Improving and Scaling up the System of Rice Intensification in West Africa Contact: Dr. Gaoussou Traoré, Institut d’Économie Rurale, Mali – [email protected] Dr. Erika Styger, SRI-Rice, Cornell University, USA – [email protected] CORAF/WECARD • INSTITUT D’ÉCONOMIE RURALE (Mali) • SRI-RICE (Cornell University, USA) Project Phase I • October 2013-October 2016 What is the System of Rice Intensification, or SRI? SRI is an agroecological approach to growing rice, which allows farmers to increase yields, while at the same time decreas- ing inputs such as water, chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. SRI can be applied to all varieties of rice, from farmers’ existing varieties to improved varieties. How does SRI work? Let’s take a look at what makes SRI different from standard practices. The series of images below demonstrates how farm- ers adopt and adapt SRI, and how this changes their rice cultivation practices and the morphology of the rice plant itself. 1 HEALTHY PLANT ESTABLISHMENT Early and careful transplant- ing, at around 8-12 days 2 LOW PLANT DENSITY 1 plant per hill, with a wider spacing between hills–typi- cally 25cm or more 3 ACTIVE SOIL AERATION Mechanical weeding aerates the soil, and reincorporates weeds to add organic matter 5 ORGANIC MATTER Preference organic matter over synthetic fertilizers, when possible 4 REDUCED WATER Practice alternate wetting and drying where possible, allowing aerobic conditions What is the project? ‘ Improving and Scaling up SRI in West Africa ’ is the 3-year first phase of a regional World Bank-financed project to increase rice productiv- ity throughout a 13-country ECOWAS project area (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Ni - geria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo), seen in the map above. As part of the larger West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), steered by CORAF/WECARD, regional coordination for the implementation of the project is provided by the Institut d’Économie Rurale’s National Center of Specialization on Rice (CNS-RIZ), based in Mali, with a mandate to evaluate, select and scale up an approach for sus - tainably increasing rice production throughout the region. In 2012 and 2013 stakeholders met, and through a participatory process decided to launch the first phase of the SRI project. Each of the 13 participating countries will implement SRI according to their own level of preparedness, using country-level WAAPP focal points to coordinate national efforts including active participation from NGOs, farmers’ groups and associations, commercial rice farmers, training centers, government agencies and research institutes. See the list of countries and their current status above. The SRI International Net - work and Resources Center (SRI-Rice), based at Cornell University (NY, USA), is the principal technical partner. Preparing plants for transplant- ing early allows maximum time for each plant to develop its optimum tillering potential. In contrast to normal farmer prac- tices of transplanting at several weeks of age, SRI advises trans- planting from a nursery when individual plants have only 2 leaves apiece, and to carefully handle each plant so as not to damage their growth potential. In SRI, unlike in conventional practice, plants are transplanted singly, with wide spacing between hills. This results in an 80-95% re - duction in seed use, and provides each plant with ample space, light and nutrients. Plants respond by producing more tillers and deeper and fuller root systems, which translates into better plant health, and increased panicle length and grain size. Yields often improve by 50% or more, as seen in many parts of West Africa and the world. When farmers adopt and adapt SRI in their fields, traditional methods of weed control often need to be changed. Instead of relying on herbicides and flooding, SRI calls for mechani- cal weeding as much as is pos - sible. Different weeder models are used for irrigated rice (like the one at left) than for upland conditions. Farmer adaptation and experimentation is key to developing locally appropriate systems. Rice is often flooded as a means of weed control, but anaerobic soil impedes root growth, plant health, and mineralization of nutrients, and limits the diver- sity, abundance and effective - ness of soil flora. One of the keys to SRI is having an aerobic soil environment, which ne - cessitates other changes like adoption of mechanical weed control, and addition of organic matter instead of heavy reli- ance on synthetic fertilizers. SRI works as a synergistic ap- proach, meaning that all the steps above produce an effect that is greater than the sum of their parts. Additions of or- ganic matter to an aerobic soil provide a complex and rich soil habitat for rice plants. By trans- planting young, vigorous plants with wide spacing, each plant grows healthy and strong, re - sulting in high yields and better soil health, using fewer inputs, and increasing farmer incomes. Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali These three countries have several years of experience with SRI, in multiple re - gions, with training structures in place. Our objective is to scale up SRI with a harmonized approach, and with a well- designed monitoring system in place. Group A - Experienced countries Niger, Guinea, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia These five countries have limited exist - ing SRI trials underway, and little if any training capacity in place. Our objective then is to organize initial trainings on SRI, and to set up pilot tests in different locations around each country. Group C - Countries with interest but little experience Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Senegal, Sierra Leone With basic SRI experience, these five countries have a good base to build from. Our objective is to reinforce their capac - ity for training and implementing SRI, and to expand trials to new locations and to different rice cropping systems. Group B - Intermediate coun- tries, moderately experienced B B B B B C C C C C A A A CNS-RIZ
1324 - Improving and Scaling up the System of Rice Intensification in West Africa
Jan 17, 2015
Title: Improving and Scaling up the System of Rice Intensification in West Africa
Presented by: Erika Styger
Presented at: Third Africa Rice Congress
Venue and Date: Yaounde, Cameroon. October 21-24, 2013
Presented by: Erika Styger
Presented at: Third Africa Rice Congress
Venue and Date: Yaounde, Cameroon. October 21-24, 2013
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Improving and Scaling up the System of Rice Intensification in West Africa
Contact:Dr. Gaoussou Traoré, Institut d’Économie Rurale, Mali – [email protected]. Erika Styger, SRI-Rice, Cornell University, USA – [email protected]
CO R A F / W E C A R D • I N S T I T U T D ’ É CO N O M I E R U R A L E ( M a l i ) • S R I - R I C E (Co r n e l l U n i ve r s i t y, U S A)P r o j e c t P h a s e I • O c t o b e r 2 0 1 3 - O c t o b e r 2 0 1 6
What is the System of R ice I ntensif icat ion, or SRI?SRI is an agroecological approach to growing rice, which allows farmers to increase yields, while at the same time decreas-ing inputs such as water, chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. SRI can be applied to all varieties of rice, from farmers’ existing varieties to improved varieties.
How does SRI work?Let’s take a look at what makes SRI different from standard practices. The series of images below demonstrates how farm-ers adopt and adapt SRI, and how this changes their rice cultivation practices and the morphology of the rice plant itself.
1HealtHy planteStablISHmentEarly and careful transplant-ing, at around 8-12 days
2low plant denSIty1 plant per hill, with a wider spacing between hills–typi-cally 25cm or more
3actIve SoIl aeRatIonMechanical weeding aerates the soil, and reincorporates weeds to add organic matter
5oRganIc matteRPreference organic matter over synthetic fertilizers, when possible
4Reduced wateRPractice alternate wetting and drying where possible, allowing aerobic conditionsWhat is the projec t?
‘Improving and Scaling up SRI in West Africa’ is the 3-year first phase of a regional World Bank-financed project to increase rice productiv-ity throughout a 13-country ECOWAS project area (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Ni-geria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo), seen in the map above. As part of the larger West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), steered by CORAF/WECARD, regional coordination for the implementation of the project is provided by the Institut d’Économie Rurale’s National Center of Specialization on Rice (CNS-RIZ), based in Mali, with a mandate to evaluate, select and scale up an approach for sus-tainably increasing rice production throughout the region.
In 2012 and 2013 stakeholders met, and through a participatory process decided to launch the first phase of the SRI project. Each of the 13 participating countries will implement SRI according to their own level of preparedness, using country-level WAAPP focal points to coordinate national efforts including active participation from NGOs, farmers’ groups and associations, commercial rice farmers, training centers, government agencies and research institutes. See the list of countries and their current status above. The SRI International Net-work and Resources Center (SRI-Rice), based at Cornell University (NY, USA), is the principal technical partner.
Preparing plants for transplant-ing early allows maximum time for each plant to develop its optimum tillering potential. In contrast to normal farmer prac-tices of transplanting at several weeks of age, SRI advises trans-planting from a nursery when individual plants have only 2 leaves apiece, and to carefully handle each plant so as not to damage their growth potential.
In SRI, unlike in conventional practice, plants are transplanted singly, with wide spacing between hills. This results in an 80-95% re-duction in seed use, and provides each plant with ample space, light and nutrients. Plants respond by producing more tillers and deeper and fuller root systems, which translates into better plant health, and increased panicle length and grain size. Yields often improve by 50% or more, as seen in many parts of West Africa and the world.
When farmers adopt and adapt SRI in their fields, traditional methods of weed control often need to be changed. Instead of relying on herbicides and flooding, SRI calls for mechani-cal weeding as much as is pos-sible. Different weeder models are used for irrigated rice (like the one at left) than for upland conditions. Farmer adaptation and experimentation is key to developing locally appropriate systems.
Rice is often flooded as a means of weed control, but anaerobic soil impedes root growth, plant health, and mineralization of nutrients, and limits the diver-sity, abundance and effective-ness of soil flora. One of the keys to SRI is having an aerobic soil environment, which ne-cessitates other changes like adoption of mechanical weed control, and addition of organic matter instead of heavy reli-ance on synthetic fertilizers.
SRI works as a synergistic ap-proach, meaning that all the steps above produce an effect that is greater than the sum of their parts. Additions of or-ganic matter to an aerobic soil provide a complex and rich soil habitat for rice plants. By trans-planting young, vigorous plants with wide spacing, each plant grows healthy and strong, re-sulting in high yields and better soil health, using fewer inputs, and increasing farmer incomes.
Benin,Burkina Faso,
MaliThese three countries have several years of experience with SRI, in multiple re-gions, with training structures in place. Our objective is to scale up SRI with a harmonized approach, and with a well-designed monitoring system in place.
group a - experienced countries
Niger, Guinea,Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire,
The GambiaThese five countries have limited exist-ing SRI trials underway, and little if any training capacity in place. Our objective then is to organize initial trainings on SRI, and to set up pilot tests in different locations around each country.
group c - countries withinterest but little experience
Ghana, Nigeria,Togo, Senegal,
Sierra LeoneWith basic SRI experience, these five countries have a good base to build from. Our objective is to reinforce their capac-ity for training and implementing SRI, and to expand trials to new locations and to different rice cropping systems.
group b - Intermediate coun-tries, moderately experienced
BB
B B
B
C
C
C
C
C
A
AA
C N S - R I Z
Related Documents
