Improving and Scaling Up SRI in West Africa

Dr. Gaoussou Traoré and Dr. Erika StygerCentre National de Spécialisation sur le Riz, IER Mali, and

SRI-Rice, Cornell University

A Success Story

Outline• Context• Presentation of Project• Institutional set up • Technical approach• Country success stories• Wider impact• Difficulties• Way forward

Rice production in Sub-Saharan Africa

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

Rice production, consumption and deficit in West Africa between 2010 and 2018

Regional Policy: ECOWAS Rice Offensive (2012) to double rice production in the region by 2018

Rice production basins in West Africa

Bulletin club du sahel-AO: Enjeu Ouest Africain N°2 Juin 2011

Rice system Surface area % Contribution to production %

Yields (t/ha)

Irrigated 12-14 38 5 -6

Lowland rainfed 31 24 1 – 2.5

Upland rainfed 44 21 1

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– Launching of project in Saly, Senegal, July 2013– First technical workshop, 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 • Under the political umbrella of ECOWAS (Economic Community

of West African States)• Technically 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

Objectives of the SRI WAAPP Project

General objective: • Food security improved

Specific objective: • Rice productivity and competitiveness improved

in targeted areas

Objectives and expected results

Results1. Human and institutional capacities of stakeholders

in the SRI value chain in West Africa strengthened 2. Appropriate innovations (equipment and/or best

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

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

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

Loca

l

National WAAPPs

Regional Coordinating Unit (CNS-Riz, Mali)

SRI Farmers and Other Actors of the

Rice Value ChainInnovation Platforms

National Focal Points(13 countries)

Technical Partners and Beneficiaries

Regi

onal

&

Inte

rnat

iona

l

Champions and Technicians

Cornell SRI-Center& others

SRI Project Implementing

EntitiesLevel

National WAAPPs

CORAF/WECARD / Regional WAAPP

Funding and Institutional

Partners

Facilitation

Facilitation

Institutional ArrangementsN

atio

nal

Loca

l National WAAPPs

• 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

Institutional set up and implementation (5-10 per country)

• National WAAPP program• National research institute• Ministry of agriculture• National NGOs• Farmer organizations• Bilateral projects (USAID, JICA)• International NGOs• Private sector companies• Peace Corps• Others

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

General SRI-WAAPP Manual Adapted manuals for technicians and farmers

Year 1

Adapted manuals by climate zone and rice cropping system

Year 2 and 3

- M&E system tracking- Field technicians and farmers contribute to data collection- Information instantly and publicly available- Collaborate with CU CALS Institute for Resource Information

Sciences (IRIS) and Esri using ArcGIS online and Survey 123 app

Launched in June 2015

Data collectionOnline data collection and mapping platform

SRI Activities 2014: training and field sites Improving and Scaling up SRI in West Africa

Communications

www.sriafriqueouest.orgwww.sriwestafrica.org

Project websites:NewsletterInnovation NotesAdvocacy Notes

(in PDF and print)

Closed Facebook group,

WhatsApp group

SRI-WAAPP Regional Communication

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, Togo

Summary Results from the Region 2014

• 630 technicians and 8600 farmers trained• Average yields:

– Irrigated systems: 13 countries (100 %)• Conv 4.0 t/ha - SRI 6.4 t/ha +60%

– Lowland rainfed: 8 countries• Conv 2.0 t/ha – 3.3 t/ha (Mali) +65%

– Upland rainfed: 6 countries• Conv 1.2 t/ha – 2 t/ha (Mali) +67%

– Mangrove system: 1 country• Number of SRI farmers: estimated ca 15,000 (10,000 in Mali)• SRI area (ha): estimated 7000 ha

First SRI plot in Liberia, Dec 2012 by Community of Hope Agriculture Project (CHAP) Paynesville, Monrovia

First SRI test by Robert Bimba

President Ellen Johnson SIRLEAF opens a SRI field day, 2014

Paynesville, Monrovia

Liberia

SRI WAAPP Sites in all rice ecologies

Consortium of four partners:• ICAT: Ministry of Agriculture:

National facilitator• ITRA: national research institution • National NGO Graphe • National NGO ETD

SRI started in Togo in 2011 by Graphe• working in 4 villages

Before 2015: 815 farmers trained

June 2015: 1502 farmers trained in 60 villages through the Consortium

SRI-WAAPP• Focused project target zone: Fatick, Kaolack and Kaffrine regions – rainfed rice• 5,163 farmers to be trained in 2015• Exchange visits to PRODAM in Sep 2015• Trainings in Casamance and SRI-WAAPP target zone in Feb / Mar 2015

SenegalPRODAM

Casamance

SRI-WAAPP

• SRI activities since 2002• PRODAM – Large irrigated

IFAD project in NE; increasing to 2,000 hectares in 2015/16; yields 10-13 t/ha SRI, vs. 5.5-6 conv.

• Peace Corps• Cornell MPS students• Limited trials in Casamance

Mechanization

Wider and long-term impact

• UEOMA: SRI to be included in the regional Rice Action Plan

• SRI to be included in the national rice strategy in Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Ghana and Mali

• Network of Farmers' and Agricultural Producers' Organizations of West Africa for rice (ROPPA): committed to actively scale up SRI in West Africa

Difficulties

• Data collection and reporting• Multi-institutional collaboration within countries • Timely disbursement of funding for field activities• Demand for SRI surpasses current capacity and

funding

Way forward

• Reinforce program activities with a second phase of the project

• Diversify technical and financial partnerships• Integrate SRI into national multi-actor innovation rice

platforms• Participate in International SRI Community activities

Thank You!