System of Rice Intensification (SRI) emerged in the 1980’s as a synthesis of locally advantageous rice production practices encountered in Madagascar by Fr Henri de Laulanie.
What is System of Rice Intensification (SRI)?
SRI is a combination of several practices those include changes in nursery management, time of transplanting, water and weed management. It emphasizes altering of certain agronomic practices of the conventional way of rice cultivation.
All these new practices are together known as System of Rice Intensification (SRI).
What are the main components of System of Rice Intensification (SRI)?
SRI is a system of production with four main components, viz.,
1 . soil fertility management
2 . planting method
3 . weed control
4 . water (irrigation) management
Rice yield increased with less water and with reduction in chemical inputs.
How System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is done?
The System of Rice Intensification 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.
What are the advantages of System of Rice Intensification (SRI)?
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is an agroecological and climate-smart rice production methodology that allows farmers to:
1 . Increase yields by 30-50% or more
2 . Use 90% less seed.
3 . Use 30-50% less irrigation water and conserving electricity.
4 . Use 30-100% less chemical fertiliser and pesticides
5 . Reduction in methane emission.
6 . Reduced duration (by 10 days)
7 . Grain weight increased without change in grain size
8 . Soil health improves through biological activity
How System of Rice Intensification (SRI) reduces greenhouse gas (GHG)?
The traditional practice of continuous flooding of the rice field produces a significant amount of greenhouse gas (GHG), specifically methane (CH4). With SRI, soil moisture is kept at an optimum level, thus, reducing methane emission from rice production.
Opting for organic fertilizers over the synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, which emit the GHG nitrous oxide (N2O), also reduces the GHG contribution from rice production.
What are the disadvantages of System of Rice Intensification (SRI)?
1 . Higher labour costs in the initial years
2 . Difficulties in acquiring the necessary skills
3 . Not suitable when no irrigation source available
What is the principle of SRI?
Principle of SRI is – ‘More with Less’
Must read: Rice – source of both methane and nitrous oxide
For more information http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES 1 . “System of Rice intensification” of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and drying of rice field
is practised, results in: UPSC 2022
1 . Reduced seed requirement
2 . Reduced methane production
3 . Reduced electricity consumption
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
