Improving and Scaling Up SRI in West Africa

Erika Styger and Devon JenkinsSRI-Rice, Cornell University

Regional Review and Planning Workshop, SRI Lower Mekong River Basin project

Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2-3 June, 2015

Insights from a regional, 13-country project

Extension and Adoption of SRI in 201555 countries in 2015, 8-10 million farmers on 3.5 million hectares in 2013 or

2% of global rice area

SRI-WAAPP SRI-LMB

Improving and Scaling Up SRI in West Africa• 1st Phase of a 3 year project; • January 2014 – December 2016

Climate• Tropical• Highly variable rainfall = < 200mm in north to > 4,500 mm in SE / SW

Rice production systems• Predominantly rainfed upland (yields 1-1.5 t/ha) and rainfed lowland (yields 2-

4 t/ha)• Irrigated rice predominant in the northern zones (yields 4-12 t/ha)• Mangrove and swamp systems in more humid zones• O. glaberrima domesticated in Mali ≈ 3,500 years ago

Cultural• Heterogeneous• 340 million people• 500+ local languages• Largely Muslim in the north, Christian in the south

West Africa Overview

Rice production in Africa(South of Sahara)

Each dot represents 20,000 tons Data: FAO

Rice production 2006

64% of rice is produced in West Africa

Nigeria, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali

Ref: Warda (2008) Africa rice trends 2007

1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006

Rice production and consumption in SSA from 1961-2006

Production

Consumption 40% importedConsumption rate increase

yearly 6.3% (2000-2007)

Production rate increase yearly 3.7% (1996-2006)

Production increase through cropping area extension, as yields stagnate

SRI In West Africa since 2001

• Benin 2001: 1 farmer, Echo intern: SRI 7.5t/ha • The Gambia 2002-2005: Research with farmers: SRI

5.4-8.3 t/ha• Guinea 2003: Chinese research with hybrids: 9 t/ha• Senegal 2003-2009: Rodale Institute; Dissertation

with WARDA• Sierra Leone 2004: World vision, USAID, CRS:: SRI

5.3t/ha vs 2.5t/ha• Burkina 2006: 6 farmers: SRI 7t/ha vs 3.5t/ha• Mali: 2007-2012 : 3 projects, 6 regions, > 1000

farmers • Since 2010: regional trainings by Mali projects in

Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Benin, Togohttp://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu

Improving and Scaling Up SRI in West Africa

• Regional commissioned project to increase rice productivity in 13 ECOWAS countries

• Project developed through participatory process over 1.5 years with representatives from research, extension, farmers from 13 countries– First workshop in Ouagadougou, July 2012– Second workshop in Saly, Senegal, July 2013– Launching of project Porto Novo, Benin, February 2014

Improving and Scaling Up SRI in West Africa

• Part of the West Africa Agriculture Productivity Program (WAAPP)

• Funded by the World Bank • Steered by Central and West African Council for Agricultural

Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD)• Regional coordination for implementation:

– Institute Economie Rural (IER) National Center for Specialization on Rice (CNS-Rice), Mali;

– SRI-Rice Center from Cornell University is principal technical partner

• Each country has its own implementation plan and funding for implementation

• National WAAPP coordination • National Facilitator, housed at the SRI-WAAPP Focal

Institution• SRI Champions (can be anyone: farmers, technicians etc)

SRI-WAAPP organizational structure

(NY, USA)

CORAF CNS-Riz

Funded by the World Bank

French speaking

English speaking

Countries involved in SRI-WAAPP

CNS-Riz (Mali) SRI-Rice

• Technical support• Methodology development • M&E planning / implementation• Training• Material development

• Technical, M&E, Communications

• Co-facilitating workshops• Connect project partners to SRI

networks in 50+ countries

• Coordination• Logistics• Regional planning• Co-facilitating workshops• Primary point of contact for

National Facilitators• Primary point of contact for

WAAPP• Coordinates with

CORAF/WECARD and World Bank

Regional Coordination Unit

Objectives and expected results

General objective: • Food security improved

Specific objective:

• Rice productivity and competitiveness improved in targeted areas – Number of farmers, SRI land area, yields, income (conv-SRI)

Results1. Human and institutional capacities of stakeholders

in the SRI value chain in West Africa strengthened • Trainings, institutions become active in SRI

Objectives and expected results

• Results2. Appropriate innovations (equipment and/or best

practices) for SRI developed, scaled up, and adopted in West Africa • Innovations developed, disseminated and adopted

3. SRI stakeholders’ demand for knowledge and decision-making options facilitated and met

• Knowledge products produced and disseminated• SRI integration in rice innovation platforms

4. Efficient mechanisms and tools of coordination, management and M&E of the project established

http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu

Technical approach

Samuel Bimba, with his SRI field in Liberia, 2014

Climatic and agro-ecological zones of the project

Arid < 75 d

Semi-arid 75-180 d

Semi-humid 180-270 d

Humid > 270 d

Growing period

Climate

Major rice cropping systems

Source AfricaRice, 2010

System of Rice Intensification

A. Early and healthy plant establishment

C. Build fertile soils rich in organic matter and soil biota

D. Mange water carefully, avoid flooding &water stress

Soil preparation Seed

treatment/pre-germination

Raised bed nursery Transplanting:

• At 2 leave stage, 8-12 days old

- or - Direct seeding:

• Precision seeding (at 1 or 2 plants/hill)

Reduce plant density

1 plant/hill

- and - Increase spacing

between plants (25cm x 25cm or more), planted in a grid

Mechanical weeding

Fertilize with organic matter and add chemical fertilizer if needed:

• Manure/compost• Cover crop / green

manure• Crop residues

Incorporate OM or combine SRI with Conservation Agriculture

Land preparation:

Leveling, bunding, application or organic matter Non flooded

conditions during the vegetative period

Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) – or -

Bunding, additional irrigation or drainage

Principles

SRI Practices

Indicative and to adapt

Methodology

Conceptual Framework

B. Minimize competition between plants

(Styger and Jenkins, 2014)

System of Rice IntensificationA. Early and healthy plant establishment

C. Build fertile soils rich in organic matter and soil biota

D. Mange water carefully, avoid flooding &water stress

Principles

SRI Practices

Methodology

Conceptual Framework

B. Minimize competition between plants

SRI practices

Climate: Arid - Semi-arid - Semi-humid - Humid

Irrigated system

SRI practices

SRI practices

SRI practices

Upland system

Lowland system

Other systems, e.g. mangrove, deep-water rice etc

SRI-WAAPP Manual (Year 1)

60 pages

Adapted manuals by climate zone and rice cropping system

• Templates developed by SRI-Rice

• System’s Characterization:– Rice system– Crop Growing Periods– Water availability for rice

production– Others

• Developed by Countries in Year 2

Adapted manuals for technicians 1-2 pages for each technical step

Adapted manuals for farmers Shorter sections, picture based, local languages

- M&E system tracking- Field technicians and farmers contribute to data collection- Information instantly and publicly available- Android Survey App – Available offline, for tablets,

smartphones and laptop / desktop computers

Launch of pilot in West Africa June 2015

Data collectionOnline data collection and mapping platform

www.sriwestafrica.org www.sriafriqueouest.org

SRI Activities 2014 :Training and field sites

Improving and Scaling up SRI in West Africa

‘Story Maps’ with ESRI (makers of ArcGIS) –

publicly accessible, narrative websites that explain and illustrate the project with interactive multimedia components

New tools in development

Communications

www.sriafriqueouest.orgwww.sriwestafrica.org

Project websiteNewsletterInnovation NotesAdvocacy Notes(in pdf and print)

Closed facebook groupWhatsApp

SRI-WAAPP Regional Communication

Thank You!