ISEWP will facilitate (technically) agencies in the implementation process of sustainable rice based agro-ecosystems. All relevant agencies will implement sustainable rice field agro-ecosystems through Policy formulation, participatory technology demonstration, fund diversion, knowledge management. . All agricultural users will adopt rice agro-ecosystem practices' through Participatory technology demonstration, extension and training.

1. Technical Package
Discussion on ‘Less
productive paddy
farming in the dry
zone’
P.B. Dharmasena
Rice Field Agro-eco
System
Improving System Efficiency and Water Productivity: A
Component of the Mahaweli Water Security Investment
Programme (MWSIP)

2. All agricultural users will
adopt rice agro-ecosystem
practices
All relevant agencies will
implement sustainable rice
field agro-ecosystems
ISEWP will facilitate (technically)
agencies in the implementation
process of sustainable rice based agro-
ecosystems

3. • Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment
(MoMDE)
• Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka
• Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management,
Department of Irrigation
• Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture(DOA),
Department of Agrarian development (DAD)
• Provincial Councils, Provincial Department of Agriculture
(PDOA), Provincial Department of Irrigation (PDI)
• Farmer organizations, including Women's
groups/organizations
• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), village level
Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
• Private sector Agencies
Project Stakeholders

4. Farmer
Organizatio
n
ISEWP
Project
Irrigation
Management
Division
Department of
Agriculture
Agraria
n
Services
NIFS
Plant Seeds
(DIMO)
Ellawala
Co.
Farmers
NAQD
A

5. Factors Affecting the Sustainability
of Paddy Farming
• Spread of modernization
– First in 19th century land clearing for tea plantation
– Second in 1940s the shift in land use practices from tea to
upland mixed crop gardening
– Construction of roads
– Paddy land converted to house premises (changing the
landscape, disrupting water springs)
– Conversion of paddy lands to vegetable cultivation
– Wild boar damage is increasing
– Inputs threatening the fertility of soil

6. Factors Affecting the Sustainability
of Paddy Farming
• Rapid growth of local population,
– Under the village expansion scheme the population
movement has been upwards towards the elevated
land.
– Population has also been migrating to urban
centers for off-farm employment and reduction of
labour force

7. Factors Affecting the Sustainability
of Paddy Farming
• Poor performance in economic terms (low
productivity of land and labour).
– Lack of incentives in paddy production has already
started in withdrawing lands from paddy
cultivation.
– Some lands are left fallow over long periods until
the area is taken up for housing or vegetable
farming.
– Difficulty of maintaining the soil fertility

8. Sustainable Land Management
• SLM is defined as the use of land resources,
including soils, water, animals and plants, for
the production of goods to meet changing
human needs, while simultaneously ensuring
the long-term productive potential of these
resources and the maintenance of their
environmental functions
• World Overview of Conservation
Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT)

9. Agro-ecosystem
• An agro-
ecosystem is an
ecosystem under
agricultural
management,
connected to
other
ecosystems.

10. Types of Rice Field Agro-Ecosystem
1. Irrigated environments, which have sufficient water
available during the entire growing season, with controlled
shallow water depth between 5 to 10 cm.
2. Rain-fed lowland environments, which are mainly
dependant on the duration of rainfall and hence with an
uncontrolled shallow water depth, ranging from 1- 50 cm.
3. Deep water environments, which are unbunded fields with
maximum sustainable water depths from 0.5 m to 3 m.
4. Rain-fed upland environments, which are bunded or
unbunded fields with no surface or rhizosphere water
accumulation.
5. Tidal wetlands, which are located near the sea coasts and
inland estuaries, and are influenced by tides.
Categories 1,2 and 4 are found in Central Highlands .

11. Ecosystem Goods and Services

12. Regulating Services
Controlling soil
erosion through
bunding and
terracing
Reducing the impact
of drought through
water retention and
groundwater
replenishment
Regulating the
runoff through
the drainage
system
Reducing the effect
of dry wind
through live fence
and green hedges
Regulating flood
through rainwater
absorption and
excess water
drainage

13. Provisioning Services
Providing green
manure from live
fence and green
hedges
Providing nutritional
and healthy food by
growing medicinal rice
Providing habitats
for predators

14. Supporting Services
Support to human
health (nutrients,
medicine, moist and
shady and pollution
free environment)
Support
enrichment of soil
micro-organisms
Support to assure a steady
income from increased
cropping intensity and crop
diversification

15. Cultural Services
Aesthetic beauty of
the surrounding
Social cohesion and
happiness by working
together
Less disturbance
to neighbours
Gathering for
traditional rituals

16. Recommended SLM Practices
• Improvement of irrigation and drainage systems to
avoid land collapse, water stagnation and soil erosion;
• Live fence establishment along the boundary fence with
gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium), Wal sooriyakantha
(Tithonia diversifolia), gansooriya (Thespesia
populnea), adhatoda or pawatta (Adhatoda vasica) and
citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) aiming to enhance soil
fertility, control pest and protect from wild animals.
• Short green hedges on master bunds to produce more
green manure. Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) is
recommended as it can repel pest;
• Testing soil fertility and mapping for straight fertilizer
recommendation;

17. Recommended SLM Practices
• Crop diversification to
increase cropping intensity in
paddy lands with low water
consuming crops suitable to
soil types;
• Integrated water management
approach with maximum use
of seasonal rains and through
rainwater harvesting ponds.
• Crop protection through
natural pest control and bio-
pesticides
• Soil fertility enhancement by
application of bio-fertilizer
• Introduction of medicinal rice
varieties for family
consumption

18. Dr. Theja Herath,
Industrial Technology Institute,
January, 2011
25 traditional rice
varieties and 13 new
improved rice
varieties were sown
in 3X6 m plots in
RCBD with 2
replicates at
RRRDC,
Bombuwela and
RRDI, Batalagoda
during 2006 yala
season and 2006/07
maha season.

19. Plan of SLM Demonstrations
Three levels of demonstrations:
• SLM techniques - Demonstration of selected SLM techniques
in sites belong to the Government (Research Centres, District
Training Centres, Seed Production Farms, Adaptive Research
Centres, Training Schools). These demonstrations are
implemented by NRMC, HORDI, RRDI of DOA/ TRI etc.
• Farming system with SLM - Demonstration of SLM
technology in different 5 farming systems listed above. These
demonstrations are implemented jointly by NRMC/ TRI and
PDOA/ TSHDA.
• Mixed land uses with SLM - Demonstration of SLM (both
on-farm and off-farm) in contiguous blocks (sub-watersheds/
mini watersheds), where various farming systems an land uses
are found. These demonstrations are implemented
collaboratively by NRMC/ TRI, PDOA/TSHDA and other
agencies such as FD, Hadabima etc.

20. Establishment of agro-ecosystem
demonstration fields
• Water management layout (both
irrigation and drainage);
• Improvement of the water
source;
• Ecological restoration of the
reservations;
• Establishment of the live fence;
• Establishment of green hedges
• Establishment of composting
and bio-pesticide unit
• Promotion of medicinal rice
farming with chemical free
practices