. Lastly, the basic question!!
10
How much yield does SRI give?

7. Questionnaires
11
Separate for implementers, non-implementers and
dropouts
Referred to PRADAN’s old questionnaire
Got them reviewed by Biswanath and Kuntal before
finalizing
Focus on gaining basic understanding through HH
interviews

8. Sampling Criteria for SRI Implementers
13
Total Land (Less than 2.5 acre and more than 2.5
acre)
Land under SRI (Less than 0.5 acre and more than
0.5 acre)
Years since SRI adoption (one yr. and more than one
yr.)

9. Sampling Criteria for SRI Implementers
14
Years of SRI adoption
Land under SRI
Total Land
Total 50
25
12
6 6
13
6 7
25
13
7 6
12
6 6
Shortlisting sizes for Khukhri

10. Sampling distribution for implementers: Obtained
16
Years of Adoption
Land under SRI
Total Land
Total 35
8
7
4 3
1
0 1
27
13
10 3
14
3 11
Sampling distribution obtained

11. Results
18

12. Principles
19
No of Principles
Adopted
No of Adopters Average Yield (Q/acre)
Less than 3 1 17.71
3 - 4 20 19.6
5- 6 11 19
7 3 21.6
Total 35 19.52
Implementers (Sample size 35)
No. of farmers Yield (Q/acre)
10 15.01
Non Adapters’ average yield

13. Seed
treatment
Seed bed
preparation
Early
transplantation
Distance
between
seedlings
One
seedling
per hill
Weeding
using
weeder
Use
of
Local
/ high
yield
seed
Farmers
practicing
8 15 19 34 24 32 24
Total farmers 35 34 34 34 35 35 29
Percentage of
farmers
22.8 44.1 55.8 100 68.5 91.4 82.7
No of farmers
with some
understanding
and explained
5 6 8 8 6 11 NA
Percentage
(understanding)
62.5 40 42.10 23.52 25 34.37 NA
Understanding of each principle
20

14. Principle 1: Seed Treatment
21
Remove bad seed before sowing
Not applicable for high yield / research and hybrid
seed
Seed germination done in most households
Seed
Treatment
Total
farmers who
answered
No of
farmers who
follow step
% of
farmers
No of
farmers who
could
explain
% of
farmers who
could
explain
35 8 22.8 5 62.5

15. Principle 2: Seed Bed Preparation
22
Seed beds of 20ft x 5ft for easier maintenance
Proper drainage channels
Use of organic manure during sowing
Seed Bed
Preparation
Total
farmers who
answered
No of
farmers who
follow step
% of farmers No of
farmers who
could
explain
% of farmers
who could
explain
34 15 44.1 6 40

16. Principle 3: Early Transplantation
23
Increases the chance for higher no of tillers by early
acceptance of new soil
Tough principle to follow in rainfed region
One of the reasons why people don’t implement SRI
Early
Transplantat
ion
Total
farmers who
answered
No of
farmers who
follow step
% of
farmers
No of
farmers who
could
explain
% of
farmers who
could
explain
34 19 55.8 8 42.10

17. Principle 4: Equal Distance Between Seedlings
24
Less competition between seedlings thus more
share of nutrition
Less crowding ensures air and water availability for
each seedling
Characteristic principle of SRI, also preached by
hybrid seed sellers
Equal
distance
between
sapling
Total
farmers
who
answered
No of
farmers
who follow
step
% of
farmers
No of
farmers
who could
explain
% of
farmers
who could
explain
34 34 100 8 23.52

18. Principle 5: One seedling per hill
25
Less competition, more nutrients per seedling
Hybrid seed sellers recommend this principle
Thus higher adaption
One
seedling
per hill
Total
farmers
who
answered
No of
farmers
who follow
step
% of
farmers
No of
farmers
who could
explain
% of
farmers
who could
explain
35 24 68.5 6 25

19. Principle 6: Weeding using weeder machine
26
Helps in loosening the soil, thus providing aerating
the root zone
Weeds put back into soil as green manure
Essential to take benefits from SRI, but extra
operation as compared to traditional method
Needs water in field for weeder to work
Needs to be done timely
Weeding
using weeder
machine
Total
farmers
who
answered
No of
farmers
who follow
step
% of
farmers
No of
farmers
who could
explain
% of
farmers
who could
explain
35 32 91.4 11 34.37
* Weeder v/s Herbicide

20. Principle 7: Use of local/high yield seed
27
Aiming towards sustainable agriculture
Hybrid comes with package of chemical inputs, more
susceptible to pest attack or disease
Many different criteria to decide seed type. Thus not
included in checking farmers’ understanding
Use of
local /
high
yield
seed
Total
farmers
who
answere
d
No of
farmers
who
follow
step
% of
farmers
No of
farmers
who
could
explain
% of
farmers
who
could
explain
29 24 82.7 NA NA

21. Dropouts
28
Reasons:
More time
More labour / labourers
Skilled labourers
Land not appropriate
Same yield in both practices
Yield reduced in wheat
Sample size of 9 not enough to make quantitative
comment on correlation between land put under SRI
and dropouts

22. SRI Non-Implementers
29
Name
Seed
treat
ment
Seed
bed
prepar
ation
Early
transpla
ntation
Distanc
e of
transpl
anting
Seedl
ings
per
hill
Frequ
ency
of
weedi
ng
(By
hand)
Type of manure
Total 0 6 7 5 5 0
Mohan
ram
0 y 19 6 2.5 1 gobarkhaad plus chemical
Manoh
ar
0 y 19 10 1 1 gobarkhaad plus chemical
Anal
Kumar
0 0 18 11 1 1 gobarkhaad
Surend
ar
0 y 18 12 2.5 1 gobarkhaad 4 tractors
Vijay 0 y 17 12 1 1
almost double gobarkhaad than
average, chemical as supplementary
Gorela
l
0 y 21 6 2.5 1 Gobarkhaad, some chemical fertilizer
Banwa
ri
0 0 23 12 1 2 chemcial
Devna
rayan
0 0 17 5 2.5 1 GobarKhaad + Chemical
Pitamb
ar
0 y 23 5 1 1
Gobarkhaad alternate years, chemical
each year
Aliram 0 0 17 2.5 1 chemical
Non Implementers practicing SRI principles: sample size 10

23. SRI Non-Implementers: Reasons
31
More labour/labourers
Time consuming
Won’t increase yield much
Marker rope consumes time

24. A 2 Hours’ Practical
32
Varying speed of labourers creates a wait time for faster
labourer
Transplanted one sided line
Upland not appropriate for weeder due to lack of water
One can not be sure about rain, thus need to prepare
extra saplings. Thus not much saving in seed.
Pattern of fertilizers not changed yet. Thus no saving
there.

25. Conclusions
33
Increase in per acre yield, but against extra efforts
Land type and water availability matters
Good no of farmers understand the reasoning
behind principles, more in Khukhri than in Jamdohar
Extension work as well as farmer to farmer extension
is active in Khukhri

26. 35