Author: Norman Uphoff Title: Opportunities to Raise Agricultural Production with Water-Saving and with Climate-Change Resilience for Diverse Crops and CountriesOpportunities to Raise Agricultural Production with Water-Saving and with Climate-Change Resilience for Diverse Crops and Countries Presented at: The Brown Bag Lunch with Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA Date: November 6, 2017 Venue: FAS/USDA, Washington D.C.

1. Demonstrated Opportunities to
Raise Agricultural Production
with Water-Saving and with
Climate-Change Resilience for
Diverse Crops and Countries
Norman Uphoff
SRI International Network and Resources Center
(SRI-Rice), Cornell University
Brown bag lunch with Foreign Agricultural Service,
USDA, Washington DC, November 6, 2017

2. Although there has been controversy over some of
the high yields reported with the System of Rice
Intensification (SRI) -- an agroecological crop/water
management system developed in Madagascar --
SRI has been gaining acceptance around the world.
Demonstrable improvements in plant phenotype
and substantial increases in average yield have
been reported from >50 countries when farmers have
used SRI methods, not even always using them fully.
It is average yields that feed people and make farmers
richer – but we can learn a lot from ‘super-yields’

3. SPREAD OF SRI METHODS -- developed in Madagascar in the
1970s and 1980s; validation and spread started in China (1999) and then
in Indonesia (1999-2000). To date, SRI methods have been validated
in 58 countries (http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/countries/index.html)
(validation = better, more robust phenotypes from any given
genotype)
SRI effect is seen with both traditional and improved varieties
(HYVs/hybrids)

4. SRI is constituted of ideas and insights rather than
being a fixed technology like the Green Revolution –
SRI is still a work in progress
(SRI has been called disparagingly or respectfully
“just good agronomy” – yes, Agronomy 101)
SRI use is a matter of degree > kind
It is an open-access innovation based on
knowledge rather than on particular inputs
This makes SRI somewhat difficult to evaluate --
But those who work with SRI ideas and insights
have little difficulty in understanding and using them
SRI is better understood as an adjective than as a noun

5. What does the System of Rice Intensification
involve?Changes in how plants, soil, water, nutrients are
managed:
• Wider spacing : transplanting of single seedlings in square
pattern, usually 25x25 cm  reduction in plant
population m-2
by 80-90%
• Young seedlings : transplant before 4th
phyllochron, when
<15 days old; this promotes more vigorous tillering and
greater root growth
• Mostly aerobic soil conditions : stop continuous flooding;
AWD avoids degeneration of roots and promotes more
aerobic soil biota
• Active soil aeration, using mechanical push-weeder to
control weeds
• Enhanced soil organic matter  better soil structure and
functioning for better root growth and more abundant,
diverse, active soil biota

6. According to FAO, achieving three major impacts
qualifies SRI as ‘climate-smart agriculture’:
1.Increased production, together with
2. Adaptation to climatic stresses, including a.
reduced water requirements and
b. greater pest and disease resistance, and
3. Mitigation of global warming – GHGs ↓
Additional benefits:
4. Higher milling outturn (kg rice/paddy)
5. Shorter growing season -- reduced risks
6. Less burden for women -- gender equity
7. Higher micronutrient content in grains
8. Often labor-saving (mechanization possible)

7. 1. Increased production
Generally 20-50%, often 100% higher
production, sometimes 200% or more –
with less water, fewer external inputs
(seed, fertilizer), often with less labor
Make better use of available resources
Average yields are more important than
super-yields

8. Data (2013) on production increases in China, India,
Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia where SRI has
had extension support from the governments
> 3,466,710 farmers were using SRI methods on > 9,527,366 ha
with average yield 6.22 t ha-1
vs. comparison yield of 4.56 t ha-1
= 40% increase with reductions in inputs and cost
Average increase in SRI yield (1.66 t ha-1
) x SRI area (3.467 m ha)
means an SRI increase in rice production of 5.75 million tons.
-- @ a farmgate price of $150 ton-1
this means that
farmer incomes were increased by $862 million
With lower cost of production, estimated @ $160 million,* this comes
to >$1 billion, plus the value of water saved and lower GHG emissions.
@ farmgate price of $300 ton-1
the value to farmers was >$2 billion
* Based on a 2013 study in India by TNAU/IWMI researchers of 2,234 farmers in 13 states
Data reported in “Developments in the system of rice intensification (SRI),” N. Uphoff,
in Achieving Sustainable Cultivation of Rice, Burleigh-Dodds, Cambridge, UK (2016)

9. This is attributable to better expression of rice
plants’ genetic potential with same varieties
(same genotypes)
-- visual evidence of this from Indonesia and Liberia
While these comparisons are
extreme, they show the impact
that management changes can

10. Picture of a rice plant phenotype in Indonesia,
with
223 tillers grown from a single seed using SRI
methods
Presented by SRI farmers in East Java, Indonesia, to Uphoff in 2009;
in 2004, a Sri Lankan farmer showed him SRI panicle with 930 grains

11. Rice plant phenotypes in Cuba -- of same age
(52 DAS) and same variety (VN 2084), so have
same genetics
SRI plant on right was transplanted from the same nursery
when 9 days old and put into an SRI growing environment 
43 tillers vs. 5 tillers
Note also the significant difference in the color of the

12. Comparisons of rice plant phenotypes of same
variety in Iran and Iraq showing effects of SRI
management
Pictures sent to Cornell by researchers at the national rice
research stations at Haraz and Al-Mishkhab, respectively,
showing how they found SRI methods inducing the growth of
larger, healthier rice root systems

13. Test plots at Al-Mishkhab research station at Najaf,
Iraq, where varietal responses to SRI management
were compared
SRI management methods induce the growth of larger root systems
which also resist senescenceSRI practices (young seedlings, wider spacing, compost, etc.)
were used in the left-hand plots of these paired plots, each with

14. SRI
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
IH H FH MR WR YRStage
Organdryweight(g/hill)
I H H FH MR WR YR
CK Yellow leaf
and sheath
Panicle
Leaf
Sheath
Stem
47.9% 34.7%
Average weight of rice plant organs at initial heading (IR), heading (H),
full heading (FH), milky rice (MR), waxy rice (WR), yellow rice (YR) stages
Phenotypical comparisons made at the China National Rice
Research Institute in Hangzhou in 2002 by Dr. Tao Longxing
(CK = control)

15. SRI effects on the soil biota are not as
easy to see, but they are similarly crucial
for SRI results
Results from research at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,
ICRISAT, and Bogor Agricultural University (IPB)
“A review of studies on SRI effects on beneficial soil organisms in rice soil
rhizospheres,” I. Anas, O.P. Rupela, T.M. Thiyagarajan and N. Uphoff, Paddy

16. Beneficial effects of endophytic bacteria
associated with SRI practices seen in replicated trials at
Anjomakely, Madagascar, 2001 (Andriankaja thesis, 2002)
CLAY SOIL
Azospirillum in
rice plant roots
(103
CFU/mg)
Tillers/plant
Yield
(t/ha)
Farmer methods
with no soil amendments
65 17 1.8
SRI methods
with no soil amendments
1,100 45 6.1
SRI methods
with NPK amendments
450 68 9.0
SRI cultivation
with compost
1,400 78 10.5
LOAM SOIL
SRI methods
with no soil amendments
75 32 2.1
SRI methods
with compost
2,000 47 6.6

17. Effects on root architecture of inoculating two rice varieties with
Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii E11 : (a) Rootlets per plant (no.);
(b) Cumulative root length (mm); (c) Surface area (cm2
);
(d) Root biovolume (cm3
)
Y. G. Yanni et al., Australian Journal of Plant Physiology, 28: 845–870 (2001)
Evidence of positive interactions between
soil microbes and growth of rice plant roots
Dark bars = inoculated roots; light bars = uninoculated

18. “Ascending Migration of Endophytic Rhizobia, from
Roots and Leaves, inside Rice Plants and Assessment of
Benefits to Rice Growth Physiology”
Feng Chi et al., Applied and Envir. Microbiology 71: 7271-7278 (2005)
Rhizo-
bium
strain
Total plant
root
vol/pot
(cm3
)
± SE
Shoot dry
wt/pot
(g)
± SE
Net
photosyn-
thesis rate
(µmol of CO2
m-2
s-1
) ± SE
Water
utilization
efficiency
± SE
Grain
yield/pot
(g)
± SE
Ac-ORS
571
210
± 36A
63
± 2A
16.42
± 1.39A
3.63
± 0.17BC
86
± 5A
Sm-1021 180
± 26A
67
± 5A
14.99
± 1.64B
4.02
± 0.19AB
86
± 4A
Sm-1002 168
± 8AAB
52
± 4BC
13.70
± 0.73B
4.15
± 0.32A
61
± 4B
R1-2370 175
± 23A
61
± 8AB
13.85
± 0.38B
3.36
± 0.41C
64
± 9B
Mh-93 193
± 16A
67
± 4A
13.86
± 0.76B
3.18
± 0.25CD
77
± 5A
Control 130
B
47
C
10.23
C
2.77
D
51
C

19. “Proteomic analysis of rice seedlings infected by
Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021”
Feng Chi et al., Proteomics 10: 1861-1874 (2010)

20. Increased water productivity
Development of larger, less senescing
root systems and having soil that is
better structured to absorb and retain
water will enhance crop performance
under water stress

21. reported in 29 published studies between 2006 and 2013
Average water use: Standard mgmt. = 15.33 million
liters ha-1
SRI management = 12.03 million liters ha-1
With less water, SRI gave 11% more yield: 5.9 tons vs. 5.1
tons ha-1
Note: on-farm SRI yield increases are usually much more
than this
SRI = 22% reduction in TOTAL water use (irrig + rainfall)
per ha
SRI = 35% average reduction in IRRIGATION water use
per ha
Total water use efficiency 52% higher : 0.6 vs. 0.39 g rice per
liter
Irrigation WUE 78% greater : 1.23 vs. 0.69 grams of rice per
“Evaluation of water use, water saving and water use efficiency in irrigated
rice production with SRI vs. traditional management,” P. Jagannath, H.
Pullabhotla and N. Uphoff, Taiwan Water Conservancy (2013)

22. Phenotypic (plant-level) evidence on water productivity
Comparative analysis of same-variety phenotypes of rice, with all
experimental conditions the same except for management practices
Trials at ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar
SRI rice phenotypes showed greater water-use efficiency
within plants
as measured by the RATIO between photosynthesis and
transpiration
For each 1 millimol of water lost by transpiration,
SRI plants fixed 3.6 micromols of CO2 while
conventionally-grown plants fixed 1.6 micromoles
Such efficiency becomes more important with climate
change,
and as water becomes a scarcer factor of production“An assessment of physiological effects of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) compared
with recommended rice cultivation practices in India,” A.K. Thakur, N. Uphoff and E. Antony,
Experimental Agriculture, 46(1), 77-98 (2010)

23. 2. EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE RESILIENCE
which makes SRI ‘climate-smart agriculture’
* Drought resilience
* Resistance to lodging caused by wind and
rain
* Resistance to pests and diseases
* Cold temperature tolerance
A.K. Thakur and N. Uphoff, “How the System of Rice Intensification can
contribute to climate-smart agriculture,” Agronomy Journal, 109: 1163-
1183 (2017).

24. Visual evidence of drought resilience in Sri Lanka: rice
fields planted with same variety and served by the same
irrigation system, which had dried up 3 weeks earlier –

25. On-farm evidence of SRI plants’ drought resilience
Team from the International Water Management Institute
(IWMI) did evaluation in two districts of Sri Lanka comparing the rice
crops of 60 farmers who used SRI methods and 60 matched farmers
using conventional methods. The paddy crop in that 2003/04 maha
(main) season had been subjected to 75 days of severe drought.
• On SRI-grown plants, 80% of the tillers formed panicles, while
only 70% of tillers on rice plants grown with usual management did
this.
• In this drought-stressed season, even though farmer-practice fields
had 10 times more rice plants per sq. meter, the number of
panicle-bearing tillers per m-1
was 30% higher in the
SRI fields.
• Also, on SRI plants the number of grains panicle-1
was 115 vs. 87.
• Harvested yield was 33% higher: 6.37 tons ha-1
vs. 4.78 tons ha-1
.
• Under drought conditions, the SRI-managed rice phenotypes
demonstrated greater translocation of photosynthates into the grains.“The practice and effects of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Sri Lanka,” Namara,
Bossio, Weligamage and Herath, Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture (2008)

26. Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Total
SRI area (ha) 1,133 7,267 57,400 117,267 204,467 252,467 301,067 941,068
SRI yield (kg/ha) 9,105 9,435 8,805 9,075 9,300 9,495 9,555 9,252
Non-SRI yield (kg/ha) 7,740 7,650 7,005 7,395 7,575 7,710 7,740 7,545
SRI increment (t/ha)* 1,365 1,785 1,800# 1,680 1,725 1,785 1,815# 1,708
SRI yield increase* 17.6% 23.3% 25.7% 22.7% 22.8% 23.2% 23.5% 22.7%
Grain increase
(tons ）
1,547 12,971 103,320 197,008 352,705 450,653 546,436 1,664,640
Added net income
due to SRI (million
RMB)*
1.28 11.64 106.51 205.10 450.85 571.69 704.27
2,051
(>$300 m)
* These comparisons for SRI paddy yield and profitability are made with
the provincial average for Sichuan
#
In drought years (2006 and 2010), SRI yields were 12% higher than with
conventional methods in more normal years (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Source: Data from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture
Province-wide evidence of SRI drought-resistance
from Sichuan, China -- where 2006 and 2010 were drought
years

27. Two seasons of trials evaluating System of Wheat Intensification
(SWI) at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI),
Pusa, New Delhi
-- in the rabi seasons 2011/12 and 2012/13 -- comparing SWI methods
used in Bihar state vs. IARI’s standard recommended practices
(SRP)
In a normal season, SWI had 30% yield advantage over
SRP
In a climate-stressed season (high temperatures, then
excess rain), SWI’s yield advantage over SRP was 46%.
Yield reduction in climate-stressed season was 12.5% with
SWI, while SRP reductions ranged from 18% to 31%.
Economic net returns with SWI were 35% higher than with
SRP.“Comparing System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) with standard recommended practices
in the northwest plain zone of India,” S. Dhar, B.C. Barah, A.K. Vyas and N. Uphoff,
Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science (2015)

28. Visual evidence of
orm resistance in Vietnam:
Adjacent paddy fields after
being hit by a tropical storm
in Dông Trù village,
Hanoi province, 2005
SRI field and plant on left;
conventionally-managed
field and plant on right
The same rice variety was
grown in both fields.
Serious lodging on right,
but not on the left.

29. More visual evidence of storm resistance in Vietnam:
Adjacent
paddy fields in Trà Vinh province in the Mekong Delta, after
a
tropical storm had passed over them; SRI plot is on the right.

30. Phenotypical data on resistance to lodging
Lodging-related traits of the third internode from the top of rice plants
as affected by N rates (kg ha-1) and by management practices during
2008 late season and 2009 double season, Hubei province, China
N fertilizer
application
Manage-
ment
practice#
Breaking
resistanc
e
(g cm)
Bending
moment
(g cm)
Internod
e length
(cm)
Dry
weight/
length
(mg cm-1
)
Diamete
r
(mm)
0
application*
SRI 449a
953a
7.4a
40.4a
4.90a
MRMP 385b
809a
7.5a
39.0a
4.80a
RMP 350bc
609b
8.6ab
28.2b
4.27b
180-195
kg/ha**
SRI 515a
1287a
8.7a
56.9a
5.77a
MRMP 498ab
1171a
9.2ab
46.8ab
5.45ab
RMP 330bc
1070b
10.8b
37.8b
5.10b
# SRI: System of Rice Intensification; RMP: Recommended management practices; MRMP: Modified RMP:
same seedling age, water mgmt, nutrient mgmt. and weeding as for SRI; but plant density = 2x SRI (½ of RMP)
*Averages for 2 seasons: 2009 early and 2009 late **Averages for 3 seasons: 2008 late, 2009 early and 2009 late
Data from “Evaluation of System of Rice Intensification methods applied in the
double rice-cropping systems in Central China,” Wu, Huang, Shah and Uphoff,
Advances in Agronomy, Vol. 132 (2015)

31. Field evidence of disease and pest resistance
from Vietnam: evaluation by its National IPM Program with
data averaged from on-farm trials in 8 provinces, 2005-06
Spring season Summer season
SRI
plots
Farmer
plots
Differ-
ence
SRI
plots
Farmer
Plots
Differ-
ence
Sheath
blight
6.7% 18.1% 63.0% 5.2% 19.8% 73.7%
Leaf blight -- -- -- 8.6% 36.3% 76.5%
Small leaf
folder*
63.4 107.7 41.1% 61.8 122.3 49.5%
Brown plant
hopper*
542 1,440 62.4% 545 3,214 83.0%
Average 55.5% 70.7%
* Insects m-2

32. Visual evidence of resistance to both biotic and abiotic
stresses in E. Java, Indonesia: both fields were hit by brown
planthopper (BPH) and then by a tropical storm --
standard practices on left, organic SRI on right
Modern
improved
variety
(Ciherang)
– no yield
Traditional
aromatic
variety
(Sintanur)
- 8 t/ha

33. Data on resistance to cold temperatures from
India:
Yield and meteorological data from an IPM experiment
affected by sudden unexpected cold spell
(ANGRAU, Andhra Pradesh)
PeriodPeriod Mean max.Mean max.
temp.temp. 00
CC
Mean min.Mean min.
temp.temp. 00
CC
No. ofNo. of
sunshinesunshine
hourshours
1 – 151 – 15 NovNov 27.727.7 19.219.2 4.94.9
16–3016–30 NovNov 29.629.6 17.917.9 7.57.5
1 – 15 Dec1 – 15 Dec 29.129.1 14.614.6 8.68.6
16–31 Dec16–31 Dec 28.128.1 12.212.2 ##
8.68.6#
Sudden drop in minimum temp. for 5 days, 16-21 December
(9.2-9.9o
C )
SeasonSeason Normal (t/ha)Normal (t/ha) SRI (t/ha)SRI (t/ha)
Rabi (winter) 2005-06Rabi (winter) 2005-06 2.252.25 3.473.47
Kharif (monsoon) 2006Kharif (monsoon) 2006 0.21*0.21* 4.164.16
* Low yield was due to cold injury (see below)

34. 3. Reduced net GHG emissions
Flooded paddies are major source of CH4
-- stopping continuous flooding reduces
CH4 emissions (everyone agrees)
Question: what happens to N2O emissions when
soil conditions are more aerobic?
Evidence shows not enough N2O increase with SRI
to offset GWP gains from reducing CH4
Reducing N fertilizer diminishes CH4 substrate
CO2 emissions will be reduced by cutting the
production and distribution of fertilizer/biocides

35. Data on reductions in GHG emissions
• An evaluation for GIZ in the Mekong Delta of
Vietnam found a significant reduction in CH4 of
20%, with a NS 1.4% reduction in N2O – it was
significant that there was not an increase in N2O (Dill
et al., 2013)
• A life-cycle analysis (LCA) in Andhra Pradesh, India
found SRI management compared to standard
practices reduced global warming potential (GWP)
emissions by >25% per ha, and by >60% per kg of rice
produced (Gathorne-Hardy et al., 2013, 2016)
• Another study by IARI researchers in India found that
SRI methods lowered GWP per hectare by 28%
(Jain et al., 2013)

36. Comparison of methane gas emissionComparison of methane gas emission
CT SRI
kgCH4/ha
0
200
400
600
800
1000
840.1
237.6
72 %
Treatment
Emission (kg/ha)
CO2 ton/ha
equivalentCH4 N2O
CT 840.1 0 17.6
SRI 237.6 0.074 5.0

37. SRI ideas and practices have been adapted and
extended to the broader System of Crop
Intensification (SCI) -- with many reports
of increased climate resilience
• Wheat (SWI) -- India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Mali
• Finger millet (SFMI) -- India, Ethiopia,
Nepal, Malawi
• Sugarcane (SSI) -- India, Cuba, Kenya,
Tanzania
• Sorghum and tef – Ethiopia
• Maize -- India
Also reports on SCI benefits for mustard, soya
bean, black gram, green gram, red gram,
tomatoes, chillies, eggplant, sesame, green leafy

38. SWI wheat crop in Bihar state of India, Chandrapura
village, Khagarla district – these fields are the same age
and same variety

40. Size and width of
finger millet panicles
and roots with
alternative crop
management methods:
SFMI plants on left, and
farmer practice on right
-- Jharkhand state, India

41. Sustainable Sugarcane Intensification (SSI)
plants in Maharashtra, India
SSI sugarcane in Cuba @ 10.5 months;
eventual yield estimated @ 150 t/ha

42. System of Tef Intensification in Ethiopia – yields of
3-6 t/ha with TP STI vs. 1 t/ha with broadcasting --
direct-seeded STI used by >2 million farmers in

43. 4. Data from China on improvements in grain
quality
Conv. methods SRI methods
Characteristic (3 spacings) (3 spacings)
DifferenceChalky kernels (%) 39.89 – 41.07 23.62 – 32.47 - 30.7%
General chalkiness
(%)
6.74 – 7.17 1.02 – 4.04 - 65.7%
Milled rice outturn
(%)
41.54 – 51.46 53.58 – 54.41 +16.1%
Head milled rice
(%)
38.87 – 39.99 41.81 – 50.84 +17.5%
From paper by Prof. Ma Jun, Sichuan Agricultural University, presented at
10th conference on
“Theory and Practice for High-Quality, High-Yielding Rice in China,”
Note: Chalkiness is associated with more breakage of grains during milling;
also, higher protein (N) content in the grains is associated with less breakage.
Reports from Cuba, India and Kenya also show 10-20%
more milled rice per bushel of SRI-grown paddy rice,
compared to rice grown with usual methods –
fewer unfilled grains (less chaff) and fewer
broken grains

44. 5. Crop duration reduced in Nepal by average of 16 days,
from seed to seed, for 8 rice varieties -- SRI = 125 days (average
6.3 t/ha) vs. conventional = 141 days (average 3.1 t/ha)
Varieties
(N = 412)
Conv.
duration
SRI duration
(range)
Difference
(range)
Bansdhan/Kanchhi (248) 145 127 (117-144) 18 (11-28)
Mansuli (48) 155 136 (126-146) 19 (9-29)
Swarna (40) 155 139 (126-150) 16 (5-29)
Sugandha (12) 120 106 (98-112) 14 (8-22)
Radha 12 (12) 155 138 (125-144) 17 (11-30)
Hardinath 1 (39) 120 107 (98-112) 13 (8-22)
Barse 2014/3017 (14) 135 126 (116-125) 9 (10-19)
Data from Morang District Agricultural Development Office,
Biratnagar, Nepal, 2006

45. 6. Field studies show SRI methods improving
health and reducing discomfort of women
working in rice paddies
Vent, Sabarmatee and Uphoff, “The System of Rice Intensification and its
impacts on women: Reducing pain, discomfort and labor in rice farming while
enhancing household food security,” Women in Agriculture Worldwide, eds.
• With rice paddies no longer continuously flooded,
women no longer work in standing water and have
fewer infections associated with transplanting & weeding
• With fewer, smaller and lighter seedlings, women’s
work in nurseries and transplanting is less arduous
• Controlling weeds, a task usually assigned to women,
is quicker and less painful with SRI mechanical weeding
• ANGRAU study showed 78% reduction in women’s
labor for weeding with less physical stress & discomfort
• RACOPA methodology (left) has documented the
reductions in women’s pain when using SRI methods
• SRI’s reduced labor requirements free up women’s
time once the new methods have been learned

46. 7. Nutritient/nutritional impacts of SRI:
Research on nutrient uptake from the soil and
the concentrations of nutrients in the grain
Research is indicating that larger root systems and greater
density of soil microorganisms have an effect on amounts
and profiles of nutrient
uptake and on nutrient
concentrations in the
grains and straw.
The links between
microorganisms and
micronutrients warrant
much more research.

47. Micronutrient accumulation (mg kg-1
) in rice
grains under conventional flooded crop
management vs. System of Rice Intensification
Data from Adak et al., ‘Micronutrient Enrichment Mediated by
Plant-Microbe Interactions and Rice Cultivation Practices,’
Journal of
Plant Nutrition, 39: 1216-1232 (2016)
Iron Zinc Copper Manganese
Treatment Con
v.
SRI
Conv
.
SRI
Conv
.
SRI Conv. SRI
Control –
no
fertilizer
40.8
7
76.03
12.7
0
38.7
3
3.23 6.50 6.80 11.23
NPK
fertili-
zation
75.0
0
100.3
7
15.5
6
43.7
3
3.93 7.20 7.73 15.80

48. Treatme
nt
S
(%)
Zn
(ppm)
Fe
(ppm)
Mn
(ppm)
Cu
(ppm)
Grain Straw Grain Straw
Grai
n Straw
Grai
n Straw Grain
SRI 0.075a
0.127a
30.4a
48.4a
47.8
a
101.0
a
45.2
a
115.6
a
4.6a
CT 0.064b
0.114b
27.0b
39.0b
44.0
b
89.7b
40.1
b
108.0
b
3.3b
Differen
ce 0.011 0.013 3.4 9.4 3.8 11.3 5.1 7.6 1.3
LSD 0.003 0.012 2.5 3.8 3.6 7.0 2.8 6.4 0.4
Concentration of secondary and micro-nutrients
in rice grains and straw using System of Rice
Intensification (SRI)
vs. conventional transplanting (CT) methods
Data from Dass, Chandra, Uphoff, Choudhury, Bhattacharyya and
Rana, “Agronomic fortification of rice grains with secondary and
micronutrients under differing crop management and soil moisture
regimes in the north Indian plains,” Paddy and Water Environment ,
15 (2017)

49. Effects of cultivation practices and nutrient
management on the concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu
and Mn (mg kg-1
) in rice grains,
with equal amounts of soil nutrient amendments in all
treatmentsTreatments Iron Zinc Copper Manganese
Conv. - INM 71.3c 34.1c 3.7d 9.0b
Conv. – Organic 81.6bc 33.8c 4.9c 13.5a
SRI – INM 97.4b 39.2b 6.0b 13.2a
SRI – Organic 117.3a 48.3a 7.1a 16.1a
LSD 0.05 18.4 4.7 1.0 4.1
Conv. = conventional flooded rice mgmt SRI = System of Rice Intensification
mgmt
INM = integrated nutrient mgmt (inorganic NPK + decomposed cow manure)
Organic = decomposed cow manure + green manure (Sesbania ) + vermicompost
Mean values followed by different letters in a column denote a significant (P≤0.05) difference
between the treatments by Duncan’s multiple range test
Data from article not yet published on “Rice cultivation methods and nutrient
management: Impact on crop growth, physiology, nutrient uptake, and yield,” A.K.
Thakur et al., ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar, India, Sept.
2017

50. Effects of cultivation practices and nutrient
management on micronutrient uptake (kg ha-1
) in
rice grains
Treatments Iron Zinc Copper Manganese
Conv. – INM 0.299c 0.143b 0.016b 0.038c
Conv. – Organic 0.326b 0.135b 0.020b 0.054b
SRI – INM 0.588a 0.237a 0.036a 0.080a
SRI - Organic 0.584a 0.241a 0.035a 0.080a
LSD 0.05 0.017 0.009 0.004 0.006
Conv. = conventional (flooded) rice mgmt SRI = System of Rice Intensification
mgmt
INM = integrated nutrient mgmt. (inorganic NPK + decomposed cow manure)
Organic = decomposed cow manure + green manure (Sesbania ) + vermicompost
Mean values followed by different letters in a column denote a significant (P≤0.05) difference
between the treatments by Duncan’s multiple range test
Data from article not yet published on “Rice cultivation methods and nutrient management:
Impact on crop growth, physiology, nutrient uptake, and yield,” A.K. Thakur et al., ICAR-
Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar, India, Sept. 2017

51. 8. Labor-saving: Mechanization of SRI
Pioneered in Punjab province of Pakistan
by Mr. Asif Sharif, Pedaver Pvt. Ltd.
Agricultural labor supply is rather limited in Punjab,
so
he combined System of Rice Intensification (SRI) with
Conservation Agriculture (CA) and organic agriculture
 ‘PARADOXICAL AGRICULTURE’ (PA)

52. Mechanized System of Crop
Intensification (MSCI) leading to
Conserving/Regenerative
Paradoxical Agriculture (PA)
Rice crop on raised-beds – saves
70% water and other inputs
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Webpage: www.pedaver.com
E-mail: pedaver@gmail.com

53. Raised-beds making on laser-leveled land –
Giving more control over water and improving the soil
-- first ‘test plot’ was 44 acres  12 t/ha average yield

54. Furrow irrigation –
Saving of energy also economizes on water

55. 10-day-old seedlings are dropped into mechanically-
punched holes, which are then filled with water. The field
is flooded only once, just after transplanting. Thereafter,
furrow irrigation is used to reduce water consumption.

56. Radio-controlled tractor-weeding of precision-
planted raised beds, actively aerating the soil
while furrow irrigation economizes on water

57. PA wheat plantation on raised beds

58. PA carrots planted on raised beds --
more uniform carrots get higher price

59. Summary results to date from applications of
‘Paradoxical Agriculture’ (PA) in Punjab
province, Pakistan, by crop
Yields (t/ha)
(% increase)
Cost of production
(USD/kg)
(% reduction)
Net income
(USD/ha)
(% increase)
Current PA Current PA Current PA
Wheat 3 5 0.35 0.20 $242 $345*
( + 60% ) ( - 43% ) ( + 43% )
Maize 9 11 0.18 0.13 $484 $1184
( + 22% ) ( - 28% ) ( + 145% )
Sugarcane+
70 110 1.26 0.99 $75 $400
( +57% ) ( - 21% ) ( + 433% )
Potatoes 30 42#
0.09 0.06 $2008 $4063
( + 40% ) ( -32% ) ( + 102% )
Carrots 15 35 0.10 0.03 $475 $3398
( +133% ) ( -67% ) ( + 615%)
* This is 1st year net income for SWI; net income 2nd year is $550, and 3rd year $620.
+
Figures are an average for February and September plantings.
# After PA has been used enough to improve the soil, potato yields of 50 t/ha are obtained.
Source: Data collected by Asif Sharif, Pedaver, Lahore, Pakistan

60. SRI-Rice: ntu1@cornell.edu
Website:
http://sri.cals.cornell.edu
Thank you