Author: Amod Thakur
Title: Phenotypic Changes for Improving Crop Physiology under SRI
Presented at: The 5th International Rice Congress (SRI research side event)
Venue: Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore
Date: October 16, 2018
7. Uphoff et al. (2015) The Crop Journal
3: 174-189
Physiological Changes
with SRI
8. Physiological Changes with SRI
Higher root activity (Xylem exudation)
Greater light interception by canopy
Increased LER (SRI leaves elongated 6 cm/day,
while leaves under conventional method elongated
at a rate of 4.4 cm/day- 36% greater.
Higher CGR
More SLW (mg/cm2): 5.50 vs. 4.89 - 13% greater
Higher levels of leaf chlorophyll
Increasing fluorescence efficiency
Photosynthetic rate of both flag and lower leaves
Delayed senescence
Thakur et al. (2010) Experimental Agriculture (Cambridge Univ Press) 46:77-98
Thakur et al. (2011) Paddy Water Environ (Springer) 9:13-24
9. LightInterception
SRI plants: intercept more light
without shading
CMP plants: in closed canopy,
lower leaves experiences more
shading
0
20
40
60
80
100
12 25 30 40 50 60 70
LightInterception
(%)
Days after seed germination
At PI stage: light
interception in CMP
canopies was only 78%,
while in SRI canopies it
reached 89% -- giving SRI
plants a 15% advantage
Thakur et al. (2010) Experimental Agriculture (Cambridge Univ Press) 46:77-98
Thakur et al. (2011) Paddy Water Environ (Springer) 9:13-24
10. Performance with SRI
โข Larger panicles (more spikelets per panicle)
โข Better grain setting (higher % of filled grains)
โข Heavier individual grains (higher 1000- grain weight), and
consequently
โข Higher grain yield (30-49%)
Thakur et al. (2010) Experimental Agriculture (Cambridge Univ Press) 46:77-98
Thakur et al. (2011) Paddy Water Environ (Springer) 9:13-24
0
20
40
60
80
100
Below15
15.1-16
16.1-17
17.1-18
18.1-19
19.1-20
20.1-21
21.1-22
22.1-23
23.1-24
24.1-25
25.1-26
Panicle length (cm)
Numberofpanicles(m-2
)
CMP
SRI
11. Cytokinins
Delayed senescence
Higher photosynthates
towards roots
Increased leaf N and
chlorophyll contents,
more RuBisCO
Increased leaf number &
leaf size
Greater light interception
Higher microbial activity
Enhanced panicle length,
more grain number & better grain filling
Greater root growth and activity
Increased effective tillers
Open hill structure,
more erect leaves
Higher LAI
Enhanced photosynthesis rate
Higher nutrient uptake
Higher
grain yield
SRI practices
[single, young seedling, wide spacing, inter-cultivation, organic
fertilization, AWD water management]
Thakur et al. (2016)-Adv
Agron. 135: 147-178
12. SRI practices need optimization under each and
every situation- according to local / field
conditions before adoption.
Needs to understood PRINCIPLES (not
PRACTICES)
WHY ? And WHAT ??
13. Practices Found best Reference
Optimized spacing under SRI 20 x 20 cm Thakur et al. (2010) J. Agron. Crop Sci. 196: 146-
159
Optimized water management 3-DAD Thakur et al. (2014) Paddy Water Environ 12:
424
Thakur et al. (2018) Agric. Water Manage. 206:
67-77
Optimized N-management 90 kg ha-1 Thakur et al. (2013) Plant and Soil 370:59-71
Farming System: Integrated SRI Rice + Horticulture +
Aquaculture
Thakur et al. (2015) Agric. Water Manage. 161:
65-76
14. SRI still has a long way to goโฆ
Much more remains to be studied, understood,
adapted and innovated
SRI