Title: System of Wheat Intensification - A New Technology for Wheat Intensification Practiced in Kailali Nepal (SWI) Presenter: Ram B. Khadka, Programme Coordinator, European Union Food Facility, FAYA- Nepal, Dhangadhi, Kailali l

1. SYSTEM OF WHEAT INTENSIFICATION (SWI):
A NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR WHEAT
INTENSIFICATION PRACTICED IN KAILALI, NEPAL
Ram B Khadka
Programme Coordinator
European Union Food Facility Project,
FAYA- Nepal, Dhangadhi, Kailali

2. What is SWI ?
New concept and practice of wheat cultivation
manipulating the soil environment favorably for
better root and shoot growth using principles of SRI
 Wide spacing of plants for better light and air
utilization
 Increases use of compost and organic matter
 Quality seed to be selected and treated using
appropriate biotic and biotic agents
 Better soil aeration by use of mechanical weeder

3. What have done at Kailali?
• Four farmers' controlled field trials were designed and
established at Ramsikharjhala, Lalbojhi, and Fulbari
• Each trial had two treatments: 300m2 for farmer's practices
and 300 m2 for SWI
• Variety used: Gautam and Bhirkuti
• Broadcasting of seed with recommended dose of fertilizer i
farmers’ practice
• Germinated seeds planted in-line at a distance of 20 cm pla
to- plant and 20 cm line-to-line by dibbling methods
• Gap-filling was done by transplanting individual wheat
seedlings at 10 DAS
• Fertilizer dose 100:50:50 Kg NPK/ha and 10 MT FYM per ha
• At 20, 40 and 60 DAS, irrigation were done and each 5 days
after irrigation weedings were done by SWI weeder machin
•

4. Obser-
vations
• Tiller number
• Plant height
• Spike number per hill
• Number of grains per spike
• Total grain weight
• Number of spike per m2
Data were taken separately for conventional practices, for SWI
direct sowing, and for SWI seedling transplanting by
randomly selecting 10 plants from each type

5. Results
SN Parameters Fulbari Lalbojhi Ramsikharjhala
(average of 10 plants) Conv.
Conv. SWI Conv. SWI SWI
25 34 25
1 Tiller number 5 (18-36) 4 (22-54) 3 (19-42)
2 Number of spike per hill 5 22.5 4 33 2.4 23.5
Number of grains per
3 spike 22.5 45.4 50.1 72.4 60 80
4 Number of spike per m2 310 400 414 446 210 256
5 Spike length (cm) 9 16 9.3 12.3 13 18
6 TGW (gm) 50 75 40 45 45 50
7 Productivity (Mt/ha) 4 8 5.8 7.95 4.8 6.95
8 Difference in productivity 100% 37% 44%

6. What was lacking in SWI practices
at Kailali?
• Seeds were selected and treated by hot water
only; but better results can be expected with
treatment using a mixture of jaggery, vermi-
compost, cow urine, and biotic agents like
Aspergillium in usual practice of SWI
• Dibbling of seed was done manually so there
were differences in seed depth (3-4 cm is most
appropriate) hampering germination percentage;
use of a SWI drill machine can help uniform seed
depth

7. Discussion
• Wheat plants in SWI (leaf width, leaf colour, root
length, and root distribution ) were seen to be
quite different; in SWI, leaves were more green
and wide, roots are deep and well distributed
• The transplanted seedlings did not have as good
performance in tillering as did direct sowing
• SWI wheat remains greener than conventional,
even when ready to harvest ; seen as more
tolerant of hot stress; later senescence appeared
in SWI

8. Different between SWI and conventional practices observed
at Kailali
SN Parameters SWI Conventional
1 Seed requirement 25-30 kg/ha 100-120 Kg/ha
2 Seed treatment Should be done by with Not necessary
biotic and biotic agents
3 Methods of sowing Dibbling in line Broadcasting
4 Spacing 20 x20 cm No proper spacing
5 Weeding 2-3 weedings by using Not done
cono-weeder
6 Length of panicle (cm) 18 12
7 No of grains per panicle 60-75 40-50
8 No. of panicles per hill 53-40 2-5
9 TGW (gm) 70-75 45-50
10 Stem, roots & leaves Thick stem, long root and Thin stem, short and surface root

10. Thanks for your kind
attention