1. Experience on System of Root
Intensification in the Sundarbans
PRASARI

2. RIVER-BANK
FAILURE+SEA
WATER
SUNDARBANS
WATERLOG
CROP LOSS
RAINFALL+
SALINITY
GING
DRY SOIL+SALINE
SURFACE

3. Factors contributing …
HIGH
WATER SCARCITY
SINGLE RAINFALL +HIGH SALINITY IN
CROP-RICE+ IN JULY SUMMER (50% MORE)
1 acre av. land (753mm)
SUBMERGENCE
LOSS OF ONLY NOMINAL
1.91t/ha
GROP (as high SECOND CROP
70%)
FOOD INSECURITY+60% DISTRESSED MIGRATION

4. PROBLEM STATEMENT…
• WATER LOGGING AND NO DRAINAGE
• MONO-CROPPED (LOW YIELD-RICE)
• HIGHER SALINITY AND LESS SWEET WATER IN
SUMMER
• SMALL LANDHOLDING
• LACK OF FODDER & ORGANIC MANURE
(LIVESTOCK DECREASING)
• LACK OF FAITH ON NRM-AGRIL.
• MIGRATION

5. PRESENTATION SUMMARY….
• SRI EVOLUTIONS
0th Year
Year-1
Year-2
Year-3
• LEARNINGS
• WAY-FORWARD…….

6. SRI EVOLUTION (0TH YR)…
• PARESH DAS
• LAND-LESS
• LEASED-IN 10 dcml.
LAND
• SUMMER-07-08
• USED MOC+FYM
CAKE
• 240 KGS. OF RICE
OVER TRADITIONAL
115 KGS.

7. QUESTIONED ANSWERED(UN)(0TH
? YR)…..
SRI CAN BE DONE IN THE SUNDARBANS!
CAN IT BE CALLED AS SRI?
HIGHER WATER DEPTH AND STAGNATION VS. ALTERNATE DRY/WET
YOUNG AND SINGLE SEEDLING CAN SURVIVE WATER PRESSURE?
WHAT WOULD BE THE NUTRIENT DOSES?
THE TRADITIONAL VARIETIES WOULD ALSO RESPOND
UNDER SRI?
IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE SOIL UNDER WATER-WHERE TO USE
WEEDER?
WOULD PEOPLE REALY BE READY TO PUT THEIR LAND AT
STAKE?

8. SRI EVOLUTION (YEAR-1)…..
• RECEIVED SUPPORT
FROM SDTT
• KHARIF-152 FARMERS IN
49 ACRE (+80 FARMERS
IN SUMMER)
• GREEN MANURE+DE-OIL
CAKE BASED POP
• 11 FARMERS TRIED LOCAL
VARIETIES
• 15 FARMERS LOST CROP
IN SUMMER

9. QUESTIONED ANSWERED(UN)(1ST
? YR)…..
SRI IS ONLY FEASIBLE FOR THE UPLANDS?
WHAT TO DO WHERE WATER STAGNATION IS VERY HIGH?
WEEDER OPERATION CONTRIBUTES POSITIVELY TO THE YIELD EVEN IF
YOU CAN’T SEE THE SOIL!
ARE THE FARMERS TAKING UP SRI AS THEY ARE PROVIDED WITH THE
INPUTS COST? SOURCE OF ORGANICS?
LOCAL VARIETIES ARE DOING BETTER THAN THAT OF TRADITIONAL
PRACTICES-AROMATIC/MORISHSHAL VARIETY WOULD ASSURE MORE
RETURN UNDER SRI?
DE-OIL CAKES REMAINED ‘CAKES’ EVEN AFTER THE SUMMER
HARVEST!
ALTERNATE DRYING IN SUMMER RISES SALINITY AND CROP LOSSES IN
SUMMER!

10. SRI EVOLUTION (YEAR-2)….
• SRI WITH 1010 FARMERS ON
OVER 470 ACRES (EVEN-AYLA)
• REGISTRATION FEES VS. 8%
DROP OUT
• ALLOWED ORG+CHEMICAL IN
SUMMER
• USE OF EM-TECHNOLOGY
• LOW LAND SRI ENHANCED
50% YIELD:EARLY
TRANSPLANTATION
• 30 TO 40% CROP LOSS IN
SUMMER
• 118 FARMERS PRACTICED
LOCAL VARIETIES (28% in low
land,22% aromatic)

11. QUESTIONS ANSWERED(UN)(2ND
? YR)…..
WOULD THE DROP OUT RATE INCREASES IF THE INPUTS SUPPORT IS
MINIMUM?
WOULD THE FARMERS GO BACK TO PREVIOUS CHEMICAL N-P-K ONLY
AS THERE IS NO FYM/ORG. SUPPORT?
HOW TO PLAN FOR HIGH WATER ZONES IN ADVANCE?
HOW LONG TO EXPERIMENT WITH THE SUMMER RICE LOSSES?
IS THERE ANY ALTERNATIVE CROP FOR THE SALINE DELTA IN
SUMMER?
IS THIS ENOUGH TO ‘SEE’ THE FAMILIES ONLY IN THE KHARIF AND
FORGETING FOR 6 MONTHS?
HOW TO RESTRICT MIGRATION AND GETTING PEOPLE’S
NRM FAITH BACK WHEN HIGH SALINITY & NO SWEET
WATER?

12. SRI EVOLUTION (YEAR-3)…..
• MAPPING THE WATER LEVELS FOR
ALL VILLAGES
• SRI WITH 1430 FARMERS
• 221 FARMERS WITH LOCAL VARIETY
(54% IN THE LOW LAND, 17%
AROMATIC)
• SRI IN MUSTARD WITH THREE
VARIETIES (B9,RP-09,RAIJATA) AS
SUMMER ALTERNATIVE
• NOMINAL DROP OUT DUE TO
MIGRATION THOUGH MAJOR INPUTS
CONTRIBUTION FROM FARMERS
• SRI POCKETS HAVE BEEN DEVELOVED
• THREE LOCAL SHOPS WITH CLEANED
GODOWN OF DE-OIL CAKES AT THE
END OF KHARIF…

13. QUESTIONS ANSWERED(UN)(3RD
? YR)…..
 WOULD VILLAGERS TAKE UP THE MUSTARD CROP TO
REPLACE SUMMER RICE?
CAN SRI BE ALIGNED AS THE YEAR THE ROUND ACTIVITY?
LET’S EXPLORE HOW THE OVERALL SUPPORT COST
VARRIES OVER TIME!
WHAT IS THE “SRI INTERNALIZATION”
LEVEL OF THE COMMUNITY?

14. SRI EVOLUTION-4….
•RICE WITH (929+1211)
•FAMILIES
•LIVELIHOODS PLAN
WITH 50 SHGS-600 FAM
•RICE-FISH-MUSTARD
AS YEAR THE ROUND
ACTIVITY
•MUSTARD WITH-230
FAMILES,RAIJATA
VARIETY

15. GLANCING THROUGH THE EXTERNAL
INVESTMENTS…..

16. SRI INTERNALIZATION-A CASE STUDY
• Transplanting:5/7/11
• Un-interrupted rain: 03/08/11 to 20/8/11
• Complete submergence:9/8/11
• Drained out:27/8/11
• Lost: 90% of hills
• Fertilization to survived hills: 29/08/11
• Re-transplanting the panicles: 04/09/11
• Weeding: 11/09 and 18/09/11
• Date of harvest: 13/12/12
• Average Ht.: 122.2 cm
• Panicle length: 27.5 cm
• Effective tillers: 16
• Grain/panicle(av.):271
• Chaffy/panicle:23
• 1000 grain wt.:25 gm
• 25 sq. mtr grain:13.5 kg.
OVER 700 FARMERS FOLLOWED THIS METHOD
AND HARVESTED GOOD RETURN IN THE DELTA
in-spite of submergence loss

17. UNADDRESSED ISSUE OF SALINITY,SWEET
WATER AND MIGRATION…..
PROBLEMS
• SUMMER SALINITY
• NO DRAINAGE
• NON AVAILABLE SWEET
WATER IN SUMMER
• LESS RETURN FROM NRM
LEADING TO MIGRATION
SOLUTION
• FAO OF UN RECOMENDS
SUNDARBANS WATER HARVESTING
STRUCTURES (EX-SITU)
AS A SOLUTION

18. PRASARI HAS BEEN NEGOTIATING
WITH 3 GPs on FIVE SQUARE MODEL…
18

19. Investment and expected return from the 'five square model’
Rate
Cft. (Rs.)/cft Amount(rs.)
Length (ft.) 55
width (ft) 55
Layer-1 depth (ft) 3 9075 1.56 14144.51
Layer-2 depth (ft) 3 6627 1.67 11080.20
Layer-3 depth (ft) 3 5043 1.76 8860.52
Leaching trench 300 1.56 467.59
available water 23770
total (Rs.) 34552.81
Rounded off (Rs.) 35000
Loss 30% 7131
Net available-
WATER 16639
RETURN
WATER AVAILABLE
1RAIN-SEASON AREA(SQ.FT) REQD. RETURN(RS.) WATER
A RICE -SRI(SQ.FT) 5724 0 2759.504 16639
B BUND-VEG (OKHRA) 1452 0 9600 16639
HIGH-LAND VEG
C (OKHRA) 2800 0 19200 16639
2FISH (MIX CULTURE) 3025 5043 5000 11596
3POST-KHARIF 11596
A MUSTARD-SRI 5724 5724 6181.92 5872
BUND-VEG (bitter
B gourd) 1452 1452 5120 4420
HIGH-LAND VEG (cue-
C cumber) 2800 2800 4977.778 1620
4SUMMER 1620
BUND-VEG (RIDGE
A GOURD) 1452 1452 3840 168
TOTAL RETURN 19
(Rs.) 56679.2

20. WE ARE OPTIMISTIC, THIS MODEL
WOULD ADDRESS THE STATED ISSUES…..

21. KHARIF WATER STAGNATION & RESOURCE
MAP PREPARED BY VILLAGERS…
BACK

22. RESEARCH WITH BCKV
ON STATION &ON FARM
1.NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT
2. WEED MANAGEMENT
3. WATER MANAGEMENT
ON FARM PARTNERS WITH BCKV
PRASARI
AMBUJA CEMENT FOUNDATION

23. !!!