System of Rice Intensification in Indonesia: research,
adoption, and opportunities
www.ukm.my
Febri Doni and Rizky Riscahya Pratama Syamsuri
Universitas Padjadjaran/ Indonesian SRI Research and Innovation Network
System of Crop Intensification (ICSCI 2022) for Climate Smart Livelihood and
Nutritional Security, ICAR – IIRR, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, 12-14 December 2022

Rice is the most important crop in the world in terms of total developing world
production and the number of consumers (2.5 billion) dependent on it as their
staple food.

Rice is the staple food of South East Asia (Including Indonesia) that are associated to specific
local customs, folk wisdom, literature and hence belief system. Paddy planting communities
play an integral part in the expressions of belief, development and social harmony

Introduction to rice production
STAGNANT INCREASED

Excessive large scale-agriculture takes away from smallholder (family based)
access to land, water and seeds. Land bought over, contaminated water,
seeds not own by farmers

Changing Climate caused the decreased of arable land and thus food
production. Man-made or a naturally occurring cyclical events

Pest and diseases

We need a new approach

What is SRI?
The System of Rice
Intensification (SRI) is a
synergistic management
methodology for planting and
growing rice that involves:
• Providing healthier growing
conditions for plants by
minimizing competition
among them through single
planting and wider spacing
of seedlings
• Providing conditions for
healthier soil and soil biota
by (a) supplying them with
organic amendments, (b)
aerating the soil as part of
weeding, and (c) managing
water carefully to avoid both
flooding and water stress.

SRI vs. Conventional methods
SRI Methods
Mostly aerobic unsaturated soil Organic matter as fertilizer for
soil enhancement
Mechanical weeding, IPM
and soil aeration
Conventional Methods
Continuous flooding Use of chemical fertilizer Herbicide use

SRI vs. Conventional methods
SRI Non-SRI
SRI
Non-SRI
SRI Non-SRI
Lodging from
storm damage
Darker green color, more chloro-
phyll and more photosynthesis

SRI Conventional SRI Conventional
Conventional
SRI
SRI Methods enhance rice agronomic and physiological potency

Previous research on how SRI method increases rice growth and
yield focuses on G x E

SRI in Indonesia

The Spread of SRI in Indonesia
• SRI was introduced in 1997
to Ministry of Agriculture,
Indonesia by Prof. Norman
Uphoff.
• Encouraged by Prof. Uphoff
presentation, Indonesian
Agency for Agricultural
Research and Development
started to evaluate SRI in
Indonesia.

SRI evaluations were started by the
Indonesian Agency for Agricultural
Research and Development (IAARD)
in 1999 at its rice research station at
Sukamandi, with a yield of 6.2 t/ha
the first season, and up to 9 t/ha in
the next season.

The Indonesian IPM program began evaluating SRI in 2000.
Farmer Field School participants in Ciamis evaluated SRI methods
in 2001 and got a 52% increase in yield. A series of four
workshops held in January 2003 with Farmer Field School
participants across Java found that SRI methods were averaging
9.25 t/ha.

Several International NGOs Begin Promoting SRI Methods in 2002
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), a major international NGO working in West
Timor with USAID funding. Farmer SRI plots averaged 11.7 t/ha compared to the conventional
comparison yield of 4.4 t/ha.

From 2005 to 2006, SRI promotion was centred in Java and Eastern Indonesia

Presiding at an 'SRI Harvest Festival' in Cianjur district, West Java, on July 30,
2007. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made a strong statement of
support for the spread of SRI within Indonesia and even the world, citing
concerns about environmental quality and climate change as well as meeting
the food requirements of a still-growing population.

SRI spread in Morowali, South Sulawesi

>100,000 ha rice fields are converted into SRI in Morowali

SRI is spread across Indonesia

SRI is adopted by million of farmers in Indonesia

SRI research in Indonesia

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Number articles by year
SRI research items published by Indonesian researchers

0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
Water
Management
Weed
Management
Nutrient
Management
Soil Biota Adoption Review Economi
Evaluation
Plant Density Policy Variety Trial Climate Change
Mitigation
SRI main research topics

94
258
Journal Indexing
Scopus Non-Scopus
SRI published items indexed by Scopus
Need improvement in
term of QUALITY

What’s next?

Challenges
While the numerous trainings and meetings by NGO’s and individuals have helped
SRI to spread in Indonesia, it demands stronger understanding and support from the
government sector.
Problems Face by SRI farmers:
• Rice policies which always change
• Inadequate infrastructure – economic and administrative
• Post-harvest and market challenges facing small-scale rice farmers remain the
main obstruction to SRI spread.
• The main obstacle is to get farmers to unlearn conventional rice farming and to
appreciate SRI approaches that has proven productivity records.

Our Efforts
IndoSRInet: Indonesian SRI Research and Innovation Network