Guest guest Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 > 6 Jul 2004 13:37:35 -0000 > Does SRI work? > press-release > > > The Institute of Science in Society Science Society > Sustainability http://www.i-sis.org.uk > > General Enquiries sam Website/Mailing > List > press-release ISIS Director > m.w.ho > ======================================================== > > > Rice wars > > Rice, the staple food crop for more than half the > world's > population, among them the poorest, is the current > target of > genetic modification, an activity that has greatly > intensified after the rice genome was announced two > years > ago (see " Rice is life " series, SiS 15, Summer 2002 > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/isisnews/sis15.php ). Since > then, > all major biotech giants are investing in rice > research. > > At the same time, a low-input cultivation system > that really > benefits small farmers worldwide has been spreading, > but is > dismissed by the scientific establishment as > " unscientific " . > This is one among several recent innovations that > increase > yields and ward off disease without costly and > harmful > inputs, all enthusiastically and widely adopted by > farmers. > > A war is building up between the corporate > establishment and > the peoples of the world for the possession of rice. > The > food security of billions is at stake, as is their > right to > grow the varieties of rice they have created and > continue to > create, and in the manner they choose. > > This extended series will not be appearing all at > once, so > look out for it. > Fantastic Rice Yields Fact or Fallacy? > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/RiceWars.php > Top Indian Rice Geneticist Rebuts SRI critics > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/TIRGRSRI.php > Does SRI work? http://www.i-sis.org.uk/DSRIW.php > > ISIS Press Release 06/07/04 > > Does SRI Work? > ************** > > The first reality check of a low-input rice-growing > system > took place two years ago and more successes > documented > since. Dr. Mae-Wan Ho reports > > Sources for this report are available in the ISIS > members > site > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/full/DSRIWFull.php. > Full details here > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/membership.php > > The clearest sign that SRI works, if not miracles, > then > certainly well enough, is the number of participants > drawn > to the first in-depth international assessment of > it. > > Nearly a hundred people from 18 countries were > listed as > participants in the 192-page proceedings of the > 4-day > conference, which took place in Sanya, China, in > April 2002. > More than three-quarters were scientists, with > policy - > makers, representatives of non-government > organisations, > international organisations, private companies and > farmers > making up the rest. Participants from the host > country China > made up more than half of the total, and all were > scientists > from prestigious rice research institutes, > agriculture > academies or universities. > > The conference was convened, not to assess whether > SRI works > - for that was the experience of almost everyone who > > presented papers at the conference - but to assess > across > nations, " the opportunities and limitations " of a > practice > that " can give yields about twice the present world > average > without reliance on new varieties or agrochemicals. " > > > The conference did bring together a substantial body > of > evidence from around the world that SRI can increase > yield > in a variety of soils, climatic conditions, with > various > local adaptations, and using both indigenous and > commercial > 'high yielding' rice varieties. > > SRI has been " practice-led " thus far, but > participants at > the conference felt it was time for scientists to > catch up > and research the knowledge-base, so that a healthy > dialectical relationship between practice and > knowledge can > be achieved to help advance this important project > of > delivering food security and health to more than > half the > world's population. > > Since then, more successes have been reported, > leaving the > scientific establishment even further behind (see > " Fantastic > rice yields fact or fallacy? " this series > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/RiceWars.php ). > > Super-yields in Madagascar > > The province of Fianarantsoa, situated in the > south-central > highlands of Madagascar, now lays claim to the > highest > yielding rice-fields in the world since the > introduction of > SRI in the 1990s. > > The highlands are subtropical, with annual rainfall > averaging 1375mm. The rainy season occurs during the > hot > months in the year, where the average temperature > rises > above 20C. The Fianarantsao region is often affected > by > cyclones during the rainy season. > > Fianarantsoa attained rice yields of more than 8t/ha > in the > first year of applying SRI methods, up from the > 2t/ha > national average. SRI in this region is increasingly > linked > with the use of compost in rotational cropping with > potatoes, beans or other vegetables in the > off-season. In > the second and succeeding years, the residual and > cumulative > effects of soil organic matter from composting > increased > yields still further, to 16t/ha. By the sixth year, > yields > as high as 20t/ha were measured on farmers' fields > in > Tsaramandroso, Talatamaty and Soatanana. > > Bruno Andrianaivo, senior agronomist of FOFIFA > (National > Centre for Applied Research on Rurual Development in > > Madagascar) emphasized that such high yields cannot > be > achieved immediately, but requires the cumulative > effects of > 6 years under SRI. > > However, simply on the conservative figure of 8t/ha > yield > from SRI practice Andrianaivo estimated a net return > to the > farmer of 5 million Fmg (about US$770), compared > with around > 250 000 Fmg (less than US$40) for conventional > practice. > > Acceptance in China > > Professor Yuan Longping of China National Hybrid > Rice > Research and Development Centre played a key role in > > creating high-yielding super-hybrids throughout the > late > 1990s and early 2000s by conventional breeding > methods. His > Centre had already broken all records in boosting > rice - > hybrid yields when he first heard about SRI from a > paper > written by Norman Uphoff of Cornell International > Institute > for Food, Agriculture and Development (see > " Fantastic rice > yields fact or fallacy? " this series > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/RiceWars.php ). > > Yuan conducted the first trial of SRI in his > Centre's > station in Sanya from winter 2000 to spring 2001. > Only three > varieties yielded above 10t/ha, and SRI gave an > average > increase of around 10% over the conventional > practice. The > following year, tests were conducted in the summer > at the > Centre's station in Changsha. Two varieties yielded > 12t/ha, > and one 12.9t/ha, a record for the Centre so far. > This > encouraged more Chinese scientists to conduct SRI > research. > Of the 8 locations in which his Centre was involved, > 5 > locations got good results, with yields over 12t/ha. > > Since then, trials by a private sector company, the > Meishan > Seed Company in Sichuan Province, using a modified > SRI > method, achieved yields of 15.67/ha and 16t/ha in > two > different plots, both new records in Sichuan > Province (yield > in the conventional field was 11.8t/ha). > > Yuan's preliminary evaluation of SRI is > enthusiastic: " SRI > is a promising way to increase rice yield and to > realize the > yield potential of any variety.whether high-yielding > variety > (HYV) or local variety. " He confirmed that the > method can > promote more vigorous growth of rice plants, > especially > tillers and roots, and noted in addition, less > insect and > disease problems during the vegetative growth stage, > and > that there are definite varietal differences in > response to > SRI practices: those with strong tillering ability > and 'good > plant type' are more favourable for SRI cultivation. > " SRI > gives higher output with less input, but requires > very > laborious manual work which makes it more suitable > for small > farms in developing countries " he said. Moreover, > SRI should > be modified and adapted to suit local conditions, > and as > experience teaches. > > For China, he recommended a long list of > modifications, > including using tray nurseries to raise the young > seedlings > instead of flooded seedbeds, so as to reduce the > trauma of > transplanting; and controlling tiller-formation, for > > although increased tillering gives many more > rice-forming > panicles, the percentage of productive tillers falls > off > with the number of tillers, so there is a optimum > maximum > number. > > He definitely thinks there is scope for combining > genetic > improvement with SRI methods. For example, breeding > plants > with a strong ability to form tillers would be > appropriate > for improving the response to SRI. > > Detailed analyses of the trials were presented in > several > multi-author research papers. For example, the > economic > benefits of applying SRI methods were estimated for > the > hybrid rice Liangyoupei 9, which came both from > savings and > increased yield. The amount of hybrid seed needed in > SRI > methods was only 3 - 4.5kg, which represented a seed > saving > of 8.3 - 10.5kg and nursery saving of 90%, thereby > reducing > the cost by 215 Yuan/ha. As only compost was > applied, the > saving on the 10-12t/ha fertilizer that would have > been used > was 1 200Yuan/ha. The saving on water, some 3 000 > tonnes, > was about 150 Yuan/ha. The total saving with SRI > methods > thus amounted to about 1 565 Yuan/ha. Add to that a > 15% > increase in yield (1.5 tonnes/ha) and the farmer > gets a > total additional profit of about 3 000 Yuan/ha > (about US$ > 360). > > The Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences has > done SRI > trials for three years in succession. Its 2003, > trials > showed an average SRI yield of 13t/ha. Another > series of > trials in 7 regions of Zhejian Province using 8 > varieties > all resulted in increased yield under SRI; the > average > increase being 1.5t/ha over already high-yielding > controls. > > The China National Hybrid Rice Research and > Development > Centre introduced hybrid varieties into Africa and > recommended that they be used with SRI methods. In > 2003, a > 9.2t/ha yield was obtained with hybrid GY032 in > Guinea under > SRI methods, which was 4 times the national average > yield. > > SRI in Gambia > > The Gambia, a small country (11 700km2) in West > African, is > a 50 km-wide ribbon of land extending eastward from > the > coast, bisected by the River Gambia and surrounded > on three > sides by Senegal. Its annual rainfall is 900 to > 1400mm; the > rainy season between late May and early October. > Rice is the > staple of the country and there are 5 very different > > production systems: upland, lowland rainfed, > irrigated (pump > and tidal), freshwater swamps and seasonally saline > mangrove > swamp. > > Annual rice consumption averages 70 to 110kg per > capita; > domestic production lags behind by 60%, and the > balance is > met by imports. The national average yield of rice > is only > 2t/ha. > > SRI was introduced to The Gambia in the rainy season > of 2000 > as part of the Ph. D. thesis of Mustapha M. Ceesay > in Crop > and Soil Sciences at Cornell University in the > United > States. Farmers were invited to visit the first SRI > trial > site at the Sapu station of the National > Agricultural > Research Institute (NARI) in The Gambia before they > enrolled > voluntarily in the research programme. > > During the first year of experimentation, three > different > plant population densities were investigated with > several > varieties. Yields ranged from 5.4 to 8.3t/ha. In > 2001, plant > population densities were investigated alongside > fertilizer > treatments, and on-farm trials involving 10 farmer > households. The on-station SRI trials were conducted > under > pump irrigation, and on-farm trials under tidal > irrigation. > > Plant population densities investigated were 20cm x > 20cm, > 30cm x 30 cm and 40cm x 40 cm. Two rice varieties > were used, > and instead of compost, three fertilizer treatment > rates > were assessed: NKP in the following proportions: > 70-30-30 > (national recommended), 140-30-30 and 280-30-30. All > trials > took place in the lowland. > > The on-station trials indicated that 30cm x 30cm > spacing did > not decrease yield over the 20cm x 20cm, and was > hence > recommended to the farmers for the on-farm trial. > Fertilizer > treatments indicated that under SRI, the nationally > recommended lowest rate was as effective as doubling > the > rate, while tripling the rate gave higher yields, > but it was > not economically profitable. > > The on-farm trials, conducted in a communal tidal > irrigation > scheme, gave " exciting " results, " a tripling of > yield " on > average, 7.4t/ha compared with 2.5t/ha obtained with > > farmers' current practices. Some farmers experienced > more > than five-fold increases, from 1.6 to 9.0t/ha in one > case, > and 1.4 to 8.0t/ha in another. > > But there are problems facing the farmers in land > preparation. Farmers in The Gambia still do not have > a well > -developed culture of water control. Fields are > simply kept > flooded after transplanting until the rice plants > mature, > and fertilizer application and weeding are done > under > submerged conditions. These practices will conflict > with the > adoption of SRI, but the yield increases may be a > sufficient > incentive for farmers to overcome these problems. > > SRI in other countries > > Many countries reported remarkable increases in > yield. > Salinda Dissanayake, Member of Parliament in Sri > Lanka, > personally tested SRI in his own rice field of a > little more > than 2 acres for four seasons, using seeds of > various > varieties. He got the highest yield of 17t/ha with > BG358, a > variety developed by the Sri Lankan rice > researchers. Even > with local varieties such as Rathhel and > Pachdhaiperumal, > usually much lower yielding at ~2t/ha, impressive > yields of > 8t/ha and 13t/ha were obtained. > > Dissanayake formed a small group to inform farmers > of SRI; > and farmers who took up SRI from 18 districts have > doubled > their yields on average. > > " These yields were obtained with less water, less > seed, less > chemical fertilizer, and less cost of production per > > kilogram .among SRI users, we find people of many > different > income and educational levels and different social > standing, > including many poor farmers having only small plots > of land, > farmers with moderate income, some agricultural > scientists, > and a few administrators, businessmen and political > leaders > who practice it with their own convictions. " > Dissanayake > said. > > H. M. Premaratna, a farmer from the Ecological > Farming > Centre, Mellawalana, Sri Lanka, backed up the > enthusiasm of > his Member of Parliament, and has personally > provided > training on SRI to more than 3 000 farmers by 2002. > " From my > experience, I have observed that the rice plant > becomes a > healthier plant once the basic SRI practices are > adopted, " > he said. > > Reports from 17 countries in 2002 showed that > three-quarters > of the cases gave a significant yield advantage of > at least > 20 to 50% increase, and although the super-yields > reported > from Madagascar have not been obtained elsewhere, > some > farmers in Cambodia and Sri Lanka have come close. > Overall, > the conventional systems yielded 3.9t/ha, very close > to the > world average for rice production. The average for > all the > SRI yields reported was 6.8t/ha. > > A report from the Philippines not only documented > yield > increases over several successive growing seasons > since > 1999, but also a reduction of crop pests such as > rats and > brown and green leafhoppers, carriers of the dreaded > rice > tungro virus disease. This was attributed to the > increased > spacing of plants, allowing more sunlight to > penetrate even > the base of the plant, exposing the hoppers, which > detest > and avoid sunlight. > > In Cambodia, SRI is spreading very rapidly. Only 28 > farmers > were willing to try SRI in 2000, by 2003, this > number had > grown to almost 10 000 and in 2004, 50 000 farmers > are > expected to adopt it. > > Perhaps the greatest testament that SRI works is the > > increasing number of farmers that have adopted the > practice. > > > ======================================================== > > This article can be found on the I-SIS website at > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/DSRIW.php > > If you like this original article from the Institute > of > Science in Society, and would like to continue > receiving > articles of this calibre, please consider making a > donation > or purchase on our website > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/donations. > > ISIS is an independent, not-for-profit organisation > dedicated to providing critical public information > on > cutting edge science, and to promoting social > accountability > and ecological sustainability in science. > > If you would prefer to receive future mailings as > HTML > please let us know. If you would like to be removed > from our > mailing list at > > http://www.i-sis.org.uk/mailinglist/.php > ======================================================== > > CONTACT DETAILS > > The Institute of Science in Society, PO Box 32097, > London > NW1 OXR > > telephone: [44 20 8643 0681] [44 20 7383 3376] > [44 20 > 7272 5636] > > General Enquiries sam Website/Mailing > List > press-release ISIS Director > m.w.ho > > MATERIAL IN THIS EMAIL MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM > WITHOUT > PERMISSION, ON CONDITION THAT IT IS ACCREDITED > ACCORDINGLY > AND CONTAINS A LINK TO http://www.i-sis.org.uk/ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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