1. Improving and Scaling
Up SRI in West Africa
Dr. Gaoussou Traoré and Dr. Erika Styger
Centre National de Spécialisation sur le Riz, IER Mali,
and SRI-Rice, Cornell University
A Success Story

2. Outline
• Context
• Presentation of Project
• Institutional set up
• Technical approach
• Country success stories
• Wider impact
• Difficulties
• Way forward

3. 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
Rice production 2006
64% of rice is produced in
West Africa
Nigeria, Guinea, Ivory Coast,
Mali
Ref: Warda (2008) Africa rice trends 2007

4. Rice production, consumption and deficit in West
Africa between 2010 and 2018
Regional Policy:
ECOWAS Rice Offensive (2012) to double rice production in the region by 2018

5. Rice production basins in West Africa
Bulletin club du sahel-AO: Enjeu Ouest Africain N°2 Juin 2011
Rice system Surface area % Contribution to
production %
Yields (t/ha)
Irrigated 12-14 38 5 -6
Lowland rainfed 31 24 1 – 2.5
Upland rainfed 44 21 1

6. Improving and Scaling Up SRI in West Africa
• Regional commissioned project to increase rice productivity in 13
ECOWAS countries
• Project developed through participatory process over 1.5 years
with representatives from research, extension, farmers from 13
countries
– First workshop in Ouagadougou, July 2012
– Launching of project in Saly, Senegal, July 2013
– First technical workshop, Porto Novo, Benin, February 2014

7. Improving and Scaling Up SRI
in West Africa
• Part of the West Africa Agriculture Productivity Program
(WAAPP)
• Funded by the World Bank
• Under the political umbrella of ECOWAS (Economic
Community of West African States)
• Technically steered by Central and West African Council for
Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD)
• Regional coordination for implementation:
– Institute Economie Rural (IER) National Center for Specialization on
Rice (CNS-Rice), Mali;
– SRI-Rice Center from Cornell University is principal technical partner
• Each country has its own implementation plan and funding
for implementation

8. Objectives of the SRI WAAPP Project
General objective:
• Food security improved
Specific objective:
• Rice productivity and competitiveness improved
in targeted areas

9. Objectives and expected results
Results
1. Human and institutional capacities of stakeholders
in the SRI value chain in West Africa strengthened
2. Appropriate innovations (equipment and/or best
practices) for SRI developed, scaled up, and
adopted in West Africa
3. SRI stakeholders’ demand for knowledge and
decision-making options facilitated and met
4. Efficient mechanisms and tools of coordination,
management and M&E of the project established

10. Local
National WAAPPs
Regional Coordinating
Unit (CNS-Riz, Mali)
SRI Farmers and
Other Actors of the
Rice Value Chain
Innovation Platforms
National Focal Points
(13 countries)
Technical Partners and
Beneficiaries
Regional&
International
Champions and
Technicians
Cornell SRI-
Center& others
SRI Project
Implementing
Entities
Level
National WAAPPs
CORAF/WECARD /
Regional WAAPP
Funding and
Institutional
Partners
Facilitation
Facilitation
Institutional Arrangements
NationalLocal
National WAAPPs

11. • National WAAPP coordination
• National Facilitator, housed at the SRI-WAAPP Focal
Institution
• SRI Champions (can be anyone: farmers, technicians etc)
SRI-WAAPP organizational structure
(NY, USA)
CORAF CNS-Riz
Funded by the
World Bank

12. Institutional set up and implementation
(5-10 per country)
• 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

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

14. Climatic and agro-ecological zones of the project
Arid < 75 d
Semi-arid 75-180 d
Semi-humid 180-270 d
Humid > 270 d
Growing period
Climate

15. Major rice cropping systems
Source AfricaRice, 2010

16. System of Rice Intensification
A. Early and healthy
plant establishment
C. Build fertile soils
rich in organic
matter and soil biota
D. Mange water
carefully, avoid
flooding &water
stress
 Soil preparation
 Seed
treatment/pre-
germination
 Raised bed nursery
 Transplanting:
• At 2 leave stage, 8-
12 days old
- or -
 Direct seeding:
• Precision seeding
(at 1 or 2
plants/hill)
Reduce plant density
 1 plant/hill
- and -
 Increase spacing
between plants
(25cm x 25cm or
more), planted in a
grid
 Mechanical
weeding
 Fertilize with
organic matter and
add chemical
fertilizer if needed:
• Manure/compost
• Cover crop / green
manure
• Crop residues
 Incorporate OM
or combine SRI
with
Conservation
Agriculture
 Land preparation:
Leveling, bunding,
application or
organic matter
 Non flooded
conditions during
the vegetative
period
Alternate wetting
and drying (AWD) –
or -
Bunding, additional
irrigation or drainage
Principles
SRI Practices
Indicative
and to adapt
Methodology
Conceptual Framework
B. Minimize
competition
between plants
(Styger and Jenkins, 2014)

17. System of Rice Intensification
A. Early and healthy
plant establishment
C. Build fertile soils
rich in organic matter
and soil biota
D. Mange water
carefully, avoid
flooding &water stress
Principles
SRI Practices
Methodology
Conceptual Framework
B. Minimize
competition between
plants
SRI practices
Climate: Arid - Semi-arid - Semi-humid - Humid
Irrigated system
SRI practices
SRI practices
SRI practices
Upland system
Lowland system
Other systems, e.g. mangrove, deep-water rice etc

18. 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

19. - M&E system tracking
- Field technicians and
farmers contribute to data collection
- Information instantly and publicly available
- Collaborate with CU CALS Institute for Resource Information
Sciences (IRIS) and Esri using ArcGIS online and Survey 123 app
Launched in
June 2015
Data collection
Online data collection and mapping platform

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

21. Communications

22. 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

23. SRI In West Africa since 2001
• 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 research with hybrids: 9 t/ha
• Senegal 2003-2009: Rodale Institute; Dissertation with
WARDA
• 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/ha
• Mali: 2007-2012 : 3 projects, 6 regions, > 1000 farmers
• Since 2010: regional trainings by Mali projects in Nigeria,
Senegal, Ghana, Benin, Togo

24. Summary Results from the Region 2014
• 630 technicians and 8600 farmers trained
• Average yields:
– Irrigated systems: 13 countries (100 %)
• Conv 4.0 t/ha - SRI 6.4 t/ha +60%
– Lowland rainfed: 8 countries
• Conv 2.0 t/ha – 3.3 t/ha (Mali) +65%
– Upland rainfed: 6 countries
• Conv 1.2 t/ha – 2 t/ha (Mali) +67%
– Mangrove system: 1 country
• Number of SRI farmers: estimated ca 15,000 (10,000 in
Mali)
• SRI area (ha): estimated 7000 ha

25. 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

26. 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
Before 2015: 815 farmers trained
June 2015: 1502 farmers trained in 60
villages through the Consortium

27. 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

28. Mechanization

29. Wider and long-term impact
• UEOMA: SRI to be included in the regional Rice
Action Plan
• SRI to be included in the national rice strategy in
Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Ghana and Mali
• Network of Farmers' and Agricultural Producers'
Organizations of West Africa for rice (ROPPA):
committed to actively scale up SRI in West Africa

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

31. Way forward
• Reinforce program activities with a second phase of
the project
• Diversify technical and financial partnerships
• Integrate SRI into national multi-actor innovation rice
platforms
• Participate in International SRI Community activities

32. Thank You!