SRI Method

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SRI method for resource conservation, profitability and sustainable rice production 

Technology Profile

The future of country’s rice production will depend heavily on developing and adopting strategies and practices that use irrigation water efficiently at the farm level.   System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is one such method which has a potential to produce more rice with less water.  Until 1990, the impression was that rice yields better only under flooded conditions. Hence, Water saving technologies in rice is the need of the hour and SRI method which had been tested for last one decade at IIRR and AICRIP programme is one technology which can save resources to more than 30%.

Context 

Need: Increase productivity, reduced cost of cultivation, enhancing the soil productivity Existing practices- Majority of the rice farmers practice flooded rice cultivation which consumes 1200 mm ha of water

Potential losses: Water losses, productivity and profitability to an extent of 30% 

Areas: In majority of the rice growing areas in Telangana and Andhrapradesh especially suited for Bore well 46% (DRR, 2005-2014) 

Empirical Evidences 

Demonstration yields and incomes 

SRI spaces rice plants more widely and does not depend on continuous flooding of rice fields. It uses lesser seed, chemical inputs and promotes soil biotic activities in and around the root zone, due to liberal applications of compost and weeding with a rotating hoe that aerates the soil. These changed practices with lower inputs lead to enhanced yields with considerable savings of inputs especially the water which is becoming scarce over the years. Grain yield increase by 10-25% and water use decreased by 29%.

Amount of water (lit) required for raising per one kg seed and Amount of water (lit) required for raising per one kg seed and     

Practical utility/Scalability