What is SRI
System of Rice Intensification was first developed in Madagascar during the `80s. It was not known outside Madagascar till about 1997. The last decade has witnessed its spread and adoption amongst the agriculture community in several countries across the globe. The potential benefits of SRI are being tested in predominantly rice growing countries like India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. SRI methodology uses fewer inputs than conventional paddy cultivation. It uses less seed, water, chemical fertilizers and pesticides but uses more organic manures. It has been established that with SRI method of cultivating paddy, rice yields have dramatically increased. There has been marked increase in root volume, profuse tillering with bigger panicles, and well-filled spikelets with higher grain-weight.
Principles of SRI
Application in other Crops
The consistent success of the methodology inspired some progressive farmers and partner
organizations to experiment the SRI principles in other crops. After repeated trials it has been
found that all the six principles or a part thereof are suitable in enhancing the productivity of
crops like Wheat, Finger millet, Sugarcane, Rapeseed / Mustard and few vegetables too.
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