SRI Promotion in India:

Overview of System Architecture

Why SRI. . .Stand Point organisations Programs

Community level food security PRADAN, PSI, SDTT SDTT- program

Drought adaptation WASSAN AP DAI

Poverty alleviation/ Livelihoods SERP, RD CMSA, BRLP

Water sector reforms: Irrigation Dept.,WWF TN-IAMWARM, APCBTMP, Dialogue project

State food security Tripura Govt Tripura

National food security NFSM NFSM

Electricity reforms

Seed Production

Integral part of watershed development Govt. of MP, NABARD MPRLP, WDF

Promotion of SRI

Organic farming

Yield increases

Avoidance of agro-chemical use AME

SRI : Program LandscapeProgram Supported by Agency

NFSM Govt of India Agrl Dept, ATMA

Watershed development NABARD, Govt of India & state govts Govt and NGO PIAs

MP- Rural Livelihoods Program DFID MPRLP / Govt. & NGOs

Bihar Rural Livelihoods program World Bank ??

TN-IAMWARM World Bank Water Users' Assn & TNAU

AP CBTMP World Bank NGOs and Irrigation Dept

AP RPRP World Bank MMS

AP DAI World Bank MMS IFAD

SRI promotion through DATT Centres WWF & Govt. ANGR Agriculture University

WWF-Dialogue project WWF NGOs

SDTT NGOsMainstream agencies and Programs have taken up SRI . . .

SRI at the national level…?

Of the total rice area of 43 million ha with about120 million farmers. . .

SRI has reached a scale of about 2.5 lakh ha (about 0.6% of the rice area) across the country

Showing…About 15% yield increase on an average (0.5 tons per ha) & about 0.5 to 1.0 ton per ha yield increases in subsistence systems.

30% of saving in water

Substantial reduction in inputs (seeds, chemical inputs and importantly, water)

Food subsidy (Crore Rs.)

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

1996

–97

1997

–98

1998

–99

1999

–200

0

2000

–01

2001

–02

2002

–03

2003

–04

2004

–05

2005

–06

2006

–07

Fertiliser Subsidy

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

Ru

pee

s (c

rore

)

What SRI results (a 30%

saving in water) can

mean in this context…

Trends in Rice in Andhra Pradesh

-8.5

0.53 0.55

1.14

1.97

1.27

-7.34

2.51

1.69

-10

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

1981-90 1991-2000 2001-05

% c

om

po

un

d g

row

th r

ate

Area Productivity Production

Substantial SRI experience has been generated across the country through civil society initiatives.

Resource persons are available.

Institutions have taken up SRI as a mandate.. . .

SRI Total Rice

If we could cover 20 mil farmers under SRI: (Target : Household food security)Farmers coverage 20 millionHolding 0.5 ac 0.202 haTotal area 4.049 mill haYield Increase 0.5 Tons

Total Production 2.024 million tons

About 20% target of the NFSM

SRI covering about 15 m.ha (national food security)Area 15 m.hayield increase 0.3 tons/ ha

Tot Prod 4.5 million tons

More than 60% target of NFSM can be achieved thru SRI alone

What is SRI…? PRINCIPLES: Rationale of the

Principle Best Practices Desirable Not-desirable

1Utilise early vigour of seedlings

prolonged and profuse tillering

Young seedlings and quick transplanting

upto 3 leaves stage/ less than 14 days old

seedlings older than 3 leaves stage

2Less competetion for light and nutrients

higher use efficiency of sunlight and nutrients Wide spacing 25 x 25 cms no row-to-row spacing

3less resource use (seeds, water, fertiliser, pesticides)

Realising higher biological potential of rice plant with optimal resources in a sustained way

single seedling / alternate wetting & drying / less chemical inputs

single seedling per hill & a seed rate of 5 to 7.5 kgs / ha & upto 2.5 cms irrigation immediately after hairline cracks developing

more than 2 seedlings per hill // continued inundation

4Break soil anoxia conditionPrevent negative effects of submergence (exit of poisonous gases)

Intercultivation/ soil aeration with a weeder

Using weeder at 10 day interval - 2 to 3 times & 1st weeder use at 10 to 12 days after transplanting

no weeder usage / using chemical weedicides /

5promote healthy root growth

Reversing the inhibited root growth environment in normal paddy cultivation

- all above practices.

6Increased soil microbial activity

Realise the biological potential of soils for better plant growth

Green manure crops / use of green leaves / azolla /

incorporation of crop residues / compost / FYM / Bio-

fertiliser etc.

usage of only chemical fertilisers

7Enhance soil organic matter Feed the soils not the plants

Addition of in situ / ex-situ organic matter

Constraints…? Farmers are hesitant to start SRI…

– Continuous work for 4 to 5 seasons is needed in a geographical area for the practices to take strong roots and for the skills to develop.

– Exposure visits / road shows– Doing is believing – start in a limited way and

generate experience locally– Must invest in field-level SRI facilitators

Constraints…?Weeders A Problem… ?

– Labour-scarce situations– Labour-surplus / family-labour situations– Each requires different approach

Experience shows that both in subsistence farming and where family labour is available .. SRI is resulting in SAVING of labour.

Constraints…?Weeders A Problem… ?

– While motorised solutions for weeding are yet to emerge, the following are the issues in the supply of manual weeders & markers:

1.Making available adequate number of implements2.Ensuring quality 3.At low cost4.That can be fabricated locally5.User- and women-friendly6.Different designs for different situations (soils)7. Institutional mechanisms for managing (custom hiring

or with Panchayats/CBOs, etc.)8.Subsidies to farmers or manufacturers?

Constraints…?Weeders A Problem… Emerging Action points

1. Subsidise weeding for some years (experiences are available)

2. Compile all available designs and field test at different agro-climatic regions / soils

3. Based on the compilation – evolve newer designs.

4. Improve the skill of local black-smiths / fabricators

5. Support local fabrication units

6. Direct support to farmers (allow them to chose the weeder) rather than manufacturers.

7. Invest in training of labourers and support them

8. Evolve contractual weeding / transplanting systems rather than continue to rely on daily wage-labour.

• In rainfed situations:– Support ways of providing critical irrigation (farm

ponds, wells, etc.)– Local small irrigation support systems (Guhls) to be in

the hands of community• Where inundation is unavoidable:

– Practice all other principles• Invest in irrigation systems and evolve more

appropriate systems of water management. • Land levelling and field drainage are important

Constraints…?Water Management

• Bore well irrigation• Tank-based systems• System-tank based (large command areas)• Newly formed canals (water logging and salinity are

not much of a problem)• Old canal areas – no inundation• Old canal areas – drainage a problem

Constraints…?Water Management : Typologies

Important to evolve water management systems (physical and institutional) for SRI in all the above situations. Can a large pilot initiative in a canal area be taken up?

SRI can TRIGGER farmer- management of water resources

Research…

• 4 years of convincing data available with DRR• 2 publications are already prepared• <SRI & CC> and why yields in SRI in farmers’

fields higher than research stations… new themes

• A collaborative research anchored by DRR and Dr.TM Thiagarajan proposed to prepare a “Status of SRI In the Country”.

Policy Directions..

• A Special Vehicle for SRI within National Food Security Mission.

• A National “SRI Mission” focusing on promotion of SRI, particularly with the objective of household food security

• Can the civil society together work with government on a larger scale – intensive work in about 100 districts?

Allocation proposed under NFSM (Rs. crore) for the XI five year plan period (All India)

Year Rice Wheat Pulses Total

2007-08 70.8 234.6 96.9 402.3

2008-09 348.1 682.7 285.9 1316.8

2009-10 366.3 290.8 287.2 944.2

2010-11 428.3 341.5 286.4 1056.3

2011-12 508.8 370.8 283.4 1163.0

Total 1722.3 1920.3 1239.9 4882.5

http://indiabudget.nic.in/es2007-08/chapt2008/chap73.pdf

What should be the share of SRI in the NFSM-Rice allocations?

• Need to rework the strategies presently followed in the mainstream programs…

• Bring the civil society experiences into the design of larger government programs (on tanks, NFSM, watershed development, etc.)

Package of Support for Hybrid Rice and SRI under NFSMSl. No. Components Amount per

ha (Rs.)

1 Cost of critical inputs (seeds, fertilizers/ manures, PP chemicals and herbicides)

2,325

2 Organizing Farmers' day 200

3 Distribution of publicity material and display board

125

4 Visits of scientists excluding TA & DA of any kind but for hiring taxi/ POL, etc.

250

5 Contingencies/typing of results/minutes etc. 100

Total 3,000

Only additionality is support for weeders

Policy Directions..

• Engage with political bodies .. Parliamentary Standing Committee on rural development for e.g.,

• Engage with media• Establish larger Learning Alliances with the

mainstream programs to strengthen their SRI promotional initiatives?