The document discusses the evaluation and spread of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Asia. It describes how SRI was developed in Madagascar in the 1980s and then spread to many other countries in Asia and other regions through trials conducted by various organizations starting in the late 1990s and 2000s. It provides details on SRI trials, evaluations and adoption in numerous countries in Asia, including China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. On average, SRI is shown to increase rice yields by 78% while reducing inputs such as water, fertilizer and costs of production.

1. Evaluation and Spread of the System of Rice Intensification in ASIA 2nd National SRI Symposium October 3-5, 2007 – Agartala, India Norman Uphoff, CIIFAD Cornell University, USA

2. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, that is the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

3. Knowledge/practice of SRI: As of 1999 Madagascar

4. SRI field in Madagascar, with a traditional variety of rice

5. The Start and Spread of SRI Devised by Fr. Henri de Laulani é, 1983-84 Formation of Association Tefy Saina , 1990 Collaboration of ATS and CIIFAD, 1994-98 1st trials outside of Madagascar, 1999-2000 CHINA: Nanjing Agricultural University INDONESIA: Agency for Agric. Res. & Dev. BANGLADESH: CARE/BD and DAE Then spread: Cambodia, Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Cuba, Peru, Gambia, Sierra Leone …….

6. Knowledge/Use of SRI: As of 2006 BHUTAN, IRAN, IRAQ, Zambia; Senegal, PAKISTAN, Mali, VIETNAM; Benin, Guinea, Mozambique, Peru; CAMBODIA, Cuba, PHILIPPINES, LAOS, THAILAND, MYANMAR, Sierra Leone, Gambia, SRI LANKA, NEPAL, BANGLADESH, INDIA; CHINA, INDONESIA; Madagascar

7. CHINA China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center , Changsha and Sanya Hosted 1st Intl. Conference on SRI, Sanya, April 2002 Now promoting SRI within China and in African countries

8. Prof. Yuan Longping , known as “the father of hybrid rice” – World Food Prize Laureate 2004

9. SRI plot in Guinea with hybrid variety (GY032) – 9.3 tons/ha

10. CHINA China National Rice Research Institute , Hangzhou Co-sponsored 1st Intl. Conference on SRI, Sanya, April 2002 Hosted 1st National SRI Workshop, Hangzhou, March, 2003 In 2007 season, 333,333 hectares of SRI rice in Zhejiang province

11. Farmers and officials in Bu Tou village, Tien Tai township, Zhejiang province, with China SRI coordinator, Prof. Zhu Defeng, CNRRI, and Norman Uphoff

12. 47.9% 34.7% “ Non-Flooding Rice Farming Technology in Irrigated Paddy Field” Dr. Tao Longxing, China National Rice Research Institute, 2004

13. CHINA Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Chengdu Crop Cultivation Research Center Seed Multiplication Farm, Meishan Triangular method of transplanting 16 t/ha yield in 2001 Raised-bed zero-tillage alternative 13.4 t/ha yield in 2004 100,000 ha of SRI rice in 2007

14. Liu Zhibin, CNHRRDC seed multiplication farm, Meishan, Sichuan province – raised beds / zero-tillage – 13.4 t/ha yield

15. CHINA Northeast Agricultural University , Harbin, Heilongjiong 3-S system of rice cultivation, developed by Prof. Jin Xueyong Similar to SRI, with methods adapted for cold climatic conditions Heilongjiong province is in northern China adjoining Manchuria

16. 3-S seedlings are started at the end of winter in plastic greenhouses

17. Normal 3-S Comparison between 3-S and ‘normal’ rice in Heilongjiong

18. INDONESIA Agency for Agricultural Research and Development , Sukamandi National IPM Program , starting at Ciamis Farmer Field School Program of the Field Foundation, took over IPM work Nippon Koei project management team in Eastern Indonesia, from 2002 Yayasan Aliksa Organik SRI

19. SRI field, 20x40 cm spacing, at Sukamandi rice research center – 9.2 t/ha

20. SRI vs. non-SRI plants hanging in Nippon Koei office, Jakarta

21. SRI vs. non-SRI plants in Lombok, under DISIMP

22. Results of On-Farm Comparison Trials in Eastern Indonesia Nine seasons: 2002-2006 N = 12,133 Area = 9,429.1 hectares Ave. increase in yield = 3.3 t/ha (78%) With reductions in inputs: 40% less water 50% less chemical fertilizer 20% lower costs of production

23. “ Productivity is increased [with SRI], and at the same time the environment is saved. . . . I want to urge everybody, starting with the Minister of Agriculture and everyone else -- let us support this SRI method with our maximum capacity.” -- Pres. S. B. Yudyoyono speaking at SRI Harvest Festival, Cianjur, July 30, 2007

24. CAMBODIA Center for Study and Development of Cambodian Agriculture (CEDAC) Support from GTZ, Oxfam America, Oxfam GB and other donor agencies SRI Secretariat set up within Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries National Development Plan, 2006-10 70,000-90,000 farmers using SRI

25. Ms. Im Sarim, Cambodia, with rice plant grown from a single seed, using SRI methods and traditional variety -- yield of 6.72 t/ha

26. Mok Mareth, Minister for Environment, with Koma Yang Saing, CEDAC, at farmer convention promoting SRI in Ro Veang commune

27. LDS Charities Introduced SRI in Cambodia, 2006-07 season 146 households whose previous average yield was 1.06 t/ha averaged 4.02 t/ha when using SRI methods Hang Hein’s sons (left) transplanted his whole SRI field (0.9 ha) in 1 day ; Hein’s neighbors (right) who used traditional methods of transplanting used more labor per hectare and got lower yields with old methods Hang Hein’s previous yield was 1.2 t/ha -- with SRI methods it was 5.0 t/ha

28. PHILIPPINES NGO initiatives: CDSMC, BIND Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), affiliate of IIRR Establishment of SRI-Pilipinas Universities : UPLB, LSU, etc. Government agencies : NIA, ATI, PhilRice, Dept. of Agriculture NGOs: e.g., Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMo)

29. RESULTING CROP -- 8.9 T/HA The rice plants are healthy with strong stalks because of the organic fertilizer, soil aeration through intermittent water application, and the 40 cm x 40 cm spacing. With strong stalks, lodging never occurred. From PP by Engr. Bong Salazar, now Deputy Administrator, National Irrigation Administration (NIA)

30. BANGLADESH SRI National Network of BD BRRI : BD Rice Research Institute BRAC: BD Rural Advancemt Comm DAE: Dept. of Agric. Extension SAFE: Sust. Agric. & Farming Enterprise Development Group Syngenta Bangladesh Co. Ltd. BRF: BD Rice Foundation -- etc. Evaluation funded by IRRI/BD, 2002-04

31. Final Evaluation Report on Verification and Refinement of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Project in Selected Areas of Bangladesh (SP 36 02) AM Muazzam Husain, Gopal Chowhan, Proloy Barua, AFM Razib Uddin, ABM Ziaur Rahman Submitted to Poverty Elimination Through Rice Research Assistance (PETRRA) IRRI, Dhaka, Bangladesh June 2004

32. Comparative yield (t/ha)

33. SRI LANKA Initial collaboration among: Senior civil servant: G. Batuwitage, Senior Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Senior politician : S. Dissanayake, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Farmer/environmental activist : W. M. Premaratna, Ecological Farming Center Some support from government agencies and NGOs, e.g., Oxfam/CAA

34. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Salinda Dissanayake

35. Cover photo of W. M. Premaratna, for ecol. magazine

36. Rice fields in Sri Lanka: same variety, same irrigation system, same soil, same drought : conventional rice (left), SRI (right)

37. NEPAL Initial experiments not very impressive NEDECO comparison trials by FFSs in Sunsari-Morang Irrig. System, 2002-2003 SRI average 8.28 t/ha Improved practice 6.01 t/ha Farmer practice 4.29 t/ha Morang district evaluations, 2004-2006 From 100 m 2 to >2,000 farmers in 3 years 6.3 t/ha SRI vs. 3.1 t/ha with farmer practice

38. Single SRI plant, Morang District, Nepal - 2005

39. Rajendra Uprety, District Agricultural Development Office, Morang District receiving $20,000 award in Nepal Development Marketplace competition

40. MYANMAR Metta Development Foundation introduced SRI through FFS methods: 29 FFS in 2001 55 FFS in 2002 174 FFS in 2003 5,202 farmers trained in SRI 2001-2003 By 2004, >20,000 farmers using SRI Usual yield 2 t/ha; FFS yields averaged 6.5 t/ha -- farmers averaged 4.4 t/ha

41. Metta facilitates Farmer Field School (FFS) in the northern parts of Myanmar – in Kachin State and Shan State Farmer Field School From PP presentation by Dr. Humayun Kabir, Metta Development Foundation to Department of Agriculture in Yangoon, June, 2002

42. RICE YIELDS Average yield is 2-3 times higher than farmer’s usual yields, with 7.9 t/ha highest yield so far Farmers are very interested in SRI From PP presentation by Dr. Humayun Kabir, Metta Development Foundation, to Department of Agriculture in Yangoon, June, 2002

43. LAOS Community Aid Abroad (CAA), Oxfam affiliate in Australia Started SRI trials in 2001, has continued with them since, now getting some assistance from Ausaid IRRI office in Laos sponsored trials in 2003 – inconclusive results, since protocols not followed consistently

44. .…Since the success of the original two-year trials, the SRI method has been extended to more farmers in more regions throughout Laos. The national average rice yield in Laos is 3.27 tons per hectare. Using SRI, farmers have an average yield of 5.05 tons per hectare. This increase means there are fewer ‘rice shortage months’ every year... RICE REVOLUTION IN LAOS From Oxfam International webpage: http://www.oxfam. org/en/programs/development/ easia/laos_rice.htm

45. THAILAND First trials by Multiple Cropping Center of Chiangmai University and McKean Rehabilitation Center – not very impressive, but work continued Thai National SRI Network has functioned informally since 2003 Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) has done SRI demonstrations in NE (Roi-et province) w/ CGIAR funding

47. VIETNAM National IPM Program took lead in evaluating SRI from 2003 Faculty at Thai Nguyen University and Hanoi Agricultural University have done trials and demonstrations to spread SRI in many provinces Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences now support

48. FFS farmer in D ông Trù village, Hanoi province, 2005

49. Reduction in Diseases and Pests Average of provincial trial data from the Vietnam National IPM Program, 2005-2006 * Insects/m 2 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%

50. PAKISTAN International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in 2004 got 50% yield increase in NWFP Water Management Wing of the Punjab Provincial Dept. of Agriculture now taking lead to spread SRI Faculty at University of Agriculture at Faisalabad collaborating on SRI

51. Hafeez Mujib, DOA field manager, on right, with farmer in basmati field

52. VENTIONAL

53. IRAQ Al-Mishkhab Rice Research Station near Najaf started SRI trials in 2005 under Dr. Khidir Hameed Using ‘parachute’ and other methods Water saving (1/3) more important than yield increase (18% average); also appreciate seed reduction of 81% National Committee for SRI formed

54. Dr. Khidir Hameed with Iraqi farmers trying out SRI

55. Comparison of SRI vs. ‘normal’ root growth at MRRS, Najaf

56. IRAN Haraz Technological Development and Extension Center at Amol near Caspian Sea started SRI trials in 2005 Head of Agronomy Group, Bahman Larijani, confirmed a 55% increase in yield -- with a reduction in inputs Now starting to disseminate SRI methods within other districts of Iran

57. Bahman Larijani Counting SRI tillers Comparison of roots

58. BHUTAN Royal University of Bhutan faculty member, Karma Lhendup, first at Sherubtse College and now at College of Natural Resources, started testing SRI methods in 2006 With successful demonstrations, FAO and Government are now interested in assisting with SRI

59. Site III Plantation Variety: Verna Site II Plantation Variety: Paropa Trials conducted at elevations of 1600 to 2000 meters a.s.l. Site I (20x20cm 2 ) Variety: Khangma maap Control plot

61. AFGHANISTAN Initial effort to introduce SRI in Ajrestan in 2003 – no outcome? Initiative of Aga Khan Foundation in 2007 to introduce SRI in Baghlan Province – Kishan Rao (WASSAN) gave farmers training in May 2007 -- showing good progress

63. Two days after transplanting – field not very well leveled

64. 30 days after transplanting – average of 11 tillers per plant

65. 96 days after transplanting – some plants had 120 tillers

66. JAPAN Formation of Japan Association of System of Rice Intensification (J-SRI) in April 2007, based at University of Tokyo – research in Indonesia Special initiative of Shuichi Sato, Nippon Koei team leader of DISIMP in E. Indonesia – good example of international solidarity for SRI spread

67. J-SRI team visit to Sadang Irrigation System in South Sulawesi, May 2006: 1st prize in Consultants Photo Contest organized by the Tokyo Office of World Bank, and Engineering and Consulting Firms Association of Japan; Prof. E. Yamaji, University of Tokyo, chairman of J-SRI, standing on right