1323 - Mechanization and the System of Rice Intensification (SRI)

Because SRI changes the distance between plants, the number of seeds/seedlings per hole and the age of seedlings, new planting equipment needs to be invented or old equipment adapted. In order to reduce the drudgery of hand-weeding, manual

and mechanized weeders have been devised, from one row to multiple row weeders. There is much room to improve upon theexisting designs, according to edaphic conditions and gender preferences. To scale up SRI, efficient and solid equipment needs

to developed and become available at farmers’ levels in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Mechanization and theSystem of Rice Intensification (SRI)

Hand pushed weeders

SRI weeders come in a variety of sizes, shapes and style, reflecting the need for local adaptation tosoil and climate conditions and gender preferences:

Mechanical weeders range from simple 1-2 row push machines (above), to simple rotary weed-ers with a small engine, to more complex and manufactured multi-row weeders attached to lightweight tractors.

(Source: right, Ariyaratna Subasinghe; sririce.org)

Motorized weeders

As SRI spreads, weeders have increased in complexity and efficacy, allowing farmers to maximizeproductivity gains from SRI.

In many upland conditions, direct seeding is more appropriate than transplanting. This drum seeder spaces rows evenly, but number of seeds per pocket and distance between plants within the line is not optimally controlled.

(Source: sririce.org)

Directseeders andtransplanters

Mechanization of SRI plantings requires development of new transplanting or direct seeding implements. Below is some equipment that is in various stages of being adapted to SRI conditions.

A conventional rice transplanter in Iraq transplants several seedlings/hole. Adjusting the machine to trans-plant a single seedling is a challenge. These machines are also delicate and expensive, and thus not appropri-ate for many smallholder-farming environments in the tropics. We believe that vegetable transplanters might be easier to adapt to the SRI system, and also cheaper and more robust than the current rice transplanters. The example from Pakistan is a good inspiration (pho-tos on the right).

(Source: Khidir A. Hammed)

Drum seeder

Conventional transplanter

With his new meth-ods Asif has tripled his yields to 12.8 t/ha, and reduced water use and la-bor by 70%.

(Source: Asif Sharif)

Asif Sharif’s precision mech-anized SRI system in Punjab, Pakistan: laser levelling; permanent raised beds; transplanted with precise spacing; machine weeded.

(Source: Asif Sharif)

SRI transplanter

Permanent beds after machine transplanting

Rice beds after machine weeding

Permanent raised beds during fur-row watering

(Source: sririce.org)

After testing many models,the weeder that was the lightest, easiest to make, most effective, and simplest of all: the nail weeder on right

A simple drylandweeder model

Women preferlight weeders,so do the men

The Food and Agriculture

Organizationof the

United Nations

The SRIInternationalNetwork andResources Center atCornell University

Contact: Erika Styger (SRI-Rice, Cornell University), [email protected];Amir Kassam (FAO), [email protected]; Josef Kienzle (FAO), [email protected];

www.sririce.org - www.fao.org/ag/ca - www.facebook.com/groups/SRI.innovators

Poster 6.indd 1 10/30/13 11:32 AM