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THE SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION
(SRI) INITIATIVE IN ZAMBIA, SOUTHERN
AFRICAInnovation Africa Symposium (IAS)
November 20-23, 2006Henry Ngimbu
Esek Farmers’ Cooperative Society andThe River Between Trust
North-western Province, ZAMBIA
Theme:How the Esek Farmers' Cooperative Society in Solwezi/Zambia was mobilized to do a first trial of SRI, without external funding
Focusing on: How this is evidence of local initiative of farmers
and development agent; How this has strengthened farmers' position; and How this has also strengthened recognition in the
country of a new agricultural innovation (SRI).
INTRODUCTION OF SRI INTO ZAMBIA
SRI ACTIVITIES Solwezi District,
North-western ProvinceZAMBIA
DR CONCO
MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR PROMOTING SRI IN ZAMBIA
Hunger Crisis in Zambia
PRESENTLY, FOOD INSECURITY IS COMMON IN ZAMBIA. THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME AND OTHER AGENCIES FROM TIME TO TIME ARE IMPORTING RICE AND OTHER CEREAL GRAINS FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES TO HELP
FEED THE HUNGRY POPULATION. WHILE FOOD AID IS BENEFICIAL, FOR HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO BE
DISTRIBUTED? WE NEED MORE LASTING SOLUTIONS LIKE SRI WHICH CAN ENABLE COMMUNITIES TO LEARN HOW TO
PRODUCE FOOD FOR THEMSELVES
What was Involved in Pre-planning, Implementing and Administering
SRI? Preparatory work in the form of baseline survey of prospective Group members and organising teaching materials (pictures and handouts, plus rice seeds, hoe, rake, axe, rope, etc.).
One-day preliminary meeting with selected Group members, where SRI was introduced and explained more about its advantages and challenges; also decisions on the way forward to surmount poor farming methods and food insecurity that are maintaining hunger in the area.
Subsequently, Group members were taken into an intense learning experience by engaging them in their own-tailored training environment which involved weekly three-hour training sessions spread over 4 weeks.
CONVINCING POINTS FOR ADOPTING SRI
NO NEED to change varieties -- HYVs and hybrids can give the highest yields with SRI methods, but local varieties can produce 6-12 t/ha with SRI methods
NO NEED for use of chemical fertilizers -- while these can raise rice yield with SRI, the best results are achieved with compost
NO NEED to apply agrochemicals -- pesticides, fungicides, etc. are not necessary -- farmers find these are not economical
SIGNIFICANT WATER SAVINGS – usual irrigation water can be reduced by 50% -- but need good water control
MORE LABOR – needed at first, but as the SRI methods are mastered, SRI can even become labor-saving over time
MORE SKILL AND MANAGEMENT EFFORT are needed -- SRI is intended to improve farmers’ capabilities
Simple Straight-forward Growing Instructions
Transplant young seedlings (<15 days) -- though direct seeding is an alternative
Set out plants singly with wider spacing In a square pattern (25x25cm or more) and Planted shallow, gently, and quickly
No continuous flooding during the period of vegetative growth, with (a) minimum applications, or (b) alternate wetting/drying
After panicle initiation, maintain a thin layer of water (1-2 cm) on field until 10 days before harvest
ENCOURAGING FARMING RESULTS
Increased TILLERING: 30-50 tillers/plant, or more Larger ROOT SYSTEMS: 5-6x more resistance to
uprooting (28 kg for 3 plants vs. 53 kg for 1 SRI plant) Bigger PANICLES: 200-300 grains/panicle, or more Positive correlation between the panicle number and
panicle size -- contrary to the negative relationship which is commonly reported in the literature (Ying et al., 1998)
GRAIN QUALITY: fewer unfilled and broken grains, so higher milled outturn from paddy (unhusked) production
RESISTANCE to pests, diseases, storms and drought NO LODGING: also ratoon crop possible HIGHER YIELDS: ave. 6-8 t/ha, even up to 15-20 t/ha PRODUCTIVITY gains -- more important than yield
12 farmer-members (6 women, 6 men) from the Esek Farmers’ Co-operative Society, registered
in 2002 with the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in Zambia, participated in doing a
first SRI trial, without any external funding
AFTER THE LEARNING SESSION WHAT CAME NEXT?
ACTIVITIES INVOLVED
Land selectionLand selectionLand preparationChoice of variety to be plantedSeed preparation before nursery establishmentNursery establishment and managementTransplantationField fertilization Weed control and aeration of soilHarvest
Results Period: from date of planting to harvesting – 6 months Average number of productive tillers/hill -- 48 Average length of panicles -- 30 cm Highest number of grains/ panicle – 415 Highest number of grains/ hill – 19,920 Average roots per hill – 814 Yield harvested -- 96 kg
(6.144t/ha)
How the first SRI trial has strengthened farmers' position It was quite interesting and encouraging for local rice
farmers to observe in an SRI demonstration plot, a yield of 96 kg -- equivalent of 6.144 t/ha -- in a region where local rice yields are usually around 1 t/ha
The paradigm shift for rice-growing from the decades-old tradition of uncontrollable rainfed rice farming to a regime of controlled but minimum water application during the period of vegetative growth is a breakthrough
It is a revelation in Zambian farming circles to learn of a new production methodology technique that does not (a) depend on introducing new varieties, or (b) on the need for applying chemical fertilizers, or (c) on the need to use agrochemicals – instead utilizing biological potentials inherent in the plants and in the soil
How the first SRI trial has strengthened recognition in the agricultural innovation system in the country
The farmers’ society hosted on June 30 a National SRI Launch that coincided with the first SRI harvest. This attracted over 300 persons -- farmers, officials, agriculturalists, NGO workers, and others -- many traveling hundreds of kilometers. This showed a good response and commitment to the SRI innovation.
The Zambian Government’s evident support was demonstrated through the presence of the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, who attended and presided at the National Launch with an encouraging speech.
Several gifts were presented during the launch ceremony: a rotary hoe weeder shipped from Madagascar by Glenn Lines, Country Director for the Millennium Challenge Corporation; funds were sent by David Galloway, Vancouver, Canada (Can$ 5,000); application forms sent from the American Embassy in Lusaka for a getting grant funds to accelerate the spread of SRI in Zambia. This supports a serious commitment for the promotion of SRI in Zambia
Currently over 50 farmers have already enrolled themselves to work with SRI in the 2006/2007 growing season, and a lot more want to join and engage with SRI, having seen or heard about the results.
CHALLENGES FACED IN INTRODUCING
A NEW INNOVATION IN ZAMBIAN First, great thanks goes to ECHO Newsletter (Ft. Myers, Florida) to which I
subscribe, from which I learned about SRI, and to Professor Norman Uphoff of Cornell University, who during 3 years, 2003-2006, providing the needed resources (literature, pictures, CDs, inspiring e-mails) to capacity-build my knowledge in taking up the challenge of promoting SRI in Zambia.
It was initially difficult to convince Zambian rice farmers about adapting SRI due to high skepticism regarding new innovations following several decades of failed traditional and modern-technological attempts to improve methods for growing rice among rural resource-poor farmers (dependence on flooded grounds syndrome, costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides, promotion of unaffordable GMO techniques)
Good will from a part of the Government also played a fundamental role in gaining acceptance and momentum.
THANKYOU
For SRI information, check out SRI home page:
http://ciifad.cornell.edu/sri/
Including now a Zambia SRI page!