Outline Nepal : Overview SRI in Nepal:

Historical perspectives

New directions in SRI Mechanization

options in SRI Problems Ways forward

Nepal: Overview

Area: 14.7 M ha (147,181 km2) -- 93rd in the world Population: 26.6 M (2011) Pop. growth: 1.4% (2011) Density: 199/km2 -- 62nd

Mountains: 3000-8,848 masl, 35% of area, 2% arable

Hills: 800-2,400 masl, 43% of area, only 10% arable

Terai: 60-300 masl, 23% of area, 50% arable

Rice: 1.53 M ha; production 5.0 M mt; average yield 3.3 mt/ha

Agriculture: 33% GDP, with rice contributing 23% in Agric GDPSeasons: Spring (March-May), Summer (June-August), Autumn (Sept.-Nov.), Winter ( Dec-Feb).Rice seasons : Main (rainy), boro (winter) and early

(spring)

1999• First SRI trial (NARC-Cornell

University)

2001• Trials on variety, spacing, water

management (CIMMYT- NWRP, Appropriate Tech. Asia(ATA)

2002

• FFS set up in the Sunsari-Morang Irrig Project, yield: 8 t/ha

• SRI-Nepal Discussion Group formed

2005

• SRI project won 2nd place in the World Bank’s Nepal Development Marketplace competition

• National SRI workshop in Kathmandu (ICIMOD hosted)

2008

• SRI had started in more than 20 districts by GOs/NGOs (reaching 2500 farmers)

• Success at 2500 m altitude in southern Humla (ATA)

2010

• EU-funded Food Facility project launched in 10 districts- 100s of SRI FFSs developed, trials and demon in FFSs

2012-16

• NARC started systematic research, GON has launched mega rice project-SRI an important element

• SRI reached more than 50 districts (out of 75)

SRI in Nepal: Historical perspectives

New Directions

Organic SRI SRI Conventional Wet DSR Dry DSR0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 6.6

4.98

3.52

Pr (f)>= 0.003, LSD =1.39

Yiel

d (m

t/ha)

Yield affected by cultivation methods

Khadka, unpublished, 2014

Performance of FAR landraces in SRI Landraces have 3-4 fold

higher price in market, due to their premium quality

Well-adapted to conditions Problems: low yield, high

disease, unresponsive with fertilizer, lodging

Khadka, et. al. 2014

Scale value0= no lodging, 5 =100 % lodging1= no disease9 - highest disease

LSD=0.92**LSD=0.62*

*

SRI: Biotic and Abiotic stresses

Performance of drought-tolerant rice varieties under SRI management

Sukh-3 Radha-4 Sukha-5 Sukha-4 Sukha-1 Sukha-60.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

9.00

6.54

7.597.87

6.31 6.07 5.96

Grain weight (mt/ha)Straw yeild (mt/ha)

Unpublished Khadka et. al. 2015.

Yiel

d (m

t/ha)

Modern varieties with SRI

Org. SRI-Tricho

Role of Trichoderma used with methods of cultivation

4.27

5.48

Con.

Interaction between variety andTrichoderma applications

Ratooning in SRI: New interventionWhy ratooning in SRI? Save time to establish crop Save cost for seed,

seedlings and crop establishment (more than 60% cost saving)

Reduce the drudgery to prepare field (due to deep rooted SRI)

Get higher benefits

Ways forward:Varietal selection -- for

high tillering and ratooning

Better water and fertilizer management

Cost-benefit analysis

3.92

3.25

2.50

How is ratooning developing? As a Salibu method in Indonesia

-- up to 7.4 mt/ha (Setiawan & Panuju, 2015).

In Nepal, first ratooning experiment in farmer’s field in 2010.

2015: Three different heights of stubbles, 0-3 cm, 10 cm ,and 15 cm were tested -- highest yield achieved was up to 3.9 mt/ha

Integration of SRI in Seed System As SRI increase the seed efficiency by more than 80%

(means 4-6 Kg seed is sufficient for 1 ha in SRI while it required 50-60 Kg in conventional)

The seed flow is very slow from research to farmers field (takes around 5-6 years after varietal recommendation) due to scarcity of nucleus seed

Nucleus Res. St. (1

yr)

Breeder( Res. St.

1 yr)

Foundation(Res.

St./seed producers)

Certified(seed

producer/Farmers)

Fig: Seed flow System from Research to Farmer’s field It is possible to shorten the seed cycle by integrating

SRI principlesThe adoption of new variety can be accelerated by

using SRI principles in prevailed seed system

Mechanization Options in SRI

Crop establishment Weeding

Crop EstablishmentPlanting in grid is always a challenge in SRI

Earlier, rope was used for marking Wooden rake was then used: not suitable

Drum seeder is promising Roller type marker Rice crank transplanter is recent

introduction

Development of mechanical weeder for SRI in Nepal

Initially wooden ‘rakes’ with iron pins were used as weeders for SRI (cost as little as 25 cents)

Locally-fabricated rotary weeder was developed by NARC

USHA weeder (India) was introduced for SRI promotion in Nepal

Effect of different methods of weeding for SRI

Methods of weed control

Yield advantage cf. herbicides

Rotary weeder (ha) 21%

Hand weeding (ha) 1.65%

Herbicides 0%

Methods of weed control

Time saving cf. hand weeding

Rotary weeder (ha) 73%Hand weeding (ha) 0

Herbicides 92%

Problems Monsoon-dependent rice farming is

the norm Lack of assured sources of irrigation

water during crop establishment and weeding

Lack of extra-early rice varieties for spring-season rice farming

Low priority in research and extension is given to SRI

Lack of sufficient technical know-how to provide to farmers

Provision of simple weeding machines/tools is needed

Organic matter levels in the soil are decreasing

Way Forward Demarcate most suitable areas

for SRI Rigorous training is needed Mechanization for crop

establishment and weeding Focus on seed/seedling priming

with Trichoderma and effective modes of application

Organic production of premium- quality rice landraces with SRI

Increase soil organic matter -- green manuring, legume incorporation, etc.

Document the role of SRI in climate-change resiliency

Summary1. Integration of SRI with drought tolerance rice varieties

and beneficial microbes could be successfully utilized to address the emerging challenge of climate change in rice production system

2. The productivity of high value rice landraces can be significantly increased by SRI, which can have the great contribution in reducing poverty in remote part of the country

3. Ratooning in SRI can help to increase the cropping intensity by enhancing area of spring season rice

4. Increase of soil organic matter is most essential in SRI5. Large plot demonstrations of SRI with Trichoderma

integration, use of roller type markers and motorized SRI weeder in rice super zones would be helpful to increase the national rice productivity by acceleration of SRI adoption in Nepal

Thank You

Thank you for your attention