From the color of nature to the color of science - -

orField agronomy: the art of observation

The case of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) controversy

Willem A. Stoop

“The Color of Science” symposium

7th March 2014

The color of plants

The diversity in colors and - - -

- - -plant phenotypes : the SRI “poppy plant” with some 200 seed capsules

Plant phenotypes: inducedmorphological changes

System of rice intensification

Madagascar: local variety Andhra Pradesh; India

Conventional rainfed rice, high seed rate / pump irrigation (Andhra Pradesh)

Himachal, India System of wheat intensification

Wheat (SWI-left; conv. –right) Wheat (SWI): low seed rate

Conventional wheat: high seed rate, broadastseeding: lodging and pre-mature ripening

System of wheat intensificationNoord Beveland; Netherlands

The SRI / SCI package of practices as compared with conventional practices

SRI/SCI agro-ecological:

• very low seed rates

• very young transplants:

8 to 15 days old

• single transplants/hill

• wide spacing:

20x20 to 50x50 cm

• no flooding, moist soil

• compost

• 3 to 4 rounds rotary hoe

Modern, conv. (irrigated):

• high seed rates

• young transplants:

about 21days; or older

• 3-5 transplants/hill

• narrow spacing:

10x10 to 20x20 cm

• continuous flooding

• min. fertilizer + N topdr.

• 2 rounds rotary hoe /

herbicide

Root development:

on left a plant that remained in the nursery for 52 days; on right a plant transplanted in a widely spaced grid after 9 days

SWI plant (Uttarkhand, India)

Wheat fields Uttarkhand (India)(search for the dark green plot)

Conventional (densely) seeded wheat vs low density, dark green SWI (Uttarkhand; India)

Conclusions

and

Controversy between agro-ecological-and “modern”, industrial farming

SRI : an empirical system labelled as anagro-ecological approach, NOT originating from

formal (mainstream) research

an agricultural research controversy around :

field observation: farmer participation and dialogue

versus

scientific research: data collection /computer analyses

Dealing with diversity throughstandardised practices ??

(New seeds + NPK fertiliser as globalsolutions for food production ?)