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System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

Posted on May 30, 2022 by admin1  2856

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Recently , Experts said that the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method is beneficial for the soil, environment and farmers. 

About System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

  • It was first developed in Madagascar in the 1980s and since then several countries in the world have been practising it, including India.
  • It promises to save 15 to 20% ground water, and improves rice productivity, which is almost at a stagnant point now. 
  • It gives equal or more produce than the conventional rice cultivation, with less water, less seed and less chemicals. The net effect is a substantial reduction in the investments on external inputs.
  • Methodology 
  • First, the field is prepared by ploughing. It should be laser levelled before transplanting for proper water management and efficiency for a good crop stand.
  • Then irrigation is applied in the field which is not a flooding of field like traditional methods but less than that of a well irrigated field. 
  • Then 10-12 days old nursery (young paddy plants) along with soil particles around the root with minimum disturbance to the roots are transplanted in lines, which are marked at a distance of 10 inches from each other with the help of a rope metre. 
    • The purpose of making lines is to provide a favourable environment for growth and development of rice plants through such spacing. 
    • Seedlings or nurseries should be located adjacent to the main field to avoid a time lag between uprooting and planting, which should not be more than 30-40 minutes so that the roots do not dry out.

How is it different from DSR technique ?

  • Unlike DSR, which is suitable only for mid to heavy textured soils, SRI is suitable in all types of soil including less fertile soil as in such soil the number of seedlings can be increased to double.
  • In traditional sowing from the day of transplanting till the crop turns 35-40 days fields are kept under flood-like conditions.
    • And then fields are filled every week till a few weeks before harvesting. “But SRI doesn’t require continuous flooding, it needs intermittent irrigation. 
  • Unlike DSR when weeds are major problem and weedicides are sprayed simultaneously at the time of sowing, in SRI, which permits greater weed growth because of alternate wetting and drying of fields, the weeds are incorporated into the soil by operating a cono-weeder between rows, which are made at the time of sowing, which adds nutrients to the crop like green manures.
  • the limitations of SRI
    • If unchecked, greater weed growth will cause substantial loss of yield. 
  • Comparative Results 
    • A large number of demonstrations on SRI have been organised by the Gurdaspur Agriculture department over a decade ago and the results reported clearly indicated the superiority of SRI practices over the traditional method. 
  • Conclusion 
    • It can be sustainable if organic inputs in the soil structure are maintained. 

Source:IE

 
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