The System of Rice Intensification in Jharkhand Bihar
The System of Rice Intensification in Jharkhand Bihar Bringing new perspectives to the search for household food security _______ NEEDS www. needsngo. in
A Presentation on SRI paddy cultivation, experiences, 2005 to 2007
The shift: a glimpse o 53 farm families harvesting rice for only 57 months consumption are now harvesting 14 -18 months’ worth of rice from a single crop in the same piece of land o Food security level of over 1000 families has increased, and these families are now able to take risks in diversified livelihoods [so financial inclusion is taking place]
System of Rice Intensification n Jharkhand o District: Deoghar o Block: Sarwa o Coverage of villages: 41 n Bihar o District: Banka o Block: Chandan o Coverage of villages: 16
System of Rice Intensification o o Total coverage of farmers : 1030 Total coverage of area (hectares): 430 Maximum yield (ha) : 12. 9 MT Minimum yield (Kg / ha) : 6. 2 MT
System of Rice A Case Farmer’s name Village Panchayat Area Variety Block District : : : : Intensification: Sh. Rajeshwar Bichgarha Sarwa 10 decimals (0. 1 ha) MTU-7029 Sarwa Deoghar
Particulars: SRI Date of sowing 12 -07 -2006 Date of transplanting 25 -07 -2006 Date of harvesting 10 -11 -2006 Number of weedings and hoeings 4 Maximum number of tillers/hill 108 Minimum number of tillers/hill 62 Average number of tillers / hill 81 Number of effective tillers / hill * Length of panicle (cm) * 15 to 23. 7* Number of grains / panicle * 173, 223, 269, 303, 305* No. of plants / m 3 * Grain yield (t/ha) 32, 39, 43, 46, 86* 11, 12, 15* (*samples) 12. 9
SRI Traditional
Comparison of SRI and Traditional Paddy Cultivation Farmer’s name Village Panchayat Area Variety Block District : : : : Sh. Rajeshwar Bichgarha Sarwa 10 decimals (0. 1 ha) MTU-7029 Sarwan Deoghar
Particulars SRI Traditional 12 -07 -2006 02 -07 -2006 10 10 Date of transplanting 25 -07 -2006 Date of harvesting 10 -11 -2006 13 -11 -2006 4 0 Maximum number of tillers/hill 106 13 Minimum number of tillers/hill 62 4 Average number of tillers / hill 78 8 Number of effective tillers /hill* 32, 39, 43, 46, 81 4, 5, 8, 8, 11 15 to 23. 7 8 to 15. 1 173, 223, 269, 303, 305 104, 143, 167, 170, 184 12 to 15 38 to 43 9. 25 3. 45 Date of sowing Area (dm) Number of weedings and hoeings Length of panicle (cm) * Number of grains / panicle* No. of plants / m 3 * Grain yield (t/ ha) (* samples)
Learning: o Boro rice cultivation was experimented first time in Jharkhand during summer 2007 on 7 acres area, the result was excellent; the yield recorded (11. 9 MT/ha) was over 3 times of their normal yield o Medium and upper-medium lowlands are suitable for SRI cultivation. Lowlands, where water drainage is not quick, yield less o The water percolation /drainage rate in upper -medium lowlands in Jharkhand is high, hence farmers require some reserve water for drying and soaking
Learning: o We registered a high yield, up to 12. 9 MT per hectare, because of high tillering; 109 tillers as a maximum against 18 -20 tillers maximum in conventional practice o In the summer crop, we registered 11. 9 MT yield as against 3. 3 MT per hectare; the practice was conducted with 30 farmers in a cluster of 7 acres last summer o Weeding is a critical input required in SRI; the better the drying and soaking is practiced, the higher is the weeding required to get highest yield. o We introduced rotary weeder and cono-weeder to make weeding an easy intervention, which helped a lot. However, farmers are reluctant to practice as many as 5 weedings.
Learning: o Seed quality must be good as fewer seeds are used. However, HYV variety of seed may not required for SRI as local seeds have shown outstanding results in terms of both quantity and quality It is important that we work on producing good quality local seeds through SRI methods so that control over seeds remains with farmers locally This would ensure that marginalized farmers have assured access to good seeds. This would also have an impact on household food security
The critical areas of Po. P: o Water management: alternatively drying and soaking the soil o Age and quality of seedlings for transplantation: two-leaf stage o 4 -5 weedings o Potassium split-dose for stem borer control
Challenge: o Soil nutrient management o Huge biomass production with SRI extracts maximum nutrients from the soil o Hence, green manuring is important
Challenges: o Weeding – timeliness and frequency; access to weeders o Water harvesting with paddy – to ensure reliable supply
We got good results from: o Pre-sowing green manure o Cowpea and Cassia species o Dhaincha o Post-harvest green manure o Niger and Cosks comb can be a good postharvest green manure / rich in potash
Conclusion: o SRI can be an answer to household food security for marginalized farm households o SRI cannot be a package but is a dynamic practice, requiring regional variance per temperature, pest types, in terms of water management, etc. o States like Jharkhand require large-scale, area-based NGO interventions to influence Govt. institutions to bring more opportunities to marginalized communities
Nursery:
Single seedling ready for transplanting
25 days after sowing
After 50 days
At the verge of maturing:
We express our gratitude to SDTT for their support in scaling up SRI in the state of Jharkhand Thank you
- Slides: 30