Title: Mechanization and the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Presented by: Erika Styger Presented at: Special Exhibit/Event on Rice Production at Agritechnica Venue and Date: Hannover, Germany November 15, 2013

1. Mechanization and the
System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
Because SRI changes the distance between plants, the number of seeds/seedlings per hole and the age of seedlings, new
planting equipment needs to be invented or old equipment adapted. In order to reduce the drudgery of hand-weeding, manual
and mechanized weeders have been devised, from one row to multiple row weeders. There is much room to improve upon the
existing designs, according to edaphic conditions and gender preferences. To scale up SRI, efficient and solid equipment needs
to developed and become available at farmers’ levels in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Hand pushed
weeders
SRI weeders come in a variety of sizes, shapes and style, reflecting the need for local adaptation to
soil and climate conditions and gender preferences:
After testing many models,
the weeder that was the
lightest, easiest to make, most
effective, and simplest of all:
the nail weeder on right
Women prefer
light weeders,
so do the men
A simple dryland
weeder model
(Source: sririce.org)
Motorized
weeders
As SRI spreads, weeders have increased in complexity and efficacy, allowing farmers to maximize
productivity gains from SRI.
Mechanical weeders range from
simple 1-2 row push machines
(above), to simple rotary weeders with a small engine, to more
complex and manufactured
multi-row weeders attached to
lightweight tractors.
(Source: right, Ariyaratna Subasinghe; sririce.org)
Direct
seeders and
transplanters
Mechanization of SRI plantings requires development of new transplanting or direct seeding implements.
Below is some equipment that is in various stages of being adapted to SRI conditions.
Drum seeder
A conventional rice transplanter in Iraq transplants
several seedlings/hole. Adjusting the machine to transplant a single seedling is a challenge. These machines
are also delicate and expensive, and thus not appropriate for many smallholder-farming environments in the
tropics. We believe that vegetable transplanters might
be easier to adapt to the SRI system, and also cheaper
and more robust than the current rice transplanters.
The example from Pakistan is a good inspiration (photos on the right).
(Source: Khidir A. Hammed)
In many upland conditions, direct
seeding is more appropriate than
transplanting. This drum seeder
spaces rows evenly, but number
of seeds per pocket and distance
between plants within the line is
not optimally controlled.
(Source: sririce.org)
The SRI
International
Network and
Resources Center at
Cornell University
Poster 6.indd 1
Conventional transplanter
SRI transplanter
Permanent beds
after machine
transplanting
Asif Sharif’s precision mechanized SRI system in Punjab,
Pakistan: laser levelling;
permanent raised beds;
transplanted with precise
spacing; machine weeded.
(Source: Asif Sharif)
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 - www.facebook.com/groups/SRI.innovators
Rice beds after
machine weeding
With his new methods Asif has tripled
his yields to 12.8
t/ha, and reduced
water use and labor by 70%.
(Source: Asif Sharif)
Permanent raised
beds during furrow watering
The Food
and Agriculture
Organization
of the
United Nations
10/30/13 11:32 AM