This document discusses the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) approach to rice farming and its adoption in various countries. It summarizes that SRI captures existing genetic potentials in plants and soil and relies less on external inputs like water, seeds and fertilizer. It has shown more resilience to climate variability. The document then details the spread of SRI from its origins in Madagascar in 1999 to trials and applications in over 20 countries between 2004-2010. It provides examples of SRI increasing yields in Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Kenya. It also describes knowledge sharing activities that introduced SRI methods to farmers in Kenya through workshops, demonstrations and training.

2. SRI Plants Captures existing genetic potentials in plant and soil An innovation, set of good practice that relies less on external input – water, seeds, fertilizer Shown more resilience to climate variability 2

3. SRI Conventional SRI LANKA: Same soil, variety, irrigation system, drought conditions - three weeks after water was stopped

4. SRI Conventional Vietman: Farmer from DôngTrù village - After a typhoon 4

5. SRIin 1999 Practiced only in Madagascar Ref. http://ciifad.cornell.edu/sri/ 5

6. SRI application /trials 10 years later 2004-2005 Senegal, Mali, Pakistan, Vietnam 2006-2007 Burkina Faso, Bhutan, Iran, Iraq, Zambia, Afghanistan, 2008Brazil, Egypt, Rwanda, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Timor Leste 2009-2010 Ghana , Kenya 1999-2000China, Indonesia 2000-2001 Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cuba, India, Laos, Nepal, Myanmar, Philippines, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Thailand 2002-2003Benin, Guinea, Mozambique, Peru 6

7. WBI south-south knowledge exchange 7 - Droughts in Kenya - VC links Kenya with India, Madagascar, Rwanda – 9/2009

8. Pilot SRI Farmer from Mwea Irrigation District – largest in Kenya 8 His SRI paddy field Aug. 2009 His conventional paddy field

9. 9 Pilot SRI Farmer from Mwea Irrigation District – largest in Kenya Harvested in Dec. 2009, reported yield increase 37% comparing to his conventional field Oct. 2009

10. 10 Pilot SRI Farmer from Mwea Irrigation District – largest in Kenya Harvested in Dec. 2009, reported yield increase 100% comparing to his conventional field Oct. 2009

12. Farmers, govt. extension staff, researchers, NGO, private sectorField training – Dr. Ravi with Kenyan farmers after a knowledge-sharing session 11

13. Interested farmers from central & western Kenya regions viewing WBI SRI Toolkit Video in farmer schools 12 12

14. After the seed is sown in nursery, mulching is applied to conserve moisture -- removed after 5 days Farmers practice how to prepare SRI nursery - a40m2 nursery area of 8 blocks of 5m2 is prepared to hold 3 kg of seed - enough to transplant in a 1-acre SRI field 13 13

15. Use two nylon strings of different colours to make a marked string. The markers are placed 25cm apart. Showing Kenyan farmers how to make a marked string for transplanting 14

16. Farmers use the marked string for square transplanting How SRI seedlings look in the field after doing square transplanting (2 days after) 15

17. Kenya’s pilot SRI farmer helps explain use of conoweeder in local language 16

18. More practice on use of weeder in a rice field Farmers practice rotary weeder after field demonstration 17

20. Apply them with local suitable, adaptable practices

21. Scaling up – farmers need support from government, research agencies, donors, as well as involvement of private sector, NGOs18