Title: The System of Rice Intensification vs. Conventional Practices Presented by: Erika Styger Presented at: Special Exhibit/Event on Rice Production at Agritechnica Venue and Date: Hannover, Germany November 15, 2013

1. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
vs. Conventional Practices
The SRI methodology first developed with irrigated rice in Madagascar has shown to be effective across different rice
cropping systems as well as other crops, such as wheat and sugarcane. Thanks to the phenotypic changes that occur,
plant productivity increases. As a climate-smart agricultural approach, SRI helps farmers to adapt to climate change
by reducing crop water requirements; in addition to helping mitigate climate change by reducing methane emissions
that accompany permanently flooded conventional fields.
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Irrigated rice
produced with SRI
and conventional
methods
SRI Methods: With a focus on optimizing plant and soil health, SRI manages
to produce higher yields with fewer
inputs. Seed use is reduced by 80-95%,
water use by 30-50% (or more!), chemical input use by 30-50% (up to 100% for
organic SRI).
Conventional Methods: Conventional
irrigated rice practices sacrifice soil and
plant health in order to suppress weed
growth, achieved through permanent
flooding
Phenotypic
changes
caused by SRI
SRI Methods: Rice plants have a high
level of plasticity in developing plant
phenotypes - an ability that is present
in all rice varieties. SRI methods support a more full expression of plants’
genetic growth potential, whether for
local or professionally bred varieties, allowing farmers to improve rice production with the variety of their choice.
Conventional Methods: Planting old
seedlings closely spaced with constant flooding forces plants to assume
a shape and growth pattern that masks
their true potential for growth.
Only 1
SEEDLING
Per HILL
Early and
Careful
Transplanting
Transplanting occurs at
the two-leaf stage, about
8-12 days
Each plant is given space
for roots and shoots to
grow
Transplanting of
Older
Seedlings
Multiple
seedlings
Per hill
Wide spacing
3-5 seedlings/hill or
more, increasing intraspecific competition
Open Canopy
Lacking competition for
sunlight early on, SRI
plants grow out, with
a broader canopy (33˚)
than conventional rice1
Many tillers
Early planting and wide spacing favors tiller development,
producing 100% more tillers
per hill than conventional
rice,1 as seen in the picture
below of a single SRI plant
Aerobic soils promote
plant and soil microbial
health
to improve plant
nutrition and soil
structure
Weeds are incorporated
and soil is aerated
Continuous
Flooding
Chemical
fertilizers
Herbicide and
hand weeding
Reduces weed
competition, but
increases intraspecific
competition
Minimizes weed growth,
but adversly
affects soil health and
rice plant growth
Late transplanting and
tranplanting results in
fewer tillers per hill than
with SRI
SRI
Deep, expansive
root structure
Plants grow deeper looking for more water and nutrients, resulting in roots double the weight per hill1
Conv.
With anaerobic soil conditions and
densely planted older seedlings, roots
don’t grow well, staying shallow and
small, characterized by a high die-back
and turn over rate
Conv.
Chemical fertilizers
address immediate plant
needs, but not long term
soil health
Can be dangerous to
farmers and water
supply, and can harm
soil health
Taller, Thicker
Tillers
Small, shallow Root systems
Few tillers
Conv.
Mechanical
weeding and
I.P.M.
Plants are
transplanted in a
grid pattern, with
25cmx25cm or more
between plants
SRI
High planting density
causes plants to reach
straight for the sun,
resulting in a narrower
canopy angle (18˚)1
ENRICH
SOILS WITH
ORGANIC MATTER
Close hill
spacing
Plants are taken out of
the nursery at 25-45
days
Narrow canopy
Alternate
wetting
and drying
SRI
Thanks to robust root
systems, plants grow
taller (24%) and tillers
thicker (38%)1
Conv. SRI
Thinner tillers
Smaller, weaker plants
result in shorter growth
and thinner tillers
SRI
Conv.
Thakur, A.K et al (2011) Effects for rice plant morphology and physiology of water and associated mgt practices of SRI and their implications for crop performance, PAWE 9:13-24
The SRI
International
Network and
Resources Center at
Cornell University
Poster 2 - SRI/Conv.indd 1
Contact: Erika Styger (SRI-Rice, Cornell University), eds8@cornell.edu;
Amir Kassam (FAO), amir.kassam@fao.org; Josef Kienzle (FAO), josef.kienzle@fao.org
www.sririce.org - www.fao.org/ag/ca
The Food
and Agriculture
Organization
of the
United Nations
10/30/13 11:20 AM