System of Rice Intensification

  • IASbaba
  • May 30, 2022
  • 0
Agriculture
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First developed in Madagascar in the 1980s by Father Henri, and since then several countries in the world have been practising it, including India.

  • Involves cultivating rice with as much organic manure as possible, starting with young seedlings planted singly at wider spacing in a square pattern; and with intermittent irrigation that keeps the soil moist but not inundated, and frequent inter cultivation with weeder that actively aerates the soil.

Benefits of SRI

  • Higher yields – Both grain and straw; Increase in income security for farmers
  • Reduced duration (by 10 days)
  • Lesser chemical inputs
  • Less water requirement
  • Systemic regulation of climate, soil and water
  • Reduction in Methane evolution
  • Less chaffy grain %
  • Grain weight increased without change in grain size
  • Reduced vulnerability & risks
  • Improved farm health
  • Higher head rice recovery
  • Withstand cyclonic gales
  • Cold tolerance
  • Soil & water health improves through biological activity (reduction in nitrogen)
  • Public health improvement with improvement in food security

Limitations with SRI

  • If unchecked, greater weed growth will cause a substantial loss of yield.
  • Higher labour costs in the initial years – needs 50% more man-days for transplanting and weeding.
  • Difficulties in acquiring the necessary skills.
  • Not suitable when no irrigation source is available.

Source: Indian Express

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