Template for creating locally adapted SRI Technical Manuals for creating locally adapted SRI...

‘Improving and Scaling up the System of Rice Intensification in West Africa’ (SRI-WAAPP)

A project of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP)

ADAPTING SRI TO WEST AFRICAN RICE CROPPING SYSTEMS

Template for creating locally adapted SRI Technical Manuals




About this templateThis template is designed to create locally adapted SRI manuals as part of the project ‘Improving and Scaling up the System of Rice Intensification in West Africa’ (in short SRI-WAAPP): www.sriwestafrica.org.

Why create adapted SRI manuals?SRI is a methodology that is based on a set of crop management principles. These principles need to be translated into the cropping practices that are adapted to the local conditions and agro-ecozones. Although SRI was developed for irrigated rice, the methodology has been successfully used and adapted to upland and lowland rice systems. Farmers and technicians are constantly innovating and making rice production systems more productive by applying a more efficient management. Locally adapted technical manuals can make the training process easier and quicker for everyone. It also serves to chronicle how the SRI methodology is evolving and implemented in a particular area. This template allows also to revise the practices in time and to integrate new best practices and innovations as they emerge.

Instructions how to use this template

This template is composed of single pages with distinct content that can be assembled as preferred, not using some of the pages as proposed here, or adding new pages if desired

This template should facilitate to create a harmonized format and appearance, so all manuals created under the regional SRI-WAAPP project will be recognized as such. It will also allow comparing the different technical manuals across the region with its diverse rice systems.

There are three sections: o The characterization questionnaires: help identify the major agro-

ecozones, climates, agronomic factors and rice production practices that are prevalent for the rice system in question

o Background information: Information on rice systems, what is SRIo Practices LONG: Appropriate for technicians and farmers o Practices SHORT: Appropriate for farmers and for quick information

dissemination The content in this template should provide an easy start for customizing the manual.

Read through it, maintain or drop content as it applies to your rice system, replace the photographs with your own or keep them if you run short of photographs.

Send your final draft template to Erika ([email protected]) and Devon ([email protected]), indicate your preferences and we can help finalize the formatting of the manual.

This template was developed by Erika Styger and Devon Jenkins,SRI-Rice (Cornell University).

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.sriwestafrica.org/




Instruction: Title of Manual: indicate the rice system, the climate zone and specific information of the location (region/districts and country) as most appropriate. Example:

Adaptive SRI manual for Irrigated Rice Systems in the Semi-Arid Climate Zone

of the Mopti, Timbuktu and Gao regions,Mali

[replace RED Letters with your own]

PUT PHOTO

By Name(s)Institution(s)

Town, CountryDate




Background

Rice production systems in West AfricaRice production systems in West Africa can be characterized into four main groups –irrigated, rainfed lowland, rainfed upland, and other systems:

Irrigated systemsIrrigated systems account for about 12% of the rice production area in West Africa, yet make up 28% of the region’s rice production. There are:

Irrigated wet season systems: irrigation water is added to the rice field as a supplement to rainfall – especially early in the season, and during any midseason dry periods

Irrigated dry season systems : irrigation is essential for growing a rice crop, as rainfall is very low or non-existent

Rainfed systemsRainfed systems account for about 75% of all rice production area in West Africa, yet they make up approximately 61% of total production. There are two main groups:

Rainfed upland systems : located on leveled surface areas in valleys or on slopes, with high water run-off and with lateral water movement. Soils are freely draining, aerobic, non-flooded. Soils vary in texture, water holding capacity and nutrient status. Rice is direct seeded on plowed dry soil or dibbled in wet, non-puddled soil. Rice is also planted in slash-and-burn systems or in permanent, mixed cropping systems.

Rainfed lowland systems : rice fields are flooded periodically and with varying depth and duration, often in the second half of the growing season, resulting in varying aerobic and anaerobic soil conditions. Flooding occurs from rainfall, from surface runoff, and from rising ground water tables.

Other systemsOther systems exist such as mangrove systems, recession agriculture systems, and deep-water rice systems.

The distinction between the systems is not always clear and systems could change depending on the season, and on farmers’ management practices. Within a given landscape and farming system, there are most likely multiple rice systems present, and farmers often use different locations along the toposequence working simultaneously in different systems with different cropping practices and varieties. Distances between these various systems can vary from a few meters apart to several kilometers apart.

Please identify the rice cropping system that this manual is being designed for. If you would like to cover two systems present in the same farming area, the systems should be well separated in the manual, or can be treated in two separate manuals.




The following tables of characterization are compulsory to be filled out. For the final manual, these pages can be included here, summarized or put in the Annex, depending on preference.

Characterize your rice cropping systemAgro-ecozones and other agronomic characterizations are important for determining local SRI adaptations. Please use the list below to provide detail to the rice system this manual is designed for.

Rice system [select one]:

Irrigated Rainfed lowland Rainfed upland Other: ____________

Crop growing periods [select one]:

Arid climate: Growing period < 75 days Semi-arid climate: Growing period: 75-180 days Sub-humid climate: Growing period 180-270 days Humid climate: Growing period > 270 days

Water availability for rice crop [select any that apply]:

Rainfall High water table Unpredictable and/or deep flooding Light and shallow flooding Irrigation

Topography [select one] :

Upper slope Mid-slope Lower slope Plain Other Don’t know

Climate resilience [select one] :

Drought prone Flood prone Drought and flood prone None of the above Don’t know

Soils [select one] :

Light Medium Heavy Don’t know

Soil fertility [select one] :

High fertility Good fertility Medium fertility Low fertility Very low fertility Don’t know

Daily mean temp during growing period [select one] :

Warm: daily mean T during growing period of >20°C Cool: daily mean T during growing period between 5-20°C Warm/cool: daily mean T during part of the growing period <20°C Don’t know

Characterize the rice cropping practices




Total rainfall/year:

(color the cells as appropriate, for ½ months, mark cells half full)Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Rainy season

1.rice season

2.rice season

3.rice season

Varieties: type, names, cropping cycle length:

What are the current local practices of rice cultivation?

Practices Response and commentsLand preparation

Plowing yes/noPuddling yes/noBunding of fields yes/noLeveling yes/noOther: ___________ yes/no

Nursery

Soaking of seeds Number hours/no

Other seed treatment yes/noRaised (non flooded) nursery yes/no

Transplanting or Direct Seeding

Method TR or DSDate of TR or DS Range of datesAge of seedlings DaysSeedlings or seeds/hill NumberPlanted in lines yes/noSpacing between hills cm x cm

Weeding

Use of weeder NumberHand weeding NumberHerbicide Number

Weed pressure (hi/me/low)Fertilization




Organic matter application #per season/no* Amount of OM t/ha* Type of OMType Nitrogen fertilizer: #per season/no* Amount of N kg/haOther fertilizer: ____________ #per season/no* Amount kg/ha

Pesticide application

Herbicide #per season/noFungicide #per season/noInsecticide #per season/no

Other: ____________ #per season/noWater management

Irrigation of plot yes/noWater control vegetative phase yes/noWater control after flowering yes/noIntermittent water application/AWD yes/no

Permanent flooding entire season Yes/no

Number of irrigations NumberFlood prone yes/noDrought prone yes/no

HarvestDate of Harvest Range of datesGrain Yield kg/haPrice of paddy rice currency/kgRevenue from grain (price x yield) currency/ha

Revenue from Straw (price x yield) currency/ha

Total revenue (grain and straw) currency/ha

BackgroundWhat is SRI?




SRI is an agro-ecological methodology composed of four core principles. To implement these principles, farmers follow various crop, water, soil and nutrient management practices that can differ according to local conditions – therefore the principles of SRI stay the same, though the practices used to implement these principles vary.

Four principles of SRI1. Favor early and healthy plant establishment 2. Minimize competition between plants and for resources3. Build fertile soils rich in organic matter and soil biota4. Manage water to avoid flooding/water stress for ideal plant development

Figure1: SRI conceptual framework with four principles and some indicative practices (Styger and Jenkins, 2014)

The four SRI principles interact with each other to create a synergistic change in how the rice plants grow. This SRI synergy results in plants that are taller, mature more quickly (1-2 weeks sooner), have longer panicles with larger and fuller grains, and are more resistant to pests, diseases, strong winds and drought. Because the application of the SRI methodology




changes how the plants grow, any variety of rice can be used, though varieties with longer growth cycles and that are more prone to tillering are better able to take advantage of SRI. Farmers are free to use practices that work best for them to make these principles work under their conditions, with a goal of maximizing the effect of SRI management.

The six most widespread and most often cited practices are:

Early transplanting, at the 2-leaf stage (about 8-12 days after germination) Plant only one seedling per hill (two seeds if direct seeding) Use wide spacing (25cm x 25cm, or more), in a square grid Fertilize with organic matter, and add chemical fertilizer only as needed Apply alternate wetting and drying irrigation during the vegetative growth phase Use a mechanical weeder to compost weeds and aerate the soil

Summary of SRI practices for the XXX system in XXX [country]

[in Red: examples: edit, add, remove practices it fits your condition; make sure it is congruent with the practices in this manual; also include innovations specific to your environment!)

SRI principles SRI practices that farmers can adopt

1. Favor early and healthy plant establishment

Seed sorting Seed treatment and pre-germination Careful nursery management Careful transplanting at the 2-leaf stage

2. Minimize competition between plants and for resources

Careful nursery preparation with low-density and early transplanting

Only one seedling per hill if transplanting One or two seeds per hill if direct seeding Wide spacing between plants (usually 25cm or more), in a square

grid

3. Build fertile soils rich in organic matter and soil biota

Organic matter (compost, manure, green manure, etc.) is the primary source of fertility;

Synthetic fertilizers are used if necessary

4. Manage water to avoid flooding/water stress, for ideal plant development

Field leveling and bunding, mulching and organic matter applications to maintain a beneficial soil moisture level

Alternate wetting and drying Modified timing of cropping season to avoid flooding

1. Review SRI

principles

2. Analyze current (last

season's) practices

3. Compare current

practices to SRI recommendati

ons4. Develop a

plan for modified

practices -IMPLEMENT

THEM

5. Review and

evaluate

6. Share and

discuss findings




Planning a local adaptation process.Developing locally adapted practices is an iterative process. Farmers should first understand SRI principles, and then reflect on how their current practices compare to SRI recommendations and come up with a plan to test proposed adaptations. After each field season farmers should repeat the process, evaluating the impact and effectiveness of their adapted practices. Throughout this process communication and sharing with other farmers is essential for further refinement.

Steps for implementing and adapting SRI:

SRI Adaptatio

n Cycle




SRI Implementation GuidelinesReview the following technical recommendations, maintain or drop text as appropriate, or add more text (technical steps). Add your own photos. If you are short of photos, we can also provide some suggestions based on our photo database. Depending on your preference, each topic can be use 1 page or ½ page. This text should facilitate getting started. It is congruent with the larger SRI WAAPP technical manual.

Field and soil preparation Follow soil preparation as done by farmers. Nevertheless, try to move towards

less soil disturbance if possible. It preserves and can even improve the fertility of the soil.

Good field leveling is important o Small seedlings benefit from uniform water distribution across field. o The danger for seedlings to either be drowned or dried up is reduced. o A well-leveled plot uses much less irrigation water than a plot that is not

leveled. o Crop development and yields tend to be remarkably better on leveled, well

prepared plots.

Create bunds around the field. It helps to keep water in or out of a plot, and also facilitates field leveling

Example of photos (from Mali)




FertilizationOrganic matter (OM) application

OM use is fundamentally important to SRI. Benefits: improves soil fertility and soil health, enhances beneficial soil biota,

improves fertilizer use efficiency, improves moisture retention, reduces input costs

Application Rate and Frequency of Organic Matter 5-15 t/ha; once every year or every 2-3 years; depending on soil fertility and OM

availability; Apply before field is prepared and plowed, thus OM will be incorporated in soil Add during vegetative growth, instead of/in addition to fertilizer application, surface

application, can be slightly incorporated with weeder use Surface application as mulch ideally after crop establishment, in zero-till systems;

Careful: too thick a mulch during crop establishment will impede plant development

Different Types of Organic Matter: single application or combination of Straw, crop residues: most readily available OM source, to be used if possible at all Animal manure: well decomposed chicken, cow, goat or sheep manure Compost: most locally available biomass can be composted Green manure: Green biomass from trees or fast-growing plants, cut and directly

applied to fields: e.g. from Gliricidia sepium Cover crops: grown in-situ between two crop cycles as fallow, or grown in

association during the rice cropping season growth (intercropping, relay cropping) – advantage: biomass is produced on location

Chemical fertilizer application Use of urea is most often complementing the OM applications Urea should be applied 15-20 days after planting, and during panicle initiation, which

coincides with the beginning of internode elongation NPK fertilizer is often used during plant preparation

Organic matter application rates per field sizeField size 2 t/ha rate 5 t/ha rate 10 t/ha rate

100 m2 20kg 50kg 100kg

200 m2 40kg 100kg 200kg

250 m2 50kg 125kg 250kg

500 m2 100kg 250kg 500kg

0.1 ha 200kg 500kg 1t

0.125 ha 250kg 625kg 1.25t

0.165 ha 330kg 825kg 1.65t

0.25 ha 500kg 1.25t 2.5t

0.33 ha 660kg 1.66t 3.33t




0.5 ha 1t 2.5t 5t

1 ha 2t 5t 10t

1 acre .8t 2t 4t1ha = 100m x 100m = 10,000m2; 1 acre = 209ft x 209ft = 43,560ft2;

1 acre = 0.4 hectares; 1 hectare = 2.47 acres




Seed Preparation and Calculation

Seed selection: Select single best panicles during previous year’s harvest, and store in dry, pest free place

Soak seeds for 24 hours in a bucket of water Speeds up the germination process Separates out non-viable, partially or non-filled seeds – they float to the surface (to

be discarded), from the fully mature seeds, which will sink to bottom. o Tip: Use a lot of water, so that floating seeds separate well out

Seed calculation for transplanting: As little as 6 kg/ha of seed is needed; to include a buffer use 8.5 or 10 kg/ha

Seed calculation for nurserySowing is done non-densely so that each plant has space to develop root and shoots with little competition! Seeds should not touch each other when sown.

Field area Nursery area Seed100m2 – 0.01 ha 1m2 85-100 g1000m2 – 0.1 ha 10 m2 850g-1 kg

1ha 100m2 8.5-10 kg

Seed calculation for direct seedingUse double the amount as for the nursery (for seeding will be done at 2 seeds/hill, compared to 1 transplanted seedling/hill)

Examples of photos (i) panicle with very good grain filling, to be used for seed next season, ii) soaking seeds




SRI NurserySRI nurseries are raised bed nurseries with a well-established soil bed; SRI nurseries are NOT flooded!

Nursery establishment o Establish nursery ideally after having finished soil preparation o Install nursery as close to the rice field as possible,

with a close water sourceo Make beds 1 meter wide for easy management (for a

0.1 ha field, install a 1m x 10 m nursery bed)o Create a raised nursery bed by mixing equal parts of

soil, finely sieved manure/compost and sando Depth of the bed should be at least 15 cm!o Rake surface, pre-water 1-3 days ahead of sowing to

create a uniform seed bed

Low-density nursery sowingAvoid for seeds to overlap or touch each other. This allows for good seedling development. A simple procedure is the following:

o Divide seeds in 3 equal partso Divide nursery bed in 2 equal partso Evenly sow 1st seed portion across 1st half of nurseryo Evenly sow 2nd seed portion across 2nd half of nurseryo Use the 3rd portion to fill in empty spaces across the entire nursery bedAn evenly sown nursery bed is the result!

o Cover seeds with a thin layer of fine soilo Tap soils with hands to eliminate air spaceo Cover with straw, banana leaves or palm frondso Water nursery well.

Nursery management o Water nursery 1-2/ day with watering cano Once seeds germinate, remove the cover graduallyo Protect against predators (ants, rats, birds etc.)o Grow plants until they reach the 2 leaf-stage, usually at 8-12

days, when they are ready for transplanting




Transplanting Uprooting and transporting seedlings from nursery to field

o Water nursery in the morning of transplantingo Remove seedlings carefully: cut with a shovel 15-20 below

soil surface underneath roots, lifting seedlings together with the soil/root mat carefully on a tray

o Transplant seedlings within 15-30 minutes maximum from the time of uprooting, to minimize transplanting shock

o Designate 1-2 people for uprooting and transporting seedlings to assure constant supply of seedling

Transplanting

Marking strategies: decide on spacing, start out with 25cm, adjust spacing in second season if desired

Use Ropes:o Every 25 cm tie a piece of colored string or plastic between the strands of the

rope. The marking string cannot slide sideways that way. o Use 1 or 3 ropes as shown in picture. o Creating a perfect grid: align a knot from the transplanting rope with the knot or

marking point of the same sideline every time the rope is moved. Decide on which side to align the knots in the beginning of transplanting.

o Transplanting will be done by moving backwards




Use a Rake or marker Make a rake out of wood or metal Drag rake along the long side of the field through mud or dry soil, in straight lines,

use last row as first row in second round etc. until entire field is marked Perpendicular to just established lines, mark straight lines in same manner

throughout the entire field: creating a square grid Transplanting is done at the intersections of the lines and by moving forward

Farmer innovations Marked bamboo sticks

or triangles. Very simple designs and effective!

Careful transplanting ! Plant a single seedling at the two-leaf stage, usually 8-12 days old Peel single seedlings carefully from soil/root mat, keeping soil attached to roots for

their protection. Don’t shake soil off roots and keep roots intact! Plant only vigorous seedlings, one per hill. Gently slide seedlings superficially through mud/soil to their final position, Roots will take on an ‘L’ shape and not a ‘J’ shape Plant seedlings superficially - Keep them as close to the soil surface as possible. This

will favor good tillering!




Direct seeding

Soak seeds for 24 hours, allow seeds to dry off (not in sun) before seeding Create grid lines with a marker or use marked rope Sow 2 seeds/hill; be precise! Do not sow 3 or more seeds/hill; With 2 seeds/hill: it is not necessary to thin, with 3 or 4 seeds, thinning is

needed. Thinning takes a lot of time and farmers do not like to do it. Non-germinated hills: Transplant 1 seedling from hills with 2 plants

Possible Photos: i) use of rake is also possible on dry soil, ii) precision seeding of 2 seeds/hill is possible, it can become a habit! Iii) too many seeds/hill will require tiresome thinning

Water management




Irrigated systemso First 2 weeks after transplanting , first 4 weeks after direct seeding: Keep soils moist

to assure good plant establishmento Vegetative period : apply alternate wetting and drying cycles irrigating a shallow

layer of 2 cm to the field and let it dry out until small cracks in the soil become visible, before irrigating another shallow layer. Frequency is to be adjusted to local soil and climate conditions.

o Introducing aerobic soil conditions is important for vigorous and deep root development and for improved tillering!

o Reproductive period : retain a shallow layer of water in the field, or keep soils moist, avoiding drought stress during grain filling

o 2 weeks before harvest : stop irrigation and let soils dry during maturing period

Lowland systems Early transplanting in flood prone systems is advisable Move from the flood plain to slightly higher grounds if possible, to be able to better

manage water, with ideally some draining or irrigating options Bunding plots where possible can help to improve water management

Water management upland systems: Bund fields to keep rain water in the field Use organic matter to increase water retention In high rainfall areas: create drainage canals in case of excessive rainfall In low rainfall areas: apply surface mulch to retain soil moisture If available, use supplemental irrigation during dry periods, but let fields dry out

between irrigation events.




Weed management

Use of mechanical weeders: first time about 10 days after transplanting, followed by intervals of 7-10 days, in total up to 4 times until the plant rows close in.

Use of weeder right after irrigation is easiest in irrigated rice Use weeder when soils are not too dry/wet in rainfed rice Benefits of weeding:

o Removes and incorporates weeds, o Aerates soils, o Levels the plot and redistributes water more evenly across ploto Solubilize soil nutrients which become more easily available to plants: thus

has a fertilization effect and plants turn greener the day after weeding

Make sure you choose the appropriate weeder model for your soil conditions and rice system.




Pest and Disease management SRI plants are stronger and healthier compared to conventionally planted crops. With less Pest and disease pressure, need for control is reduced Follow locally developed IPM methods

Write up recommendation of best management practices for the pests and diseases in your specific system

ADD OTHER IMPORTANT MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THIS MANUAL.

Short Manual on SRI (3 pages – summary of longer manual)




Soil and land preparation1. Organic matter application

- Add 5-15t/ha well decomposed manure or compost

- Protect manure in bags and spread OM just before plowing

- OM is slightly incorporated during plowing2. Plowing - Follow soil preparation as done by farmers (this

might include puddling after plowing or not)- Try to avoid excessive soil disturbance- Pre-irrigate or drain field before plowing

(depending climate zone)- Take into account field leveling when plowing

3. Leveling - Very important practice for SRI: not to drown or dry up young seedlings

- Well-leveled plot uses less irrigation water! It also enhances crop development and improves yields

4. Bunding the fields

- Improves water management, keeps water in or out of the plot

- Facilitates field leveling

Fertilization5. Organic matter types

- Use of rice straw is indicated!- Well decomposed animal manure, compost, or

green manure, cover crops are good sources of OM!

- Apply before plowing, or during early plant establishment (15-20 days after planting) and at panicle initiation

6. Chemical fertilizer

- Use only to complement organic matter, observe crop and adjust/reduce the rate of application

- Apply when using weeder to incorporate into soilSeed preparation7. Seed selection - Select singe panicles during previous season’s

harvest, with good grain filling- Store in dry and pest-free place

8. Seed soaking - Soak seeds in a bucket of water for 24 hours- Speeds up germination process- Non-viable seeds float on water surface, and can

easily be discarded

9. Calculating seeds

- 6 kg/ha can be sufficient, including a buffer 8.5-10 kg/ha should largely suffice

- For direct seeding: use double the amount for 2 seeds/hill




Nursery management10. Nursery establishment

- Install nursery next to field and water source- Create 1m wide beds, adjust length for field size- Mix soil, finely sieved manure & sand equal parts- Soil bed should be at least 15 cm deep

11. Sowing - Low density sowing, seeds don’t touch- Cover with thin layer of soil, tap soil with hands- Cover with straw, banana leaves or palm fronds- Water nursery well

12. Nursery management

- Water nursery 1-2 times/day with watering can- Once seeds germinate, remove cover gradually- Protect against predators (ants, birds, rats)- Grow to 2 leave stage (8-12 days)

Transplanting13. Uprooting and transporting

- Water nursery in morning of transplanting- Lift plants with soil mat carefully onto a plate with

a shovel – keep roots protected with soil- Transplant within 15-30 min from time of

uprooting- Designate 1-2 persons to transport plants

14 a) Marking with a rope

- Use ropes marked every 25 cm (tie a piece of string between strands of rope)

- Create a perfect grid: align a knot of the transplanting rope with the marks of the side rope always on the same side (!) of the field

14 b) Marking with a rake

- Make a rake with wood or metal- Drag rake along long side of field, create parallel

bands across the entire field- Perpendicular to these lines, mark straight lines in

the same manner across field: create Square Grid

15. Transplanting - Plant 1 seedling/hill at 2 leave stage (8-12 days)- Keep soil attached to roots to protect them- Slide plants into mud superficially only – which

will favor good tillering!- Roots will take on an “L” shape, not a “J” shape- Plant only vigorous seedlings

16. Direct seeding

- Soak seeds for 24 hours in water- Create grid lines with marker or use rope- Sow 2 seeds/hill, be precise! No need to thin!- Avoid sowing 3 or more seeds, as they need to be

thinned later, which is labor intensive

Crop management17a. Water - First 2 weeks after planting: keep soils moist




management: irrigated systems

- Vegetative period: alternate wetting and drying- Reproductive period: keep shallow water layer- 2 weeks before harvest, stop irrigating

17b. Water management: Lowland system

- Early transplanting/direct seeding is advisable!- Bunding fields can improve water management- Use preferably mid-slope fields and not flood

plains

17c. Water management: Upland system

- Bunding fields can improve water management- Use organic matter and mulching to increase

water retention, in drought prone areas- Use additional irrigation if available during dry

spells

18. Weed management

- Use mechanical weeders, 10 days after transplanting, up to 4 times until rows close in

- Use weeder right after irrigation- Benefits: weed control, soil aeration, plot

leveling, nutrient mobilization for plants19. Pest and Disease management

- According to local IPM recommendations

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