Transcript Overview of System of Rice Intensification in Cambodia Chou Cheythyrith National FAO-IPM Project Coordinator, Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, in collaboration with Regional.

Overview of System of Rice
Intensification in Cambodia
Chou Cheythyrith
National FAO-IPM Project Coordinator, Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and
Fisheries, in collaboration with Regional FAO Vegetable IPM Program
Background of SRI
• SRI is a set of improved practices or methods in
plant, water, soil and nutrient management being
used to bring out rice natural growth potential
• SRI was introduced in 1999, with field tests by
farmers beginning in 2000, supported by CEDAC
• MAFF supports SRI through an SRI Secretariat
that implements activities in 24 provinces and
municipalities
• 32 NGOs have implemented SRI with activities
educating and assisting farmers
• Presently, more than 60,000 households are
practicing SRI on the area about 16,385 ha
• IPM Program conducts SRI Participatory Action
Research and educates farmers to grow healthy
crops
Principles and practices of SRI
According to their natural potential, rice plants have ability
for:
• More profuse tillering -- 50 tillers per plant, with some
having many more tillers
• Larger and deeper root systems
• Larger panicles
• Higher quality grain, with fewer unfilled and fewer broken
grains, and often higher grain weight
Traditional/conventional practices inhibit crop growth and
do not allow rice plants to achieve their full potential,
while SRI methods create a conducive environment for
rice plants to grow
Tillering potential of rice plant
Difference between traditional and
SRI practices
Traditional
• Rice field is continuously
flooded with high level of
water during the
vegetative stage
SRI
• Only minimal water,
preferably keeping the
soil only moist and in
dry/wet condition
• Seedlings are raised with
much water, and seedling
density is high
• Seedlings are raised in
beds like vegetable bed,
and the seed density is
very low
• Transplanting with too
many seedlings per
clump, mixture of weak
and thick seedlings
• Young seedlings are
used, preferably less than
15 days old (at 2-3 leaf
stage)
Difference between traditional and SRI
Traditional
• Seedling age is too old,
generally more than one
month
• Seedling is uprooted with
damage to root and stem,
and is kept for one to two
days before transplanting
• Seedlings are
transplanted with close
spacing and no equal
spacing
SRI
• Only 1 to 2 seedlings, but
preferably one seedling
per clump, only vigorous
seedlings
• Young seedling is
uprooted and
transplanted with care,
transplanted immediately
after uprooting
• Wide spacing and square
pattern, or at least line
transplanting
Difference between traditional
and SRI practices
Traditional
SRI
• Weeding is not early
• Early weeding and
enough, not frequent
frequent weeding to
and regular
improve soil aeration
• Limited Use of
• Application of
farmyard manure, and
compost as much as
dependence on use
possible
of chemical fertilizers
For SRI, the best result or the optimal
yield is achieved only through the proper
combination of the improved practices
that create a synergy effect. The more
good practices that farmers can
apply, the more yield they will get.
To begin, if farmers just select only
strong seedlings for transplanting,
reduce the number of seedlings per
clump, and do shallow transplanting,
their yield can be increased by more
than 30 % (at no extra cost !).
Highlights of the results in the wet
season 2006:
 Average SRI yield was 4.7 tons per ha,
while the average yield of conventional
practice is 1.92 tons per ha
 Around 20 % of farmers were able to
harvest more than 4 tons per ha
 All SRI farmers were able to reduce the
amount of rice seeds and fertilizer that they
used be significant amount, thus reducing
cost
SRI field
Better root and shoot growth with SRI
No. of farmers applying SRI in Cambodia
70000
60000
60000
50000
40000
40000
30000
20000
17092
10000
10000
0
28
2000
500
2001
3000
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Progress of SRI area in Cambodia (ha)
18000
16000
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
16385
11200
4700
1.6
2000
28.7
2001
4788
900
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Supported by Regional FAO Vegetable IPM
Program
SRI
Introduction
Findings from
Cambodia
Implications
PAR-SRI Research, Cambodia
 Effect of different water regimes
and planting densities on rice
yield.
Treatment:
Three water regimes

Alternate wet and dry (AWD)
 Flooded field (FF), and
 Just moist (JM)
Three planting densities
 Single seedling with 15 x15 cm
 Single seedling with 30 x 30 cm
 Six seedlings with 15 x 15 cm
Result
Root growth
Criteria for healthy root growth:

More root volume

More number of white and fine
roots

More number of laterals

More number of crown roots
Trend under different water regimes
and planting densities:

Single seedlings with wider spacing
had better root growth

More number of white and fine
roots were seen under just moist
(JM) condition.
Effect on yield-contributing parameters
A
A
A
Grains/panicle
Tillers/m2
160
A
Total grain
Unfilled grain
140
B
120
100
C
80
60
40
a
a
A
B
400
a
b
C
300
c
200
100
c
20
Tiller/m2
Productive tiller/m2
500
Tiller / m2 (Mean + SE)
Grain number/ panicle (mean ± SE)
600
0
0
1(30)
1(15)
6(15)
1 (15)
1 (30)
1000-grain weight
6 (15)
Grain yield (t/ha)
40
5
30
A
A
AB ABC ABC
BC
BC
BC
C
20
10
0
Yield (t/ha)
Mean Grain yield (t/ha)
1000 grain weight (mean ± SE)
1000 grain wt (g)
4
A
A
A
3
A
A
A
B
B
B
2
1
JM6(15) AWD6(15) FL6(15) JM1(15) JM1(30) AWD1(15)AWD1(30) FL1(30) FL1(15)
FL1 (30) FL1(15) FL6(15) WD1(30) WD1(15) WD6(15) JM1(30) JM1(15) JM6(15)
Implications
 Effect of root length density on rice yield
should be evaluated with different soil types
(sandy, clay, loam)
 Varietal evaluation is needed under
different soil types
 Location-specific research is needed for
optimizing G x E (variety-environmental)
interaction for better productivity using
participatory action research
 Farmers should be seen as active
research partners in PAR trials
Concluding remarks
 SRI movement is growing very fast in Cambodia,
with increasing number of farmers involved and
support/implementing organizations/projects
 There is need to reinforce this momentum by
providing assistance to farmers in further
developing and disseminating SRI to ensure that
the maximal number of farmers can have
sustainable benefit from SRI
Thank you
for your attention