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The System of Rice Intensification (SRI):
The Improbable Journey of Norman Uphoff, CIIFAD
Origins of SRI
Where does this innovation come from?
How did I happen to get involved with SRI?
What were my initial reactions to SRI?
Fr. de Laulaniémaking a field visit
Reservations
What were my initial reservations about SRI?
What led me to overcome these reservations?
Introduction of SRI to Asia
Asia is the rice basket of the world, with centuries-old traditions
surrounding the cultivation of this crop.
What made me think that the Madagascar successes could be
replicated there?
E-mail from Roland Bunch, 5/13/2003:
Dear Norman,I am in Siem Reap, Cambodia, right now, visiting the ADRA program here. Yesterday, they gave us a report, according to which about a hundred farmers here tried out SRI last year.People were so afraid to try it (because of the small seedlings) that ADRA promised to replace any rice that a farmer lost as a result of trying it, i.e., anything less than the 1.0 t/ha that is the traditional average yield here.
The average yield for all the farmers trying out SRI was 2.5 t/ha! A 150% improvement! And not one single farmer claimed his yield insurance. i.e., not one got below 1.0 t/ha. And this in an area where virtually no one can control the amount of water in his/her paddy field. Now, every single member of the groups in which at least one farmer tried SRI last year has stated he/she wants to try SRI next year -- well over 500 people. Norman, this already IS a revolution!
Sincerely, Roland Bunch
Status of SRI: As of 1999
Known and practiced only in Madagascar
SRI benefits have been demonstrated in 34 countries
in Asia, Africa, and Latin America
Before 1999: Madagascar1999-2000: China, Indonesia2000-01: Bangladesh, Cuba Cambodia, Gambia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Thailand 2002-03: Benin, Guinea, Mozambique, Peru
2004-05: Senegal, Mali, Pakistan, Vietnam2006: Burkina Faso, Bhutan, Iran, Iraq, Zambia2007: Afghanistan, Brazil 2008: Egypt, Rwanda, Congo, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Ghana
> 1 million farmers/acres
Now in 2009, SRI benefits have been validated in 36 countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America
AFGHANISTAN: SRI field in Baghlan Province, supported by Aga Khan Foundation Natural Resource Management
program
Costs of rice production & net returns in real terms (kg ha-1), 2002-2004
[Both costs of production and yields are expressed in same physical terms: kg of rice]
Year (N)Production cost
(kg ha-1)Rice yield
(kg ha-1)Net income
(kg ha-1)Before
FFSAfterFFS
% Chang
e
Before FFS
AfterFFS
Before FFS
After FFS
Incre-ment
2002 202 1,865 1,791
-4.0 2,084 4,271 219 2,480 2,261
2003 198 1,713 1,797
4.9 1,882 4,078 169 2,281 2,112
2004 212 1,794 1,798
0.2 2,249 4,764 455 2,966 2,511
Mean
612 1,791 1,795
0.2 2,076 4,379 285 2,584 2,299
What Else Can SRI Do for Poor Households?
• Greater protection against:– Biotic stresses: pests/diseases– Abiotic stresses: drought, storm damage,
extreme temperatures
• More net food production: about ~15% higher milling outturn
• Shorter time to maturity – 1-3 wks
Farmer Perceptions
Even in areas where SRI is being practiced, farmers often only adopt
SRI on a portion of their fields. What are the main obstacles that farmers
see to adopting SRI and what can be done to address these?
Main Obstacles 1. Water control2. Biomass for compost3. Enough labor & time to learn4. Farmer skill and motivation5. Pest control (sometimes)6. ∆ Mental preconceptions – e.g., perception that SRI is too risky
Going from an NGO-based Initiative to a National
Program
NGOs, including Oxfam America, have played a leadership role in the introduction
of SRI methods in several countries. Governments are now expressing an interest in using SRI as part of their
development efforts. What challenges are associated with this transition?
1: Establish SRI ‘alliances’ or ‘coalitions’ (Orissa, Cambodia, Vietnam)
2: Avoid converting SRI into a ‘technology’ (technology transfer)
3: Keep SRI flexible, always learning, and farmer-centered
4: Improve the scientific basis
5: Reorient agricultural sector-- ‘post-modern agriculture’
Scaling-Up
What additional investments will be needed for SRI to become a dominant
paradigm for agricultural intensification in main rice-growing regions of the developing world?
THANK YOU
• SRI website: http://ciifad.cornell.edu/sri/
• Email: [email protected] or [email protected] or
• Email: [email protected]
