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INDIA ARCHIVES

Progress / Activities ('17-'20)	Research and Evaluations	SRI Websites
Activity Archives ('99-'16)	Practical Information (manuals)	Video / Audio
Reports, News and Articles	National SRI Conferences/Events	Slide Presentations
Publications in Indian langauges	Discussion Group	Photo Gallery

India SRI Archives (1999-2016)

For more recent information, see main India page

2016 Updates

• National Consultative Meeting on Up-Scaling SCI/SRI Held at NAAS, New Delhi

  [September 16, 2016] The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and the National Consortium on SRI (NCS) organized a one-day National Consultation on Up-scaling System of Rice Intensification (SRI), September 10, 2016, at the NAAS, NASC Complex, New Delhi. The event was organized in view of the increasing interest in SRI shown by the farmers and the growing support from various state governments, civil society organizations, donor agencies, research institutions, KVKs and the agricultural universities. The aim of the Consultation was to reach out to the policy makers and other stakeholders in order to initiate a massive effort at up-scaling SRI practices across the country. It was decided that the National Consortium on SRI (NCS) would take lead in bringing together the multiple stakeholders to hasten the formulation and launch of the National SRI initiative for Food and Nutrition Security. The NCS will work with the Ministry of Agriculture in constituting a Task Force with expert members to develop the strategy and guidelines of the proposed Initiative. Some of the topics to be addressed in the initiative include: 1) Promoting of more research, 2) ensuring adequate and timely supply of appropriate equipment and implements, 3) promoting innovative technologies (existing inappropriate institutions), 4) focus on enabling farmer-led innovations, 5) intensive skill development initiatives in agriculture and 6) recognition of the roles of women and laborers. [See Consultation proceedings for details.]

• 2016 News about SRI in India

  [August 24, 2016] During the first half of 2016, SRI-Rice archived over 30 articles about SRI in India in the English language online press. In addition to articles relating to the entire country, articles came from news sources in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kashmir, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. The bulk of the items were from Tamil Nadu. [The archive for 2016 and previous years can be found in the SRI-Rice India News section.]

• Madurai Farmer Records Highest Yield for 2014-2015 with SRI

  [January 27, 2016] Prasanna Padmanabhan, a farmer from Thiruppalai village, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, has recorded the highest paddy yield through the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in 2014-15. During the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa honoured her with a special award of 5 lakh and a medal worth Rs 3,500. She cultivated TRY3 paddy variety on half acre with a yield of 3,223 kg. [See NYOOZ article for details.]

2015

• Amod Thakur Wins J.J. Chinoy Gold Medal / Publishes Article Summing Up Underpinnings of SRI

  [December 2015] Dr. Amod Kumar Thakur, Senior Scientist of ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar, received the prestigious J. J. Chinoy Gold Medal Award instituted by the Indian Society for Plant Physiology during the 3rd International Plant Physiology Congress held December 11-14 at JNU, New Delhi. Thakur (shown at right), who won the award for his significant contribution to plant physiology research, has been working on the physiological basis of rice grown under System of Rice Intensification for the past 10 years. Just prior to winning the award, he completed an article on the science behind SRI, which was co-authored by Norman Uphoff and Willem Stoop. The early online version of the article, entitled Scientific underpinnings of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI): What is known so far?, was published on December 4 in Advances in Agronomy.

  
  
• Sabarmatee Wins Odisha Living Legend Award for 2015

  [December 3, 2015] Sabarmatee, who has worked tirelessly on questions of gender related to SRI and other rural issues, has received the highest level of civil award in the Odisha, the "Odisha Living Legend Award 2015" for excellence in social service. She is currently providing leadership for the NGO Sambhav and completing her PhD at Wageningen University. [See article in the Orissa Diary for details. Also see Sabarmatee's presentation on SRI sociotechnical interactions, which investigates how tasks related to growing rice affect men and women differently.]

• Debashish Sen Receives PhD Degree from Wageningen University

  [November 2015] Debashish Sen successfully defended his dissertation at Wageningen University and Research Center (WUR) during November 2015. His thesis, entitled How smallholder farmers in Uttarakhand reworked the System of Rice Intensification: Innovations from sociotechnical interactions in fields and villages, endeavored to understand how farmers respond to an intervention like SRI and what this tells us about SRI as a socio-technical system. The main research question addressed was how SRI, conceived as a set of practices introduced from outside the communities, was incorporated into the local rice farming system in three contrasting Uttarakhand villages in the Bhilangana sub-basin of the Western Himalayan region of India. Sen's thesis provides insights into the integration of social and technical dimensions of crop cultivation, particularly the dynamics of rice farming using SRI but also for agronomy as a whole. [See video of Wageningen session.]

2014

• PRAN's Work on SRI to Be Awarded "Skoch Order of Merit"

  [September 23, 2014] Anil Verma, Executive Director of PRAN, accepted an award for extending SRI and SRI principles for other crops. His project was selected by the jury as amongst the best in the country and was conferred the “Skoch Order of Merit” during the 37th Skoch Summit on "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance" at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on the September 19-20, 2014.

• SDTT/Livolink Foundation to Hold SRI Research Conference in Bhubaneswar

  [August 2014] The Research Conference on System of Rice Intensification: Research Issues, Priorities and Prospects was held August 12-13, 2014, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It was organized by the Livolink Foundation with support from Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Allied Trusts, Mumbai (SDTT). The major objectives of this national event were: to provide a common platform for researchers to deliver and discuss the scope of research on SRI; to identify emerging research demand on various techno-social issues related to SRI as expressed by various stakeholders and to match it with the available resources from the SDTT programme; to consolidate findings and achievements made so far through adaptive research by experienced organizations (research institutes, SAU, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, resource NGOs, CBOs, etc); to identify and discuss constraints and opportunities based on practical experiences to expedite further expansion of SRI in India; and, to invite proposals on the identified research areas under the SDTT-supported SRI programme. The meeting also identified priority themes on SRI research that could be supported using available resources from the SDTT-SRI programme. During Kharif 2013, the SDTT-SRI programme has benefited nearly 200,000 households through a network of 70 partner organizations that cover 51 districts in 6 intensive programme states of India (Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Manipur). (For more information on the conference, see the SDTT-SRI website. The PowerPoint presentations are also available on Ashutosh Pal's slideshare channel.)

• Workshop on SRI as a Socio-Technical Movement in India to be held at the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences

  [July 16, 2014] A conference on Changes in Rice Production and Rural Livelihoods: New Insights on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) as a Socio-Technical Movement in India, was held June 19-21 at the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NASC) in New Delhi. The workshop addressed current challenges for food security and livelihoods in India by looking at the production of food crops by farmers in interaction with the agricultural innovation system. Results from several projects and programmes were presented, followed by discussion of the implications for policy agendas regarding agricultural research, food security and rural development. Presentations included, among others, results of a major research programme on SRI in India by Indian partners together with Wageningen University, the Netherlands, that has been ongoing for the past four years. The overall question is how to understand and explain the spread of SRI as a socio-technical phenomenon and driver of agrarian change. By linking a diverse set of studies and perspectives, the seminar aimed to create a wider understanding of food production and rural livelihoods in India, creating new opportunities for science as well as policy paradigm. More information on this event can be found in the conference program. Thirty-two PowerPoints, photos, and presentation abstracts are available. The workshop was organized by Wageningen University, National Consortium on SRI, and Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar. For more information, see the conference website, the final workshop report or contact Shambu Prasad.

• SDTT-SRI Partners' Meet Takes Place in Chhattisgarh

  [May 26, 2014] The sixth annual SDTT-SRI Partners Meet took place March 21-22, 2014 at Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The theme was "Mainstreaming of the SDTT-SRI Program: Achievements and Constraints." The event, which was supported by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and allied Trusts under the SDTT-SRI Programme, was organized by Livolink Foundation, Bhubaneswar and hosted by PRADAN, Raipur. Sixty participants were in attendance, representing Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and allied Trusts, Mumbai; various departments of Government of Chhattisgarh; SRI programme partner NGOs from different states of the country; senior officials and scientists from State Agricultural University; practicing farmers, and notable experts on SRI methodology. (See 22 workshop presentations). Several months after the workshop, an MoU was signed with NABARD for upscaling SRI and crop intensification in four District of south Odisha.

• T.M. Thiyagarajan Wins Lifetime Achievement Award at Agri Expo for Work with SRI

  [March 2014] A lifetime achievement award was presented to Dr. T. M. Thiyagarajan on December 22, 2013, by the leading Tamil daily Dinamalar during Agri Expo 2014 in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The award was given for initiating research on the System of Rice Intensification and introducing it in Tamil Nadu, where farmers have benefited greatly from adopting SRI methods. Thiyagarajan is on the AME Foundation Board of Trustees, former Director of Bengaluru Centre for Soil and Crop Management Studies, and former dean of Coimbatore Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam, at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. See also video of Thiyagarajan receiving the Lifetime Award and an article, My Destiny, My Profession, that he wrote about his life's work.

• Tripura Gets Krishi Karman Award for Food-Grain Production; SRI Credited for Progress Toward Self-Sufficiency

  [February 15, 2014] According to a TNT article, Tripura was awarded the Krishi Karman award for food-grain production in category III states with total food-grain production less than 1 million tons. President Pranab Mukherjee presented the award to the Tripura agriculture minister Aghore Debbarma on February 10 in New Delhi. The state achieved a net production of 7.25 MT food-grains against a requirement of 8.54 MT. Debbarma said that the state has achieved commendable development in food-grain production, especially with the adoption of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). The agriculture minister further noted that the state is confident of reaching the target production by the next three years.

• Erode Farmer Wins Special Award for Highest SRI Yield in Tamil Nadu

  [January 27, 2014] As part of the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa presented a special award to a farmer who obtained the highest yield using SRI in the state. N. Parameswaran, from Nasiyanur village, Erode district, Tamil Nadu, received the special award for his SRI yield 6,110 kg/acre. The award included 5 lakh rupees in cash and a medal worth 3,500. (See New Indian Express article).

• Karur District Man Wins Best Farmer Award from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

  [January 20, 2014] Software Engineer-turned-farmer Shri G. Karikalan of Keelapatti village, Karur district, has been awarded the Velanmai Chemmal (Best Farmer) Award from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during the farmers day function on January 11, 2014. According to J. Diraviam, KVK Karur programme coordinator, Karikalan received the award for his adoption and promotion of resource conservation technologies, particularly SRI and SSI technologies, and promoting a farmer producer company (FPO).

  Since his adoption of SRI three years ago following a KVK training, there are now around 10 villages that have moved from conventional planting to with SRI methods; his own village has an impressive 80% adoption. Since 2011, Karikalan has also trained 25 women's groups in SRI methods, which has resulted in over 1000 ha of SRI-planted fields in Karur district during the past three years. He had also used the FPO for supply of quality inputs specifically conoweeders for the benefit of his fellow farmers. [source: Jan. 19 post by Diraviam on the SRI-India Google Group.]

2013 Archives

• Prof. Shambu Prasad Wins Villgro Award 2013 for Social Entrepreneurship

  [April 20, 2013] Prof. Shambu Prasad, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, was awarded the Villgro Award 2013 for the Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem at the Sankalp Unconvention Summit 2013 held April 17-18 in Mumbai, India. Dr. Prasad was cited for contributions in the field of social entrepreneurship as an academician (CSIE-IITM Academic Contribution category).

• SRI Report Chronicles SRI Success in Manipur

  [September 4, 2013] A recent report by Sunita Devi, a former Hubert Humphrey Fellow at Cornell University, documents how, after getting off to a slow start in 2007, SRI has now made its way into state policy, with the Government of Manipur making SRI a program of the Agriculture Department with a budget allocation. There are currently 26,321 acres under SRI cultivation which which grew from the original 60 acres that were planted during 2007. SRI was first introduced in Manipur by two extension officers of the Manipur's Agriculture Department, Mr. Th. Tomba Singh and Mr. S. Kennedy, after they attended a training programme at Hyderabad in 2005. With the support of Shamu Kabui, Director of Agriculture, Govt. of Manipur, they spent a year trying out SRI methods on their own homesteads. They subsequently convinced a farmer, O. Bamonjao of Bishnupur District, to try SRI on two acres, promising to compensate him fourfold for lost yield. Seeing potential success of SRI in Manipur, the Department of Agriculture published a handbook of SRI both in English and Manipuri [see photo at right with Devi, Kabui and Rajkumari (far right).] Devi credits Kabui and his "team of dedicated SRI soldiers" with popularizing SRI methods there, which has reported led to yield increases of 30 to 50 percent. [For details, see Sunita Devi's report.]

• SRI-India's Google Group Reports on the News

  [July 6, 2013] SRI-India's Bimonthly Update is now available on the SDTT SRI website. The May-June Update, which is edited by Anibrata Biswas and published by the Livolink Foundation, includes news, reports, publication descriptions and interesting traffic from the discussion group over previous two months. The SRI-India discussion group, which is approaching 500 members and has carried nearly 3,000 posts since its inception, is intended to promote information and discussion among farmers, civil society practitioners, researchers and others interested in research and application of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) as a tool for attaining food security in India.

• Bihar: SRI Carries Out Large Scale SRI Campaign

  [April 24, 2013] Bihar has been in the state, national and global news frequently of late regarding the accomplishments of Sumant Kumar, a farmer in Darveshpura village in Nalanda district, reported broke the world record in 2011 by producing 224 quintals of paddy per hectare using the SRI method (See Guardian article). Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched a SRIvidhi mahaabhiyan (major campaign) in Patna on April 24 to create more awareness about SRI as a scientific method and to encourage farmers to adopt it. (Officials have renamed SRI to Srividhi, which means "method of prosperity.") The campaign targets millions of farmers to popularize SRI in its efforts to increase paddy rice production in the state by around 15% from around 8.7 million tons in 2012-13 to 10 million tons in 2013-14. Agriculture production commissioner Alok Kumar Sinha said that the SRI method is set to change the face of paddy cultivation in the state as thousands of farmers have been adopting it following encouraging results and its success. The Agriculture Department has developed an SRI logo, songs about SRI benefits in local languages, and a film to explain the SRI method. Bihar Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh said that farmers have achieved up to 40 percent more paddy yields by adopting the SRI method. (See Business Standard article and Oryza article for details.)

• LEISA India's March 2013 Issue: SRI, A scaling up success

  One of the AgriCulture Network's magazines for Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture, LEISA India, is devoted to SRI (March 2013, volume 15 no.1). Articles cover SRI in India and Nepal as well as extending SRI principles to wheat (SWI) and to sugarcane (SSI). Opinions by leading SRI proponents in India and an interview with Norman Uphoff are also included in this edition. (The global version of ILEIA magazine, called Farming Matters (March 2013, volume 29, no.1), also contains two articles about SRI in India.)

• Bihar Rice Yields Gain Garner Award from Indian President and Praise from Nobel Laureate

  
  Krishi Karman award: On Jan 16, 2013, President Pranab Mukherjee presented the Krishi Karman award to Bihar State for a significant increase in production of paddy in 2011-12. The 7.2 million tons produced was >50% more than the state’s previous highest yield of 4.6 million tons. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh accepted the award, which consisted of a trophy, a citation and INR 10,000,000 (US$184,000), on behalf of Bihar state at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. SRI methods, used on >300,000 hectares in the past season (about 12% of the paddy area), probably contributed about one-third of state’s increased production as the Bihar Department of Agriculture calculated an average SRI yield of 8.08 t/ha.

  The President also presented individual awards to Sumant Kumar, a farmer from Darveshpura village in Nalanda district, for setting a new world record with production of 22.4 tons/hectare of paddy rice using SRI methods; and to Smt. Shanti Devi, a farmer from Naran village of Rohtas district, for her setting a record with the popular Swarna variety (MTU-7029) - 9.5 tons/hectare with SRI management, about 75% more than scientists’ expectation for this variety (See Jan. 16 Times of India article.)

  Nobel laureate Stiglitz' visit: Inspired by the progressive farmers of Nalanda who catapulted the district on to the global agriculture map, Nobel laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz visited the farms in Nalanda that have been acknowledged worldwide for getting highest yield of paddy, onion and potato in recent times using the scientific method of SRI methods along with traditional bio-fertilizers. The noted author and economist visited organic farms at Sohdih and said the achievements of the farmers of the state and the district will definitely inspire farmers of other countries. (See Jan. 13 Times of India article.)

• Recent Publications Shed Light on the Progression of SRI in India

  T. M. Thiyagarajan and Biksham Gujja wrote a 204 page publication entitled SRI - Transforming rice production with SRI (System of Rice Intensification) knowledge and practice. Published by the National Consortium of SRI (NCS) and the company AgSRI, it can be obtained from the AgSRI website.

  A publication on the Impact of SRI in 13 States of India was completed in November 2012. It was undertaken by the IWMI - TATA Water Policy Program.

2012 Archives

• Recent Publications Shed Light on the Progression of SRI in India

  T. M. Thiyagarajan and Biksham Gujja wrote a 204-page publication entitled SRI - Transforming rice production with SRI (System of Rice Intensification) knowledge and practice. Publihed by the National Consortium of SRI (NCS) and the company AgSRI, it can be obtained from the AgSRI website.

  A publication on the Impact of SRI in 13 States of India was completed in Novemer 2012. It was undertaken by the IWMI - TATA Water Policy Program

• SRI Proponents from Bihar Receive Prestigious Awards in New Delhi
  
  

    -> Prime Minister's Award: According to Anil Verma (PRADAN-Gaya/Bihar), four officials from the Government of Bihar, India, have been approved by the state government to receive the Prime Minister's Award for their efforts in promoting the System of Rice Intensification and addressing the issue of food security. The awards, which will be presented in New Delhi, will go to the following officials from the the Government of Bihar in Patna:
     - The Agriculture Production Commissioner
     - Mr. Parvinder Singh, Director, Agriculture
     - Mrs Vijay Laxmi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, and
     - Mr. Anil Kumar Jha, Expert, Department of Agriculture

    -> Jagjivan Ram Award: On July 16, 2012, Mr. Santosh Yadav, a farmer from Bodh Gaya Block in Bihar, received the Jagjivan Ram Award from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in New Delhi. Yadav was recognized for his integrated farming system, which includes applying SRI methods (and adapting them to wheat, and rapeseed), developing an animal feed center, and making a commercially viable vermicompost unit. The prize, which was awarded by Mr. Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture, included Rs 100,000 and a certificate. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, was also present at the ceremony.

• Farmer Wins Best SRI Farmer Award as SRI Method Modified for Direct Seeding Gains Popularity in A.P.

  On February 23, 2012, Nageswar Rao of Madibaka Village, Yerpedu Mandal, received the Best SRI Farmer Award for the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Rao, the first person to adopt the modified SRI drumseeder method for direct-seeding rice in his area, was presented with the certificate by the A.P. Minister for Mines. In the photo at right, he is shown sitting between Associate Director of Research Dr.Giridhar Krishna and District Collector Sri Salmon Arogya raj.

  Since 2007, applying SRI concepts and principles to direct seeding for rice has been seen as a realistic solution to address farmers' problems and raise paddy productivity by Rashiya Seva Samithi Acharya Ranga Krishi Vigyan Kendra (RASS-KVK) in Tirupati, Chittoor dt, A.P. Direct seeding with a drumseeder (shown at left) reduces labor and time requirements, eliminates nursery-raising and transplanting, and results in a uniform plant population that matures earlier by 7-10 days. Data comparing the modified SRI method to traditional methods showed the average yield was higher (12%), cultivation costs were lower (by 25%), gross returns were greater (10%), and net returns were much higher (76%) with the direct-seeding. RASS-KVK, which started working on SRI in 2003, began experimenting with the drumseeder SRI adaptation in 2006; by 2011, 658 farmers are using the method on 1,220 acres in Chittoor. See Reddy's 2012 report for details. Also of interest is the 2009 Telugu language practical booklet.

• [Note: For a different take on direct-seeding followed by thinning, see earlier poster from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University].

• Round Table Discussion on Status of SRI in India Held in New Delhi

  A round table discussion, Status of SRI in India: Upscaling Strategy and Global Experience Sharing, was held March 3, 2011, at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi. The event was very timely, as issues of sustainable food security have assumed national importance while the country is debating on the crucial National Food Security bill. SRI is increasingly recognized in India as an innovative practice that increases productivity in a sustainable way, and is gaining acceptance by farmers, particularly of those considered vulnerable or resource-limited.

  The SRI-India website has uploaded several items related to the event: The proceedings (the Status of SRI in India), a presentation on the National SRI Consortium, and a photo gallery.

• SRI Methods are Reducing Food Insecurity by Half in Chhattisgarh State

  A report from PRADAN reviews the impact of its SRI extension work in this state, which has a high prevalence of food insecurity. In 2009-10, there were 4,445 households using SRI methods in the kharif (summer) season, on 750.15 hectares with support from PRADAN in three districts and from 10 local partner NGOs in six more districts. Very small holdings are the norm in Chhattisigarh state, and 90-95% of these holdings are rainfed, as very few households have access to irrigation facilities. The average SRI area per household was only 0.17 ha, and 2009-10 was a year of considerably less than average rainfall.

  Following guidelines for yield reporting from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust of Mumbai, which has funded much of the SRI extension work in the state, 1,410 SRI plots (a 32% sample) were measured for yield, calculated from a 5m x 5m crop cutting. From these data it was seen that 83% of the households had a yield of 4 t/ha or more. The average paddy yield was 5.84 t/ha, compared with an average yield of 2.1 t/ha using farmers’ common methods. The state’s paddy yield average is 2.2 t/ha.

  PRADAN calculated the impact of this innovation on food security, for household having just 0.17 ha under SRI management. With their conventional methods, households have been producing enough grain for just 2.6 months of consumption per year. With SRI methods, by contrast, they can cover 7.3 months/year. This reduces the number of ‘uncovered’ months from 9.4 to 4.7, a 50% reduction in the time that households must scramble, scavenge or migrate to feed themselves each year.

  In the rabi (winter) season, another 1,265 families have taken up versions of SRI to improve their production of wheat, mustard (rapeseed) and other crops. In neighboring Bihar, yields of these crops when under SWI or SCI management have increased by 2 to 3 times (link to Bihar SCI report). With full use of these different kinds of ‘intensification’ in both seasons, food security thus could become attainable for thousands of Chattisgarh households.

2011

• Rural Development Minister Learns More about SRI/SCI Applications in Bihar

  The Rural Development Minister for the Government of India, Mr. Jayram Ramesh, along with State Minister Shyam Rajak, visited an SRI village in Gaya district on August 27, 2011, spending time at the SRI stall of PRADAN and talking about the various crops being improved SRI/SCI methods (see photo at right). The Minister had previously visited communities where PRADAN is working in Orissa and Chhatisgarh, including the introduction of SRI and related initiatives, and he expressed appreciation for PRADAN's work on SRI and for farmers' innovation in improving other crops.

  The State Minister, accompanied by the Bihar Secretary for Rural Development, Mr. Santosh Mathew, also spent half an hour in the SRI stall, interested in the impacts of SCI management on various vegetables, oilseeds and sugarcane, and looking at various implements developed for using SRI methods. After visiting the PRADAN stall, the Minister visited a farmer's SRI plot. Mrs. Jyoti Manjhi, SRI farmer-activist who was elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly last year, also participated in the visit. The programme was organized by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society.

• Round Table Discussion on Status of SRI in India Held in New Delhi

  A round table discussion, Status of SRI in India: Upscaling Strategy and Global Experience Sharing, was held March 3, 2011, at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi. The event was very timely, as issues of sustainable food security have assumed national importance while the country is debating on the crucial National Food Security bill. SRI is increasingly recognized in India as an innovative practice that increases productivity in a sustainable way, and is gaining acceptance by farmers, particularly of those considered vulnerable or resource-limited.

  The SRI-India website has uploaded several items related to the event: The proceedings (the Status of SRI in India), a presentation on the National SRI Consortium, and a photo gallery.

• BASIX Strategy for SRI Extension is Self-Financing

  BASIX is a group of livelihood promotion institutions established in 1996, working with over 3.5 million customers in India, 90% of them being rural poor households. BASIX works in 18 states with a workforce of over 10,000 reaching out to about 40,000 villages across India. BASIX strategy is to provide a comprehensive set of livelihood promotion services which include financial services, agricultural/business Development services (Ag/BDS) and institutional development services (IDS) to rural poor households under one umbrella.

  Under its commitment to provide agricultural and business development services, BASIX began its evaluation of SRI in 2005-06, working with two farmers in Orissa state. By the 2009-10 crop year, the number of farmers assisted by BASIX field staff to utilize SRI methods had reached 18,550, spread across five states of eastern India, a majority of these in Bihar. A report on this ‘journey’ with SRI -- describing both the expansion and the methodology used -- has been received from Shailesh Kumar (BASIX) and is now posted. The "SRI intervention process" is shown at right.

  Farmers who want assistance from BASIX pay 500 rupees ($11) for a season of training and technical back-up at field level. Since yield increases are averaging 3-3.5 t/ha, a farmer who cultivates just one acre of SRI paddy can recover the cost of the training/technical support fee within one season – 20 times over. The average increase in income from production on an acre is worth  more than 10,000 rupees ($220).

  This approach, which complements NGO and government extension efforts for SRI, can be expanded wherever there are farmers willing and able to make this very profitable investment. There are practically no other expenditures that farmers can make which are so profitable. Once farmers have learned SRI methods, they can receive this higher return each year for many years to come with no further expenditure.

• SRI Methods are Reducing Food Insecurity by Half in Chhattisgarh State

  A report from PRADAN reviews the impact of its SRI extension work in this state, which has a high prevalence of food insecurity. In 2009-10, there were 4,445 households using SRI methods in the kharif (summer) season, on 750.15 hectares with support from PRADAN in three districts and from 10 local partner NGOs in six more districts. Very small holdings are the norm in Chhattisigarh state, and 90-95% of these holdings are rainfed, as very few households have access to irrigation facilities. The average SRI area per household was only 0.17 ha, and 2009-10 was a year of considerably less than average rainfall.

  Following guidelines for yield reporting from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust of Mumbai, which has funded much of the SRI extension work in the state, 1,410 SRI plots (a 32% sample) were measured for yield, calculated from a 5m x 5m crop cutting. From these data it was seen that 83% of the households had a yield of 4 t/ha or more. The average paddy yield was 5.84 t/ha, compared with an average yield of 2.1 t/ha using farmers’ common methods. The state’s paddy yield average is 2.2 t/ha.

  PRADAN calculated the impact of this innovation on food security, for household having just 0.17 ha under SRI management. With their conventional methods, households have been producing enough grain for just 2.6 months of consumption per year. With SRI methods, by contrast, they can cover 7.3 months/year. This reduces the number of ‘uncovered’ months from 9.4 to 4.7, a 50% reduction in the time that households must scramble, scavenge or migrate to feed themselves each year.

  In the rabi (winter) season, another 1,265 families have taken up versions of SRI to improve their production of wheat, mustard (rapeseed) and other crops. In neighboring Bihar, yields of these crops when under SWI or SCI management have increased by 2 to 3 times (link to Bihar SCI report). With full use of these different kinds of ‘intensification’ in both seasons, food security thus could become attainable for thousands of Chattisgarh households.

• SRI and SCI Events Held during 2011

  The International Symposium on System Intensification towards Food & Environmental Security, organized by the Crop and Weed Science Society (CWSS) and Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV) in collaboration with NABARD, Kolkata, was held at the Farmers' Training Centre (FTC- Lake Hall), Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India, on February 24- 27, 2011 (see flyer)

  A National Colloquium on the System of Crop Intensification (SCI), organized by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS), was held in Patna, Bihar State, on March 1, 2011. Subsequently, a September 7, 2011, workshop on Upscaling System of Crop Intensification (SCI) for Achieving Food Security in the farms of Uttarakhand and Bundelkhand was held in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. The state-level workshop was organized by the People's Science Institute, which has been one of the pioneers in the "spill over effect" of SRI into other crops like wheat, vegetables, maize, finger millets, soyabeans and kidney beans.

• National Consortium on SRI for India

  Participants in a national workshop on SRI convened October 10, 2010, hosted at the National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research in cooperation with the NGO PRADAN, agreed to form a National Consortium on SRI to advance the understanding and utilization of SRI methods across India. (See a brief report on the meeting and Powerpoint for objectives and roles).The National Consortium on SRI is participating in a consultative workshop with the Planning Commission on "regenerating natural resources and rural livelihoods in rainfed areas of India" at Hyderabad, December 15-16, 2010, and will offer its suggestions for incorporation in the 12th Five Year Plan.

2009

• New SRI Publications Available

  An excellent new publication by Biksham Gujja and T.M. Thiyagarajan, New Hope for Indian Food Security? The System of Rice Intensification, was recently published by International Institute for Environment andDevelopment through its Gatekeeper Series. In Andhra Pradesh, P. Bala Hussain Reddy and his colleagues in Andhra Pradesh at the Acharya Ranga Krishi Vigyan Kendra have provided two new items that highlight SRI principles adapted to direct seeding: Direct Seeding with Drum Seeder - Future Prospects, an English language report, is accompanied by a Telugu language practical booklet. The drum seeder is shown at right. (See also earlier related work on direct planting of rice by carried out by S. Ramasamy et al at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University).

• Banglar SRI : A SRI-Promoters’ Platform in West Bengal

  While promotion of SRI in West Bengal was initiated by the NGO PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action) in 2002-03 in the Purulia District, its spread throughout the state did not take off until 2005-06. (A 2007 article in the journal Agricultural Water Management studied the success of SRI in Purulia.) As of 2010, the primary civil society groups working on SRI in West Bengal include PRADAN, Ambuja Cement Foundation, the Rural Development Association (RDA), Jeevika, Baradrone Social Welfare Institution (BSWI), Access Development Services, Rajarhat PRASARI, International Development Enterprises India (IDEI) and World Vision India (see report).

  With the objective of promoting a state-level SRI learning forum, Banglar SRI first convened on October 10, 2009, at the PRASARI office at Kolkata (see report). The inaugural forum meeting, which included representatives from many of the above-mentioned organizations as well as Mr. M. Biswanath Sinha (Sir Dorabji Tata Trust), key persons/chief executives from the Tagore Society and several academics, was conducted by the all-India SRI monitoring body (SRI Secretariat) based in Bhubaneswar. Through efforts of civil society organizations there are now over 10,000 SRI farmers in West Bengal. While Banglar SRI will continue to facilitate SRI promotion by NGOs, its members also plan to encourage government ministries and departments to increase their participation in the effort to reach marginal rice-producing households.

• Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Nidhi Project (RGVN-SRI) Expands SRI in Assam
  The pilot project on System of Rice Intensification (SRI) was started by setting up RGVN-SRI unit at RGVN, Guwahati, during April 2008 under the fund support from Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Mumbai. According to Ramani Kanta Sarma, Coordinator of the RGVN-SRI Unit, the pilot project, which motivated 176 farmers from 21 districts of Assam to adopt SRI on 60.5 acres of land in Kharif paddy during the FY 2008-09, could motivate 619 farmers in Summer Autumn Paddy with total land coverage of 353.7 acres during FY 2008-09 in Assam. RGVN is conducting large-scale awareness-raising for potential SRI farmers of Assam and is expecting to motivate at least 4000 farmers for adoption of SRI during the FY 2009-10.

• Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) Manual and Newsletter Available

  Following success with SRI, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), have worked to extend SRI principles and practices to the sugarcane crops through its Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) (see SRI-India article). Director General William Dar of ICRISAT released the Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI) manual at the "Improving Sugarcane Cultivation in India" event organized by the ICRISAT-WWF project on May 5, 2009. The first issue of the Sugar Cane Matters Newsletter series came out in November 2009.

• New Publication highlights Indian SRI Farmer Pioneers

  A new publication, System of Rice Intensification Experiences of Farmers in India, compiles the experiences of Indian farmers who pioneered the SRI method in their regions. It is published by the WWF-ICRISAT project and can be downloaded from the sri-india.net site here.

• Orissa Reports 10,000 Farmers Using SRI Methods

  The SRI Learning Alliance in Orissa State has polled its members and has constructed a detailed inventory of SRI use (kharif 2009, rabi 2008-2009), district-by-district, totaling close to 10,000 farmers. It shows which farmers have been supported by which NGO or government partners. Of most interest is that the top five districts for SRI uptake -- Koraput, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Ganjam and Nayagarh -- which contribute nearly 80% of both area and number of SRI farmers are ones classified as very backward according to their Human Development Indicators. That these districts are in the forefront suggests that SRI can have particular relevance for food security and poverty reduction efforts in India.

  Pragati Wins National NGO Award in Part for SRI Promotion

  Pragati, based in Koraput in Orissa state, has received the 2008 NGO of the Year award for small NGOs in India, given annually by the Resource Alliance and Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation. The director of Pragati, Prabhakar Adhikari, credits the work that his NGO has done with SRI, taking it to poor and remote villages in tribal areas of Koraput district, for a large part of the credibility, appreciation and impact which Pragati as achieved. The award carries a cash award of Rs. 400,000 which will help to further Pragati’s work.

  BAIF (Bharatia Agro-Industries Foundation), which received the NGO of the Year award for large NGOs, is doing successful SRI work with tribal villages in Dangs District of Gujarat state (see presentation). In 2006, the NGO partner PRADAN which is promoting SRI in seven states of Eastern India received the NGO of the Year award for large NGOs.

• Award for Baharul Majumdar in Tripura State

  The Department of Science and Technology of the Government of Tripura has selected Dr. Baharul Islam Majumdar for the 2007-08 Acharya Praful Chandra Ray Award for his outstanding contributions in the field of agriculture, citing his leadership in popularizing the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) techniques across the state of Tripura. The prize carries a cash award of 10,000 Indian rupees plus a gold medal and certificate. This is the first such award given by the Science and Technology Council in the agriculture sector. (see "Celebrating Creative Dissent in Science" on the India Water Portal Blog for more information).

  Dr. Majumdar began his own trials of SRI methods in 2000 and and in 2002-03 started doing on-farm trials/demonstrations with 44 farmers. By 2005-06 this number had expanded to 880 farmers on 352 hectares. Their good results and confidence in the methods helped get state government support for a popularization campaign, under Baharul’s leadership. The next year, 73,390 farmers used SRI methods on 14,678 hectares, and in the 2007-08 season, over 160,000 farmers used SRI techniques on 32,500 hectares. The Tripura government goal for 2008-09 of 250,000 farmers using SRI methods on 50,000 hectares (21% of total rice area) is on track to be achieved. In 2007-08, the average SRI yield in Tripura was 4.3 tons/hectare compared with the state's average paddy yield of 2.5 tons/hectare.

2008

• SRI Network Launched Following SRI Symposium in Bihar

  On 29 December 2008, a state-level symposium on SRI was held in Patna, Bihar, with over 135 participants from all over this state, from NGOs, government agencies, research institutions and private sector, and from the self-help group (SHG) federations that are playing an active role in SRI dissemination. The meeting was organized by the Grameen Services of BASIX, a private consulting firm with many pro bono activities, together with the Women Development Corporation of the state government's Department of Welfare. The Principal Secretary of that department presided over the day's proceedings, most of which focused on experience-sharing, and particularly on women's involvement in the process. A representative of the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society told how SRI use had expanded from 128 farmers to over 5,000 within one year.

  The BASIX model is innovative in that it signs up farmers, even small and poor ones, for SRI training and supervision, for a set fee, 300 rupees plus tax (about $7). This can be more than recovered by net increases in farmers' income from SRI. This gives farmers both expertise and confidence to undertake SRI. The minutes do not give many details of this arrangement but do report farmer satisfaction with this. One deterrent to SRI uptake has been access to reliable technical backup throughout the growing season. This arrangement ensures support (referred to as 'handholding' in the local English vernacular) and makes it self-financing in that farmers can afford to pay for this service from their enhanced income. (see minutes of the meeting).

• Workshops in Orissa and Uttarkhand Held during December, 2008

  A SRI Learning Alliance Workshop took place in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, on December 8-9, 2008, followed by a workshop on Promotion of the System of Rice Intensification: Paddy Cultivation for Achieving Food Security in Dehradun, Uttarkhand, on December 11, 2008. The SRI learning Alliance in Orissa, which opened a workshop blog preceding the event, more recently opened the SRI-Orissa Google Group with over 60 members. (Contact sriximb@gmail.com for information on joining the latter group).

• Third National SRI Symposium Convenes in Tamil Nadu

  Information about the 3rd National SRI Symposium, held in Coimbatore, India, including many of the presentations and publications, can be found on the SRI-India website. The conference was hosted by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, December 1-3, 2008, in Coimbatore. The previous symposium (2007) in Agartala, Tripura State, attracted over 250 participants from 27 states of India and 8 countries. Tamil Nadu was chosen as a venue because of its rapid expansion of SRI use, reaching 430,000 ha last season and 750,000 ha expected this year. Co-sponsors of the event include the Departments of Agriculture for Tamil Nadu and Tripura States; the state agricultural universities for Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh; the Directorate of Rice Research (Hyderabad) and the Directorate of Rice Development (Patna), as well as the Central Rice Research Institute (Cuttack); the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Mumbai); the S.D. Tata Trust (Mumbai); the NGO Watershed Support Services & Activities Network (WASSAN) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) through the WWF-ICRISAT Project.

• SRI Map of India, Newsletters and Other Updates on the SRI India Website

  Data on where SRI has been introduced into India is available on a map located on the SRI India website. The map indicates the location of the 164 districts (out of 564 rice-growing districts) where SRI has been introduced throughout India. The website also includes the most recent newsletter about SRI in India, presentations from the 3rd National SRI Symposium (Coimbatore, India) and other documents relevant to SRI in India.

• Solution Exchange Dialogue on SRI

  The Food and Nutrition Security Community (FNS) of Solution Exchange, which is facilitated by FAO and co-facilitated by Nutrition Foundation of India (NFI), recently carried out a moderated discussion on SRI experiences. The discussion results include a discussion summary, comparative experiences, responses from the April-May 2008 discussions and related resources.

• SRI Report from State of Orissa

  According to a November 14 article in The Hindu, a farmer from Balipada village in Ganjam district in Orissa got 60 quintals per hectare of paddy using SRI methods and another farmer in Randha is expected to harvest same quantity of paddy. The productivity is almost double the yield in traditional cultivation method, according to Sudhir Rout, a farmer from Balipada. In the conventional method he was getting only 35 to 45 quintals from the same field. The crop cutting was done in his field in the presence of agriculture statistical officers to record the productivity. State Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy and Director of Agriculture Arabinda Padhi who visited Randha village to inspect the crop were reportedly overwhelmed.

• AMEF-BEST Reports on SRI Experience in Tamil Nadu, 2007-2008

  The NGO known as AMEF (Agricultural-Man-Ecology Foundation) has reported on SRI initiatives in Pudokkutai district of Tamil Nadu State. Using farmer field school methods, 105 farmers used SRI methods on 88 acres. Average yield increase is only about 28% (1 ton/ha), but not all SRI practices were used as recommended. The average age of seedlings transplanted was still 22 days (range 11-50 days), but this represented quite a reduction from 39 days average with conventional practice. Farmers' greatest benefit was a 55% reduction in cash costs of production per hectare, which together with the yield increase led to a significant increase in their net income.

• Districts in India Reporting SRI Yield Increases, Water Savings and Rapid Spread

  Results from the past season in Tamil Nadu state are being reported in the Indian press, and some districts have very recorded very impressive performances. Tiruchi District farmers achieved 8.4 t/ha with SRI methods, and up to 13 t/ha, according to district officials, who said the new methods were used on 17,000 ha. For next season, they were given a target of 30,000 ha, half of the rice-growing area of the district, but decided instead to organize a campaign of extension for 61,000 ha, the entire district (see article in The Hindu). In Erode district, SRI use went from 500 ha to over 13,000 ha this past season, 21% of the rice area, with an average SRI yield of 10.7 t/ha, which was 3.3 t/ha more than with usual methods. District officials said they would aim for 40,000 ha next season, 80% of the district rice-growing land (see article in the Hindu). For Tamil Nadu district as a whole, the Minister of Agriculture has set a target of 750,000 ha, given that on average, Tamil Nadu farmers are increasing their paddy yields by 50% with SRI methods, while reducing seeds, water and manual labor (see article in The Hindu, 1/1/08).

• Three-Year Evaluation of SRI Methods in Punjab State

  Dr. Amrik Singh (MANAGE) has prepared a report summarizing results of his three years of trials/demonstrations in Gurdaspur District, 2005-2007. The trials, conducted with controls and replications, and several different varieties, showed an average 50% increase in yield with 40-50% less requirement for water. This latter consideration is very urgent in Punjab because the water table is dropping, due to groundwater extractions, so rapidly that large areas of the state may have to abandon agricultural production within 15 years. The number of farmers cooperating with Dr. Singh on SRI evaluation went from 10 on 3 acres in 2005, to 150 using SRI on 175 acres in 2007.

• SRI Training Planned for Punjab State, India

  On May 16-17, 2008, a state-wide training program on SRI will be conducted in Gurdapur, inaugurated by the Minister of Agriculture. About 200 farmers from all over the state are expected to attend. Trainers will include Dr. Ravinder Babu from ICAR’s Directorate of Rice Research (Hyderabad), Dr. M. C. Diwakar, director of MOA’s Directorate of Rice Development (Patna), Dr. Mohinder Kumar, and Dr. Amrik Singh.

2007

• Sir Dorabji Tata Trust Evaluation of SRI Impacts in Bihar and West Bengal

  A three-man team headed by Dr. V.P. Singh, senior IARI scientist, with Dr. P.K. Bora, agricultural engineer at Assam Agricultural University, and Shri C. Udayshankar, Centre for World Solidarity, evaluated the impacts of SRI-introduction programs of PRADAN in Gaya and Nalanda districts of Bihar and Purulia district to West Bengal. This was based on both meetings with stakeholders and local technicians as well as field visits to talk with farmers. The team made strong recommendations for scaling up SRI through various means and strategies. [See full report.]

  Data collected and reported by the team included not only yield increases and reduction in the cost or production, but also reductions in labor requirements, contrary to the popular impression about SRI. The report also considered gender impacts of taking up the new methodology. It was found that especially with respect to poor and socially-marginalized families, who are the main focus of these PRADAN programs, there was significant improvement in household food security throughout the year; at present because of low yields and small landholdings, households in the study area have been producing only enough staple food to cover their needs for 4-8 months out of a year. Depending on size of holding, these households can meet their staple food needs and some even produce a surplus.

• Update on Progress in Purulia District, West Bengal

  SRI was introduced in this impoverished, largely tribal district in 2003 with four farmers. Five years later, this number is reported to have reached 3,793. These are rainfed farmers with small rice areas, and few are using SRI methods on all their rainfed paddy land yet, so the area was 528 hectares. Whereas the average yield in the district is 2.5 tons per hectare, farmers who are using SRI methods on part of their paddy area (possibly also using some SRI methods there) are producing 5.4 tons per hectare, and 7.1 tons per hectare on their SRI area. (Even here, few farmers are using all of the SRI methods as recommended.) Those SRI farmers who are in their fourth year of SRI use had average yields of 8.5 tons per hectare, so the apprehension that SRI yields would decline over time without use of chemical fertilizer has not been confirmed. [See 2007 Purulia report for details.]

• SRI Results in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand States

  The People’s Science Institute, an NGO working in the mountainous states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in northern India and based in Dehra Doon, has conducted 30 capacity-building workshops on SRI cultivation during the year, with financial support from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT). Of the 1,000 farmers trained, about 600 took up SRI in 2007. While non-SRI yields were 2.8-2.9 tons per ha, their SRI yields reached 5.3-5.5 tons per ha (a 92% average yield increase) with reduced use of water and less cost of inputs (see report with yield data and pictures of PSI's work with SRI).

• SRI Applications Being Extended to Wheat, Sugar Cane, Mustard

  Colleagues at People's Science Institute (PSI) based in Dehradun and working in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in northern India have completed the first trials that we know of applying SRI concepts to wheat production. These results were reported at the 2nd National SRI Symposium held October 3-5 in Agartala, Tripura State. With wheat, there is no change in management as large as moving from anaerobic to aerobic soil conditions with SRI. However, using two different varieties of wheat, PSI evaluators found that the best use of wider spacing and other SRI-inspired practices – together with direct seeding at fixed spacing – produced 28 to 40% more grain yield and 18% more straw yield -- compared to the best control results using standard broadcasting methods of crop establishment at the research farm at Dehradun (see tables presented at the Agartala symposium).

  Next season, PSI will do further on-farm trials with ‘SWI,’ including use of seed drill and weeder within an SRI framework to reduce labor costs. These first trials showed that wheat plants respond similarly to rice plants when their growing environment is changed. This may encourage others to undertake similar kinds of experiments with other crops. Other Indian NGOs -- PRADAN in eastern India and Green Foundation in Karnataka – have already found that finger millet (ragi) responds favorably to SRI concepts and practices with much higher grain yield.

  We now have an English summary of a booklet prepared in Telugu language by Mr. Alwara Swamy in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh state, on the methodology he developed called Sugarcane Renewed Intensification (SRI). This is being taken up by the AP state government, as reported in Update #8.

  Shambu Prasad at the Xavier Institute of Management has sent a write-up on a System of Mustard Intensification (SMI) developed by Pravash Chandra Sathpathy, an elderly farmer in Mayurbhanj district of Orissa state.

  We are looking forward to further extrapolations to other crops such as maize and sorghum. In Tamil Nadu state, Gopal Swaminathan has used SRI concepts for cotton, getting a 20% increase in yield, with lower production costs, even though cotton is not a gramineaceous plant species.

• TNAU Advertises SRI Benefits under World Bank Project

  The Water Technology Centre of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore has advertised SRI methods -- being promoted under a World Bank-funded project in Tamil Nadu state (IAMWARM) -- in Tamil language in the newspaper, New Indian Express, December 28, 2007 (see newspaper promotion and English translation). A 114% increase in net profit per hectare is noted.

• Second SRI National Symposium Draws >250 Participants from 26 Sates or Territories to Tripura State Event

  The Second National Symposium on SRI, hosted by the Government of Tripura with support from the World Wildlife Fund and other partners, was held October 3-5, 2007 at Agartala in Tripura, India. One indicator of the spread of interest in SRI is that this year's national symposium doubled the number of sponsors for the event. The State Government of Tripura, which hosted the event; the National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) based in Mumbai; the Central Rice Research Institute in Cuttack of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives; and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust of Mumbai, joined last year's co-sponsors: the Directorate of Rice Research (DRR) in Hyderabad of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research; the Directorate of Rice Development (DRD) in Patna of the Ministry of Food and Cooperatives; the Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) of Andhra Pradesh State in Hyderabad; and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Dialogue on Food, Water and Environment.

  Participants included researchers, extension personnel, farmers, NGO workers, government decision-makers and private sector. There were also international participants from 7 countries. A formal report will be posted on the symposium website (www.sri-india.net). A detailed report on the symposium by Norman Uphoff has been posted, and the powerpoint presentations are available on the SRI-Rice slideshare site.

• Regional Workshop on Organic SRI and Seed Exchange in Tamil Nadu

  G. Moghanraj Yadav, managing trustee of VAANGHAI (Virtual Action on Agriculture by Nagurway Growing and Husbandry of Animals in India) in Tamil Nadu state, reports on an organic SRI rice production workshop (Uzhavar Mugham – 2007), conducted August 17, 2007 (see also article in The Hindu). The main objective of the Uzhavar Mugham, was to distribute pre-released rice varieties to a network farmers working with VAANGHAI for Multi-Location Trials (MLT) as part of a Farmer-to-Farmer Seed Movement. The program supports the cultivation of organic rice under SRI methodology to reduce the costs of cultivation, with minimal irrigation, improving productivity to enrich farmers’ lifestyle and income level. The workshop was attended by 150 farmers from various districts of Tamil Nadu state.

• Field Visits Document Reasons for Spread of SRI in Tripura State

The most rapid spread of SRI methods has been occurring in the state of Tripura, bordering Bangladesh and the state of Assam. In 2005, <1,000 farmers were using the methods, whereas in 2007, the number was >70,000 (see report of visit to Tripura in April 2007 by WWF-sponsored team). Following the 2nd National SRI Symposium which was hosted by the State Government of Tripura, Norman Uphoff spent four days visiting villages where farmers have taken up SRI to learn directly from them and the extension staff working with them about their experience. What he learned is now available in a trip report.

• Orissa Workshop Results in Book Publication

  Dr. Shambu Prasad has forwarded a copy of a new book that he edited together with Koen Beumer and Debasis Mohanty. The book, entitled Towards a Learning Alliance: SRI in Orissa, was released during the national symposium in Tripura and is an outcome of an ongoing learning alliance in Orissa that emerged out of a state level dialogue workshop on SRI held in June 2007. The workshop was held in Bhubaneswar with 82 participants from government, university, NGO and farmer sectors, as well as interested individuals, to share experience with SRI in Orissa state. A report on this workshop, cosponsored by the Orissa Department of Agriculture, the Xavier Institute of Management, the Centre for World Solidarity, Oxfam GB, and the Worldwide Fund for Nature, is also available. Once the organizers began putting the workshop together, it became apparent that there was much more SRI activity going on in this state than anyone had recognized. The workshop contributed to a 'learning alliance' that is described in Dr. Prasad's book.

• SRI in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

  Shambu Prasad has done an online search through the questions put to Ministers by MPs in parliamentary proceedings in New Delhi. The answers to these questions indicate that the Ministry of Agriculture has been giving support to SRI extension since 2004.

• Minister of Agriculture Endorses SRI in Parliament

  Dr. Akhilesh Prasad Singh, in a written communication to the Rajya Sabha, has informed members of parliament that the ICAR has found SRI "effective in enhancing the production and productivity of rice in various parts of the country, including Andhra Pradesh." see press release) This follows a recommendation from the Minister of Water Resources that SRI be used for its water-saving impact.

• The Tamil Nadu Department of Agriculture Says that the 2006 Samba Paddy Harvest will be a Record-breaker

  The Tamil Nadu Department of Agriculture says that the 2006 samba paddy harvest will be a record-breaker, with average yields, having previously been 4.5 to 5 t/ha, reaching >6 t/ha. The department credits this in part to a new variety being popularized and to integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that reduce input use and costs while giving more crop protection; but it also credits SRI methods for helping raise production substantially, with an overall reduction in costs of production. See article in The Hindu, February 17, 2007.

2006

• PRADAN's SRI Experience in Purulia, West Bengal Evaluated by IWMI

  The Indian NGO known as PRADAN is working in marginalized rural communities, many with tribal populations, across the poverty belt of Eastern India: Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, West Bengal. Few of the households with which it works have access to irrigation facilities, so improving rainfed agricultural production is one of PRADAN's priorities. It began introducing SRI methods in Purulia district of West Bengal in 2003, and the number of SRI-using households has expanded to 6,500 in 2006, >1,100 of them in Purulia. The Purulia experience was evaluated by a research team from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) India Programme in 2004 (see 2005 paper by Sinha and Talati in the IWMI-Tata Water Policy Report).

  PRADAN's report on SRI results in 2005 with 163 households documented an average yield of 7.7 t/ha. With a much larger number of households now using SRI methods in 2006, the average yield was still over 7 t/ha, as reported by the PRADAN team in Purulia (see 2006 report). Detailed data on 391 households which are using both SRI and conventional methods have also been provided. Since much of the worst poverty is to be found in rainfed areas, this performance is very encouraging -- similar to that reported by Kabir from Northern Myanmar (see Kabir thesis) and previously by the NGO known as BIND in the Philippines (see Gasparillo's report).

• All-India symposium on SRI was convened in Hyderabad

  An all-India symposium on SRI was convened in Hyderabad, November 17-18, at the Andhra Pradesh state agricultural university (ANGRAU). It was supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) with the co-sponsorship of ANGRAU and the Directorate of Rice Research (DRR) of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR). In addition to the invited papers, 61 posters were presented, ranging geographically from Jammu and Kashmir in the north to the Andaman Islands in the south. WASSAN has posted lead papers and abstracts on their website. A report by Norman Uphoff has additional details.

• The Second International Rice Congress was held in New Delhi, India, October 6-13, 2006. There were at least 15 posters on SRI evaluation and explanation, most contributed by Indian researchers (including Sridevi and Chellamuthu, 242 kb; Ramasamy et al, 898 kb) but posters came also from Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand (see details in Uphoff's IRC report).

• ANGRUA Hosts Multi-Stakehold Review of SRI in Andhra Pradesh

  On June 29, 2006, the Acharya N. G. Rao Agricultural University (ANGRAU) serving the state of Andhra Pradesh hosted a multi-stakeholder review of different experiences with SRI in this state, attended by over 50 farmers and many researchers, extensionists and administrators from various organizations. There was much discussion, particularly on identifying and overcoming constraints for SRI adoption. The session lasted 10 hours as an indication of the high level of interest that the meeting generated. Dr. D Jagannadha Reddy noted that as of 2006, 100,000 acres of Andhra Pradesh land are using SRI. A report has been submitted by Kevin Fingerman, UC Berkeley PhD candidate, who attended the meeting as an observer.

2005

• WWF sponsors SRI Evauluation in 11 Districts in Adhra Pradesh

  In 2005, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) sponsored an evaluation of SRI methods in 11 districts of Andhra Pradesh State of India, studying in detail the comparative results of SRI and standard modern methods of rice production for 212 farmers. The results, which included also soil biological assessments done by ICRISAT scientists, are reported in a WWF publication (pages 10-19).

• Rainfed SRI Continues Success in Purulia District in 2005

  The Indian NGO PRADAN which introduced SRI methods in Purulia district in 2003 has sent a report on results from the 2005 season, with documentation from 163 farmers using SRI concepts and practices applied to rainfed rice production. Purulia is a very poor district inhabited mostly by tribal communities, with few irrigation facilities, so farmers are dependent on rainfall. The average yield with a rainfed version of SRI was 7.7 t/ha, which is 3.5 times higher than their usual average of 2.2 t/ha. Thanks to a private gift from Canada and a grant from the India IWMI program, PRADAN's efforts will be considerably expanded in the 2006 season.

  SRI performance in the previous season (see 2004 data), has been evaluated by a research team from the India Program of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). That SRI use had gone from 4 farmers to 150 farmers within three seasons was what attracted IWMI's attention. This evaluation found that net income per hectare was raised 67% on average (even with one of the two villages studied having serious drought that year). Also very important was the calculation that with SRI methods, labor requirements per hectare were reduced by 8%. Labor-saving is very important for poor tribal households because they can use any labor saved for other income-producing activities to enhance their income. (see also IWMI report)

1999-2004

• T. M. Thiyagarajan Undertakes Systematic Work on SRI

  The first systematic work on SRI began at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, under the leadership of Dr. T. M. Thiyagarajan, at the time Director of its Center for Crop and Soil Management. He learned about SRI through the Dutch-funded water-saving rice production project managed by Wageningen University. TMT reported his first SRI results at a Wageningen project workshop in Nanjing, China, in April 2001. Over the next two years, Thiyagarajan's further demonstration of SRI results led the State government to provide $50,000 for SRI demonstration-trials in two major rice-growing regions of the state, one of them being Tamiraparani. In 2003, Thiyagajaran moved to Killikulam in the south of the state to become dean of TNAU's College of Agriculture there.

• Partly because India is such a large and heterogeneous country, it has been difficult to get SRI evaluations started, though SRI is now spreading more rapidly there than any other country, and with more high-level government support than elsewhere. Seminars given by N. Uphoff in New Delhi at the Ministry of Agriculture or Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) in September 2000, November 2002, and May 2003 did not elicit much activity, although one in September 2003 at the Water Technology Center of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) at Pusa seemed to evoke more interest. Since November 2003, SRI results coming in from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu States have now prompted Ministry and ICAR to take action on behalf of SRI, as noted below.

• In January 2003, Dr. A. Satyanarayana, the Director of Extension for Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU), visited Sri Lanka for week, arranged by CIIFAD and SRI colleagues in that country. Being impressed by what he learned from Sri Lankan farmers who are using SRI successfully, Satyanarayana upon his return to the state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) initiated demonstration-trials on farmers' fields in the summer (kharif) season of 2003, 300 in all, spread across the state's 22 districts. The average yields were over 8 t/ha, with some reaching over 15 t/ha. That this was done with less water (in a water-short state) and with lower costs of production made SRI quickly popular among farmers.

• In the winter (rabi) season of 2003-2004, about 2,500 farmers used the new methods, and average yields were around 10 t/ha. Researchers at several agricultural research stations confirmed what was being accomplished on farmers' fields. In the rabi season, one commercial farmer had a successful harvest (10 t/ha) from a 44-hectare field of SRI rice, using five different varieties and showing that the methods can be adapted for large-scale production. SRI is starting to spread very rapidly in Andhra Pradesh with the active support of the state's agricultural university and extension service. Dr. Satyanarayana has also been able to get central government interest and investment in SRI through his presentation of AP results.

• The Indian Potash Institute has begun demonstrating and promoting SRI, even though it can reduce demand for commercial fertilizer, and rice millers are also promoting it, because of increased milling output of rice from paddy, increasing from 67% to 75% due to fewer unfilled grains and fewer broken grains. (See section in 2004 trip report). The documented productivity gains from SRI reported effectively by Satyanarayana have persuaded the central Ministry of Agriculture and ICAR to fund over 3,000 SRI demonstration-trials across all of India in the coming summer (kharif) season.

• The M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) has taken an interest in SRI through its director. Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, known as the father of the Indian Green Revolution and former director-general of IRRI. He invited N. Uphoff to give presentation on SRI at the Foundation in May and December 2002, and MSSRF has done SRI trials and demonstrations at its Eco-Village Center in Pondicherry, with good results.

• Not far away, at Auroville, at the Annapurna Farm operated by the Auroville ashram, SRI had been tried for several prior to 2004, without getting any beneficial results, despite best efforts by Brooks Anderson and others. (see Auroville 2003 data). This has been, and continues to be, a puzzle. We suspect that there are some soil biological factors behind this, but these have not been identified. The soils are alkaline and of the type known in the area as 'dark cotton soils.'

• Farmer initiatives to try SRI methods and to improve them have been significant in India. The following are some examples of farmer leadership in innovation:
     - Selvam Ramasamy in the Cauvery Delta of Tamil Nadu, learned about them from the ILEIA article in 1999. He has developed a plant-establishment method of 'sowing' sprouted seedlings on a muddied field and then thinning the population by use of the rotating hoe at 10 days, creating a square grid pattern of plants after sowing. He has been promoting SRI through the organic farmers' organization in Tamil Nadu.
     - Gopal Swaminathan who also lives in the Cauvery Delta has developed what he calls the Kadiramangalam SRI method. In this system, transplanting is done in two stages: (a) at 14 days, the tiny seedlings are transplanted 4-5 per hill with 30x30 cm spacing, so that they are better protected from intense sun and dessication; (b) then at 30 days, they are carefully retransplanted, singly with 30x30 cm spacing. The additional labor required is remunerative because it gives 100% plant survival and an assured yield of 7.5 t/ha. Gopal has also developed a 4-row weeder that cuts labor time for weeding by 75%.
     - Narayana Reddy in Karnataka State has worked out a system for better water control with SRI, achieving a doubling of yield. He is a veteran of the organic agriculture movement in his state and has been providing leadership for SRI dissemination.

• A number of NGOs have taken up SRI in their respective programs, probably more than we have any knowledge of.
  PRADAN is been introducing SRI in as many as 8 states. A 2004 report from Purulia shows the kind of response that farmers are getting from SRI methods. The Bharati Agro-Industrial Foundation (BAIF) is also working in many states of India, particularly among the poorest households in each area, and it started introducing SRI in 2004. In Kerala, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Farmers’ Science Centre) at Mitraniketan initiated the evaluation and promotion of SRI in fall 2004, with technical with guidance from Dr. T. M.Thiyagarajan of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. The SRI-adopting farmers harvested an average yield of 7 t/ha compared with the state average of 3 to 3.5 t/ha. By beginning of 2005, the KVK has trained about 1000 farmers and more than 500 extension workers from government, local bodies, NGOs, voluntary action groups, private agencies, etc. on SRI.