PRESS RELEASE BY LOK SANJH FOUNDATION, MAY 2009

Lok Sanjh Foundation Conducted a System of Rice Intensification Training in Pakistan

Asim Yasin of LSF introduced SRI as "a holistic agro-ecological crop management technique which substitutes the conventional high-input oriented agriculture, through effective management of soil, water and nutrients. With the core principle of sustainable agriculture that seeks to make the best use of nature's goods and services as functional inputs, SRI works by integrating processes to give more production."

During the first session, features of SRI were shared with the farmer participants. Different techniques were discussed: low seed requirement; nursery raising and handling; transplanting single young seedling; wider square planting at the distance of 10 inches; maintaining the row to row and plant to plant distance by 10 inches; organic manures in place of chemical fertilizers and; water management. Importance was given to water management as it is the most important resource in rice farming that constitutes the major portion of production costs in Pakistan. Farmers usually use tube well water that contains alkaline to irrigate the lands, ruining the soils badly by changing their texture and structure. Fortunately with SRI, the requirement for water is less. Therefore, farmers can reduce the production costs and ultimately save their lands from the adverse effects of high water PH. With SRI, the following can be achieved: extensive and healthy root growth; more number of tillers per plant; increase number of effective tillers; increase panicle length and number of grains per panicle; and increase in grain weight.

In the second session, strong linkages between SRI and BEA were discussed. By wide spacing of plants, incidence of pests and diseases remain very low in SRI and this also helps plants to get extra nutrients from composting and green manure. Maintaining uniform plant to plant distance helps root growth, weeding and increase microbial activity which contributes to plant growth by fixing the nitrogen and other nutrients to the plants. In case of incidence of disease, biological control methods and natural control measures can be applied to keep crops under check. Strong root development and wide spacing prevent the crop from lodging which is one of major problems during crop maturity in Pakistan.

During the third session, LSF's experiences on SRI were highlighted by Irfan Ali who previously attended the SRI Training in Cambodia. He has been actively involved in LSF's comparative study of SRI and conventional techniques of rice production. For the SRI plot, plant nursery was transferred after 15 days for Basmati because of long duration varieties. Row to row and plant to plant distance was maintained at 10 inches. The average number of tillers per plant remained at 58 with SRI but with conventional techniques, it was down to 43. The yield of an SRI plot was 48 monds (40 kgs) per acre while the yield of a conventional plot was 43 monds. Both plots were organic and equal dosage of compost was given but the conventional plot was given more irrigation than SRI. In the end, with less production costs, the SRI plot gave more yield than the conventional plot.

In the last and final session, a well-structured questionnaire was developed with the active participation of the farmer participants who committed to document the whole process and to calculate the production cost as well as the yields to assess the efficiency of SRI techniques in comparison with conventional techniques.

The training workshop was a success and follow-up sessions with the farmer participants have been planned. The SRI training is part of LSF's year-long activities for the Year of Rice Action (YORA) which also focuses on BEA of rice.

YORA is being celebrated by the Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific and its partner organizations in 14 countries to promote rice culture in Asia.

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Reference: Mr. Muhammad Asim Yasin, Managing Director

Lok Sanjh Foundation (LSF)

Address: 494 St 47 G-10/4 Islamabad, Pakistan

Telephone: 9251-210-1043; Fax: 9251-221-0395

E-mail: lok_sanjh@yahoo.com