1. System of Rice Intensification (SRI) -
3 years of experience from Mali
Introducing SRI to Haiti
Erika Styger
SRI International Network and Resources Center (SRI-Rice)

2. 6 Principles of SRI
1. Transplant single seedlings
2. Transplanting at young age:
2 leaf stage (8-12 days old)
3. Wide spacing: 25cm x 25cm
or wider, planted in line
4. Minimum water application
during vegetative growth
5. Use mechanical hand
weeder
6. Application of organic
matter as base fertilization
SRI-Rice, Cornell University

3. Timbuktu region
Climate: Sahelo-
Saharien/Saharien
• 150-200 mm rain/yr
• Annual mean temp:
29.1°C (13°- 43°C)
Food insecurity:
>70% communes
are among most
vulnerable in Mali

4. Irrigated rice in the Timbuktu region
Village Irrigation Perimeter
30-35 ha - 1 motor pump
Shared among 100 farmers
0.33 ha / farmer

5. SRI in 2007 - Exploratory test
• NGO Africare has worked
for 12 years on food security
in the Timbuktu region
• 1 volunteer farmer tried SRI
• Farmers from surrounding
villages participated in a
field visit
• Farmers’ recommendation:
To evaluate SRI at larger
scale in 2008
• Yield:
SRI 9 t/ha, Control 6.7 t/ha

6. Objectives for SRI in 2008
• Adapted the SRI
principals to agro-
ecological conditions
of Goundam and
Dire, Timbuktu
region
• Comparison of SRI
practices with farmer
practices
SRI-Rice, Cornell University
Africare and Ministry of Agriculture

7. Year 2: Methodology
• 5 volunteer farmers per village
x 12 villages = 60 farmers
• 2 treatments: i) SRI ii) control plot
with farmers’ best practices
• SRI and control plot: side by side
• Started rice nursery on the same
day with the same seeds (variety)
• Farmers had free choice of rice
variety to plant
• Technical follow-up and data
collection by solid technical team
• Exchange visits
SRI-Rice, Cornell University

8. Soil preparation of SRI plots
1. Application of manure (10-15 t/ha)
4. Land leveling
3. Breaking up chunks of soil
2. Soil tilling by hand or tractor

9. SRI nursery
• Mixed clay, sand and manure
• Sowing after soaking seeds for 24h
• Seedlings appeared after 2 days
• Transplanting young seedlings after 8 to
12 days (at 2 leaf-stage)

10. Transplanting
SRI-Rice, Cornell University

11. SRI Irrigation
During vegetative period, followed practice of
Alternate Wetting and Drying
• Introduced 1-2 cm of water
• Let the plot dry until cracks became
visible, then
• Introduced another thin layer a water,
with this cycle repeating

12. Cono-weeding
• First weeding at 20 days after
transplanting, then repeat every
7 to 10 days
• This incorporates weeds into soil
– Also aerates the soil
– Stimulates root growth, and
– Redistributes water across plot

13. Weeding with Sri Lankan Cono-Weeder
SRI-Rice, Cornell University

14. Fields of Asseydou Alhassane, Hara-Hara
30 days after nursery establishment
SRI
Control
plot

15. Plant development I
Higher tiller number per plant with SRI
SRI
Control

16. Faster growth and shorter crop cycle
ControlSRI
Plant development II
SRI
SRI Control
Control

17. Results: Timbuktu, 2008 (N = 60)
• Yield increased from 5.5 t/ha to 9.1 t/ha (+66%)
• Less seed was required: by 85% to 90%
Quantity used for SRI: 6.1 kg/ha compared to
Quantity used in usual farmer practice: 40-60 kg/ha
• Reduced fertilizer use by 30%
• Reduced irrigation water use by 10%-30%
• Reduced production costs / kg paddy: 30%
• Increased revenue per hectare: more than double
SRI-Rice, Cornell University

18. Scaling up SRI (2009) - 5 regions in Mali
• Timbuktu
NEW: 17 villages, 92 farmers
OLD: 21 villages, 250 farmers
• Gao
– 8 villages, 39 farmers
• Mopti
– 6 villages, 44 farmers
• Segou
– 2 villages, 37 farmers
• Sikasso
– 3 villages, 10 farmers
57 villages, 472 farmers
Africare, IICEM (USAID), Syngenta Development Foundation,
IER (National Research Institute), Ministry of Agriculture

19. Scaling up SRI practices: Year 3
• Communities and farmers take
full responsibility for scaling up!
• They decide on the number of
farmers and on training of new
farmers
• Go from 60 to 250 farmers (2008
to 2009), from 12 to 27 villages
• Technical support reduced
Africare and Ministry of Agriculture

20. SRI yields, Mali 2009
SRI Farmer plot SRI yield over
(t/ha) (t/ha) farmer plots
Africare farmers
240 farmers Timbuktu 7.7 4.5 . +72%
IICEM farmers
38 farmers Gao 7.8 5.6 . +40%
28 farmers Mopti 7.8 4.8 . +64%
36 farmers Timbuktu (other areas) 7 4.2 . +68%
342 farmers 3 regions 7.6 4.8 . +58%
SRI-Rice, Cornell University

21. SRI for rainfed and
lowland systems in Southern Mali
Four rice systems are found in Sikasso region
• Upland rice
• Lowland rice - high zone
• Lowland rice - medium zone
• Lowland rice - low zone

22. Checking the SRI principles
• 1 plant: yes (by direct
seeding of 2-3 seeds, then
thinning to 1 plant)
• Young transplant: Direct
seeding has same effect
• Wide spacing: yes
• Water control: not possible
• Mechanical weeder: to be
tested
• Organic matter: yes
SRI plot
Traditional plot

23. Results from adapted SRI
Yields (t/ha) from
rainfed/lowland
systems:
• SRI : 4.2 t/ha
• Control: 3.0 t/ha
= 40% increase
Non-SRI SRI
IICEM project, IER (research center) and Ministry of Agriculture

24. SRI for Wheat
SWI Traditional
System of Wheat Intensification (SWI)
Africare, Ministry of Agriculture, IER, and CAFON (private sector)

25. SRI with African Rice Varieties
Tested Oryza glaberrima - Africa rice
Raised yield from 2 t/ha to 4.5 t/ha
Africare and Ministry of Agriculture

26. SRI Potential for West Africa?
64%
32%
3% 1%
West Africa
Eastern Africa
Central Africa
Southern Africa
Each dot represents 20,000 tons Data: FAO
Rice production, 2006
Production of rice in
Sub-Saharan Africa
Ref: Warda (2008) Africa rice trends 2007

27. 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006
Rice production and consumption in
Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961-2006
Production
Consumption 40%
imported

28. SRI In West Africa since 2001
• Benin 2001: 1 plot managed by govt. technician with
former ECHO intern: SRI gave 7.5 t/ha - no follow up?
• The Gambia 2002-2005: Research trials and some
on-farm work: SRI yields 5.4-8.3 t/ha
• Guinea 2003: hybrid varieties introduced by China Natl.
Hybrid Rice Research & Dev Center with SRI: 9 t/ha
• Senegal 2003-2009: Peace Corps Volunteer on-farm
trials, reported by Rodale Institute; dissertation
research under WARDA auspices
• Sierra Leone 2004: World Vision in-village evaluation:
5.3 t/ha vs 2.5 t/ha
• Burkina 2006: 6 farmers in Bobo: SRI 7 t/ha vs 3.5 t/ha
• Ghana: 2007-2009 private farmer initiative: 4.18t/ha
• Mali: 2007-2010 : 3 projects, 5 regions, 450 farmers
http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/countries/index.html

29. Rice systems in West Africa
• African rice domesticated 3500 years ago
in Niger Inner Delta (Oryza glaberrima)
• Rice systems are diverse and complex:
– Upland rice / Riz pluviale
– Rainfed lowland rice / Riz de bas-fond
– Mangrove swamp rice / Riz de mangrove
– Deep-water rice / Riz flottant
– Recession agriculture rice / Riz décrue
– Irrigated lowland rice / Riz irrigué
SRI-Rice, Cornell University

30. SRI West Africa Network ? !!
• Solid and convincing experience in Mali
– 50-70 trained technicians, 450 farmers (2009)
• Isolated but promising trials across W. Africa
• Cornell’s SRI-Rice would like to support a
SRI West Africa Network
– Connect initiatives and people
– Provide technical information and backstopping
– Knowing who is doing what
SRI-Rice, Cornell University

31. Introduction of SRI in Haiti 2010
Cornell SRI-Rice Initiative with funding from
the Better U Foundation:
1. SRI training started in June 2010
– 3 locations: Ferrier (north), Artibonite (Hait’s
‘rice basket’) and Les Cayes (south)
– 123 farmers and technicians
– Cooperation with USAID project (WINNER)
1. Follow-up of field trials in August-Sept.
2. Evaluation & programming (January 2011)

32. Introducing SRI in Haiti
(since June 2010)
Partners and Implementers: International Organization for Migration (IOM); World
Hunger Relief; WINNER project (USAID); Mennonite Central Committee (MCC);
Oxfam Intermon; Church of the Brethren; Farmer Training Center at Leveques

33. Thank you!
SRI farmers from Donghoi village, Timbuktu
SRI-Rice, Cornell University

34. Resources in French and English
SRI in Africa and across the world :
http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/countries/index.html
Practical Manuals on SRI:
http://ciifad.cornell.edu/sri/manuals.html
More rice for people, more water for the planet
http://www.sri-
india.net/documents/More_Water_For_The_Planet.pdf
SRI-Rice Website Cornell University
http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/index.html
Contact: Erika Styger, eds8@cornell.edu
SRI-Rice, Cornell University