Author: Erika Styger Title: Scaling Up Climate-smart Rice Production in West Africa Date: February 11, 2016 Presented at the Issues in African Development Weekly Seminar Series Venue: Uris Hall, Cornell University

1. Scaling Up Climate-smart
Rice Production in
West Africa
Dr. Erika Styger, SRI-Rice, Cornell University
February 11, 2016
Issues in African Development Weekly Seminar

2. • Domesticated ca 3500 years ago in the Niger Inner Delta
• Subsequently spread throughout West Africa
African Rice - Oryza glaberrima

3. Contribution of Rice to Calorific Intake in West Africa

4. Rice production in Sub-Saharan Africa
64%
32%
3%
1%
West Africa
Eastern Africa
Central Africa
Southern Africa
Each dot represents 20,000 tons Data: FAO,2006
Rice production 2006
64% of rice is produced in
West Africa
Nigeria, Guinea, Ivory Coast,
Mali
Ref: Warda (2008) Africa rice trends 2007

5. 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006
Rice production and consumption in SSA from 1961-
2006
Production
Consumption 40%
imported

6. West African Rice Offensive
by ECOWAS Commission
Regional rice production
– In 1980: 3.2 million tons
– In 2010: 11.5-12.7 m t
– Needs in 2020: 21-24.5
million tons (350 m consumers)
• Goal of Rice Offensive:
double rice production
(2010-2020)
• Built around National
Rice Development
Strategies (NRDS)
Strategic Policy Paper on the Regional Offensive
for Sustainable Rice Production in West Africa
2012

7. Rice production basins
in West Africa
Bulletin club du sahel-AO: Enjeu Ouest Africain N°2 Juin 2011

8. Major Rice Systems
Slash-and-burn rainfed Rice
Rainfed Upland Rice Rainfed Lowland Rice
Irrigated Rice
Yield: 1-2.5 t/ha
Area: 31%
Production: 24%
Yield: 1 t/ha
Area: 44%
Production: 21%
Yield: 5-6 t/ha
Area: 12-14 %
Production: 38%

9. Plowing
How is irrigated conventional rice grown?
Plowing – puddling – leveling – bunding the fields

10. Conventionally managed rice nurseries
Plowing
Flooded nurseries – uprooting in the water, seedlings ready
for transport to field to be transplanted – 30-60 days old

11. Transplanting of seedlings
3-5 seedlings/hill, 30-60 days old,
15 cm distance between hills

12. Use chemical fertilizer Herbicide use / hand weedi
Continuous Flooding
(from planting time to harvest)

13. Climate-Smart Agriculture
Implemented through agro-ecological approaches:
• Conservation agriculture
• Agroforestry
• System of Rice Intensification
• others
http://www.fao.org/climatechange/climatesmart/en/
Triple Win
Productivity Adaptation Mitigation

14. What is SRI?
• The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is
an agro-ecological and climate-smart
methodology
– For increasing the productivity of rice and other
crops
– By changing the management of plants, soil,
water and nutrients, while reducing external
inputs
• Developed in Madagascar in the 1980s
• SRI provides principles, guidelines and ideas – to be
adapted to local environment
http://sririce.org

15. Young seedlings (8-12 days) 1 seedling/hill Wide spacing 25x25cm and more
Older seedlings (30-60 days) 3-5 seedlings/hill Close hill spacing 10x15 cm
Conventional rice cultivation
SRI cultivation practices

16. Continuous flooding Use chemical fertilizer Herbicide use / hand weeding
Conventional rice practicees
SRI cultivation practices
Alternate wetting and drying Organic matter as base Mechanical weeding, IPM

17. in IRAQ’s Al-Mishkhab Research Center, Najaf: SRI on left, Non-SRI on the right
SRI practices induce a
phenotypical change in rice
SRI Conventional SRISRI Conventional Conventional

18. Roots are deeper, longer, double
the volume and weight/ hill
Non SRI - flooded SRI – AWD
conditions
Thakur, A.K et al (2011) Effects for rice plant morphology and physiology of water and associated
mgt practices of SRI and their implications for crop performance, PAWE 9:13-24
Thiyagarajan et al. (2009) Principles and Practices of SRI in Tamil Nadu

19. Yield performance
• More/similar number
of panicles/ m2
• Longer panicles
(+20%)
• More grains/panicle
• Fewer empty grains
• 1000 grain weight is
heavier Non-SRI SRI
Increased Yields (often >50%)
Non-SRI SRI

20. Summary of Benefits
• Yield Increase: often >50%
• Water savings: 30-50%
• Seed reduction: > 90%
• Chemical fertilizer reduction:
20-40% (-100%)
• Improved tolerance: pests and
diseases, drought, storms
• Often production cost reduction
• Income increase (>30-100%)
http://sririce.org
Sheath blight disease
Mali

21. Extension and Adoption of SRI in 2016
57 countries in 2016, 8-10 million farmers on 3.5 million hectares in 2013 or
2% of global rice area

22. Scaling up SRI in West Africa –
What is the experience so far?

23. 1. Early work on SRI In West Africa
2001-2006
• Benin 2001: 1 farmer, Echo intern: SRI 7.5t/ha
• The Gambia 2002-2005: Research with farmers: SRI 5.4-8.3
t/ha
• Guinea 2003: Chinese SRI research with hybrids: 9 t/ha
• Senegal 2003-2009: Rodale Institute; Dissertation with
AfricaRice
• Sierra Leone 2004: World vision, USAID, CRS: SRI 5.3t/ha vs
2.5t/ha
• Burkina 2006: 6 farmers: SRI 7t/ha vs 3.5t/h a
SRI field trials remain isolated
with no expansion beyond local level

24. 2. Mali Experience with SRI (2007-2010)
Africare Food Security
Project in Timbuktu in
2007
• Small-scale irrigation
schemes at village
level
• First test with SRI with
one volunteer farmer
First SRI test in Mali in 2007

25. Mahamadou Hamadoun, Imam of Douegoussou village,
Circle of Goundam, Region of Timbuktu, Mali 2007
First SRI farmer trial in Timbuktu,
Mali, 2007
Side-by-side comparison – 1 field only
Conventional (6.7 t/ha) – SRI practices (9 t/ha)

26. Timbuktu farming community
evaluates the first SRI test

27. • Africare and Government agriculture extension service
• 60 farmers in 12 villages in the Timbuktu region
60 farmers evalute and SRI
in Timbuktu in 2008

28. 60 farmers evaluate and
adapt SRI in Timbuktu, 2008

29. Results from 60 farmers
• Yield increase: +66 % à 87%
• Less seed required: 85% à 90%:
Quantity used for SRI: 6.1 kg/ha
Quantity used under usual farmer practice: 40-60 kg/ha
• Reduced fertilizer use: 30%
• Reduced irrigation water use: 10%
• Reduced production costs / kg paddy: 30%
• Increased revenue per hectare: more than double
(Styger, 2008)

30. Technical Manual Detailed Technical Report Blog of Field Activities
Sharing the knowledge and experience 2008
Ministry of Agriculture, National Research Institution, USAID, World Bank, NGOs followed
the blog, visited the farmers, read the reports, used the manual following year

31. Expanding from 1 to 5 regions in Mali in 2009
• Timbuktu
NEW: 17 villages, 92 farmers
‘OLD’: 21 villages, 250
farmers
• Gao
– 8 villages, 39 farmers
• Mopti
– 6 villages, 44 farmers
• Segou
– 2 villages, 37 farmers
• Sikasso
– 3 villages, 10 farmers
57 villages, 472 farmers
Africare, IICEM (USAID funded), Syngenta Foundation, IER (Nat. Research),
Min Agriculture
First National SRI Conference in Bamako, February 2010

32. SRI yields Mali 2009
SRI Farmers' plot SRI increase over
t/ha t/ha farmers' plot
Africare farmers
240 farmers Timbuktu 7.7 4.5 . +72%
IICEM farmers
38 farmers Gao 7.8 5.6 . +40%
28 farmers Mopti 7.8 4.8 . +64%
36 farmers Timbuktu (other areas) 7 4.2 . +68%
342 farmers 3 regions 7.6 4.8 . +58%

33. Expanding from 1 to 5 regions in Mali in 2009
• Timbuktu
NEW: 17 villages, 92 farmers
‘OLD’: 21 villages, 250
farmers
• Gao
– 8 villages, 39 farmers
• Mopti
– 6 villages, 44 farmers
• Segou
– 2 villages, 37 farmers
• Sikasso
– 3 villages, 10 farmers
57 villages, 472 farmers
Africare, IICEM Project (USAID funded), Syngenta Foundation, IER (National
Research), Ministry of Agriculture
First National SRI Conference in Bamako, February 2010

34. 3. SRI expands to West Africa Region
2010-2016
• Since 2010-2012: regional trainings by USAID
projects IICEM, Mali and regional E-ATP in Nigeria,
Senegal, Ghana, Benin, Togo
• 1st West Africa ECHO Conference in Burkina Faso,
2010: followed by new SRI initiatives, e.g. Togo
• Increasing numbers of contacts between interested
and SRI practicing West Africans and SRI-Rice
• 2012 SRI-Rice trip to West Africa to develop regional
initiative: World Bank showed interest through West
Africa Agriculture Productivity Program (WAAPP)

35. Improving and Scaling Up SRI in West
Africa Project (2014-2016)
• Part of the West Africa Agriculture Productivity Program
(WAAPP)
• Coordinated by Regional Rice Center in Mali (CNS-Riz)
• SRI-Rice, Cornell: Technical partner to regional coordination
• Project developed through participatory process over 1.5
years with representatives from research, extension, farmers
from 13 countries
– First workshop in Ouagadougou, July 2012

36. • National WAAPP coordination
• National Facilitator and focal Institution
• SRI Champions (can be anyone: farmers, technicians etc)
SRI-WAAPP organizational structure
(NY, USA)
CORAF CNS-Riz
Funded by the
World Bank
Each country has its own plan and funding for implementation through WAAPP

37. Institutional set up and implementation
• National WAAPP program
• National research institute
• Ministry of agriculture
• National NGOs
• Farmer organizations
• Bilateral projects (USAID, JICA)
• International NGOs
• Private sector companies
• Peace Corps
• Others

38. Technical approach
Samuel Bimba, with his SRI field in Liberia, 2014

39. Climatic and agro-ecological
zones of the project
Arid
Semi-arid
Semi-humid
Humid
Climate
Group a: Experienced
Countries
• Mali
• Benin
• Burkina Faso
Group B: Intermediate
Countries
• Ghana
• Nigeria
• Togo
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
Group C: Countries
with little/no
experience
• Niger
• Guinea
• Gambia
• Liberia
• Cote-d’Ivoire
In 2014

40. General SRI-WAAPP Manual Adapted manuals for technicians and
farmers
Year 1
Adapted manuals by climate zone
and rice cropping system
Year 2 and 3

41. In Country Target Zones:
• Tracking of yields, number of farmers, surface area, income
• Trainings on SRI
• Institutional capacity development
• Publications
• Participation in national rice innovation platforms
Monitoring and Evaluation System
Online data
collection and
mapping
platform

42. www.sriafriqueouest.org
www.sriwestafrica.org
Project websites:Newsletter
Innovation Notes
Advocacy Notes
(in PDF and print)
Closed Facebook
group,
WhatsApp group
SRI-WAAPP Regional Communication

43. SRI Activities 2014: training and field sites
Improving and Scaling up SRI in West Africa

44. 4.10
4.91
2.02
4.55
5.07 5.13
4.30
6.25
6.92
3.34
8.20
6.95
7.48
10.50
7.09
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
Burkina Faso Côte d'Ivoire Ghana Mali Niger Nigeria Sénégal Average
Conv. Yield (t/ha)
SRI Yield (t/ha)
52
%
41
%
65
%
80
%
37%
105%
65%
tons/ha
Average rice yields (t/ha) per country
Irrigated Systems, West Africa
SRI WAAPP Project Data from 2014
22 Sites

45. 5.77
2.72
3.50
1.81
2.44
1.83
1.32
2.07
3.17
2.74
9.37
3.74
4.57
3.24
4.62
3.77
2.60
5.92
4.85 4.74
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
Bénin Burkina Faso The Gambia Ghana Guinée Nigeria Sénégal Sierra Leone Togo Average
Conv. Yield (t/ha)
SRI Yield (t/ha)
SRI WAAPP Project Data from 2014
74 Sites
62
%
38
%
31
%
79
%
106%
89%
186% 53%
73%
97%
tons/ha
Average Rice Yields (t/ha) per country
Lowland Rainfed Systems, West Africa

46. First SRI plot in Liberia, Dec 2012
by Community of Hope Agriculture Project
(CHAP) Paynesville, Monrovia
First SRI test by Robert Bimba
President Ellen Johnson SIRLEAF
opens a SRI field day, 2014
Paynesville, Monrovia
Liberia

47. SRI WAAPP Sites
in all rice ecologies
Consortium of four partners:
• ICAT: Ministry of Agriculture:
National facilitator
• ITRA: national research institution
• National NGO Graphe
• National NGO ETD
SRI started in Togo in 2011 by Graphe
• working in 4 villages
2014: 815 farmers trained
2015: 1502 farmers trained in 60
villages through the Consortium
Togo

48. SRI-WAAPP
• Focused project target zone: Fatick, Kaolack and Kaffrine regions – rainfed rice
• 5,163 farmers to be trained in 2015
• Exchange visits to PRODAM in Sep 2015
• Trainings in Casamance and SRI-WAAPP target zone in Feb / Mar 2015
Senegal
PRODAM
Casamance
SRI-WAAPP
• SRI activities since 2002
• PRODAM – Large irrigated
IFAD project in NE; increasing
to 2,000 hectares in 2015/16;
yields 10-13 t/ha SRI, vs. 5.5-6
conv.
• Peace Corps
• Cornell MPS students
• Limited trials in Casamance

49. Some Difficulties with SRI-WAAPP project
• Multi-institutional collaboration within
countries
• Timely disbursement of funding for field
activities
• Data collection and reporting
• Demand for SRI surpasses current capacity
and funding

50. Wider and long-term impact
• SRI to be included in the national rice
development strategies in Liberia, Sierra Leone,
The Gambia, Ghana and Mali
• ECOWAS: SRI to be included in the Rice Offensive
• Network of Farmers' and Agricultural Producers'
Organizations of West Africa for rice (ROPPA):
committed to actively scale up SRI in West Africa

51. Conclusions
• SRI practices can increase yields by >50% in irrigated
and rainfed rice systems across West Africa
• Broad range of actors in 13 ECOWAS countries
acquired capacity and expertise to adapt the SRI
practices to their national rice systems
• Ministries of Agriculture in all countries are on board
• Large geographic coverage achieved - but SRI
adoption still needs to go to scale
• Political commitment is further needed
• Diversified technical and financial partnerships are
needed

52. Thank you!
Contact Erika:
eds8@cornell.edu