The document summarizes the experience with System of Root Intensification (SRI) in the Sundarbans region over four years. SRI was initially tested on a small plot with good results. Over the years, more farmers adopted SRI and local rice varieties, though some crops were still lost in the summer due to high salinity. A "five square model" is proposed to address water scarcity and salinity issues through water harvesting structures. Research is ongoing to improve nutrient, weed, and water management for crops in the region.

1. Experience on System of Root
Intensification in the Sundarbans
PRASARI

2. RIVER-BANK
FAILURE+SEA
WATER
SUNDARBANS
WATERLOG
CROP LOSS
RAINFALL+
SALINITY
GING
DRY SOIL+SALINE
SURFACE

3. Factors contributing …
HIGH
WATER SCARCITY
SINGLE RAINFALL +HIGH SALINITY IN
CROP-RICE+ IN JULY SUMMER (50% MORE)
1 acre av. land (753mm)
SUBMERGENCE
LOSS OF ONLY NOMINAL
1.91t/ha
GROP (as high SECOND CROP
70%)
FOOD INSECURITY+60% DISTRESSED MIGRATION

4. PROBLEM STATEMENT…
• WATER LOGGING AND NO DRAINAGE
• MONO-CROPPED (LOW YIELD-RICE)
• HIGHER SALINITY AND LESS SWEET WATER IN
SUMMER
• SMALL LANDHOLDING
• LACK OF FODDER & ORGANIC MANURE
(LIVESTOCK DECREASING)
• LACK OF FAITH ON NRM-AGRIL.
• MIGRATION

5. PRESENTATION SUMMARY….
• SRI EVOLUTIONS
0th Year
Year-1
Year-2
Year-3
• LEARNINGS
• WAY-FORWARD…….

6. SRI EVOLUTION (0TH YR)…
• PARESH DAS
• LAND-LESS
• LEASED-IN 10 dcml.
LAND
• SUMMER-07-08
• USED MOC+FYM
CAKE
• 240 KGS. OF RICE
OVER TRADITIONAL
115 KGS.

7. QUESTIONED ANSWERED(UN)(0TH
? YR)…..
SRI CAN BE DONE IN THE SUNDARBANS!
CAN IT BE CALLED AS SRI?
HIGHER WATER DEPTH AND STAGNATION VS. ALTERNATE DRY/WET
YOUNG AND SINGLE SEEDLING CAN SURVIVE WATER PRESSURE?
WHAT WOULD BE THE NUTRIENT DOSES?
THE TRADITIONAL VARIETIES WOULD ALSO RESPOND
UNDER SRI?
IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE SOIL UNDER WATER-WHERE TO USE
WEEDER?
WOULD PEOPLE REALY BE READY TO PUT THEIR LAND AT
STAKE?

8. SRI EVOLUTION (YEAR-1)…..
• RECEIVED SUPPORT
FROM SDTT
• KHARIF-152 FARMERS IN
49 ACRE (+80 FARMERS
IN SUMMER)
• GREEN MANURE+DE-OIL
CAKE BASED POP
• 11 FARMERS TRIED LOCAL
VARIETIES
• 15 FARMERS LOST CROP
IN SUMMER

9. QUESTIONED ANSWERED(UN)(1ST
? YR)…..
SRI IS ONLY FEASIBLE FOR THE UPLANDS?
WHAT TO DO WHERE WATER STAGNATION IS VERY HIGH?
WEEDER OPERATION CONTRIBUTES POSITIVELY TO THE YIELD EVEN IF
YOU CAN’T SEE THE SOIL!
ARE THE FARMERS TAKING UP SRI AS THEY ARE PROVIDED WITH THE
INPUTS COST? SOURCE OF ORGANICS?
LOCAL VARIETIES ARE DOING BETTER THAN THAT OF TRADITIONAL
PRACTICES-AROMATIC/MORISHSHAL VARIETY WOULD ASSURE MORE
RETURN UNDER SRI?
DE-OIL CAKES REMAINED ‘CAKES’ EVEN AFTER THE SUMMER
HARVEST!
ALTERNATE DRYING IN SUMMER RISES SALINITY AND CROP LOSSES IN
SUMMER!

10. SRI EVOLUTION (YEAR-2)….
• SRI WITH 1010 FARMERS ON
OVER 470 ACRES (EVEN-AYLA)
• REGISTRATION FEES VS. 8%
DROP OUT
• ALLOWED ORG+CHEMICAL IN
SUMMER
• USE OF EM-TECHNOLOGY
• LOW LAND SRI ENHANCED
50% YIELD:EARLY
TRANSPLANTATION
• 30 TO 40% CROP LOSS IN
SUMMER
• 118 FARMERS PRACTICED
LOCAL VARIETIES (28% in low
land,22% aromatic)

11. QUESTIONS ANSWERED(UN)(2ND
? YR)…..
WOULD THE DROP OUT RATE INCREASES IF THE INPUTS SUPPORT IS
MINIMUM?
WOULD THE FARMERS GO BACK TO PREVIOUS CHEMICAL N-P-K ONLY
AS THERE IS NO FYM/ORG. SUPPORT?
HOW TO PLAN FOR HIGH WATER ZONES IN ADVANCE?
HOW LONG TO EXPERIMENT WITH THE SUMMER RICE LOSSES?
IS THERE ANY ALTERNATIVE CROP FOR THE SALINE DELTA IN
SUMMER?
IS THIS ENOUGH TO ‘SEE’ THE FAMILIES ONLY IN THE KHARIF AND
FORGETING FOR 6 MONTHS?
HOW TO RESTRICT MIGRATION AND GETTING PEOPLE’S
NRM FAITH BACK WHEN HIGH SALINITY & NO SWEET
WATER?

12. SRI EVOLUTION (YEAR-3)…..
• MAPPING THE WATER LEVELS FOR
ALL VILLAGES
• SRI WITH 1430 FARMERS
• 221 FARMERS WITH LOCAL VARIETY
(54% IN THE LOW LAND, 17%
AROMATIC)
• SRI IN MUSTARD WITH THREE
VARIETIES (B9,RP-09,RAIJATA) AS
SUMMER ALTERNATIVE
• NOMINAL DROP OUT DUE TO
MIGRATION THOUGH MAJOR INPUTS
CONTRIBUTION FROM FARMERS
• SRI POCKETS HAVE BEEN DEVELOVED
• THREE LOCAL SHOPS WITH CLEANED
GODOWN OF DE-OIL CAKES AT THE
END OF KHARIF…

13. QUESTIONS ANSWERED(UN)(3RD
? YR)…..
 WOULD VILLAGERS TAKE UP THE MUSTARD CROP TO
REPLACE SUMMER RICE?
CAN SRI BE ALIGNED AS THE YEAR THE ROUND ACTIVITY?
LET’S EXPLORE HOW THE OVERALL SUPPORT COST
VARRIES OVER TIME!
WHAT IS THE “SRI INTERNALIZATION”
LEVEL OF THE COMMUNITY?

14. SRI EVOLUTION-4….
•RICE WITH (929+1211)
•FAMILIES
•LIVELIHOODS PLAN
WITH 50 SHGS-600 FAM
•RICE-FISH-MUSTARD
AS YEAR THE ROUND
ACTIVITY
•MUSTARD WITH-230
FAMILES,RAIJATA
VARIETY

15. GLANCING THROUGH THE EXTERNAL
INVESTMENTS…..

16. SRI INTERNALIZATION-A CASE STUDY
• Transplanting:5/7/11
• Un-interrupted rain: 03/08/11 to 20/8/11
• Complete submergence:9/8/11
• Drained out:27/8/11
• Lost: 90% of hills
• Fertilization to survived hills: 29/08/11
• Re-transplanting the panicles: 04/09/11
• Weeding: 11/09 and 18/09/11
• Date of harvest: 13/12/12
• Average Ht.: 122.2 cm
• Panicle length: 27.5 cm
• Effective tillers: 16
• Grain/panicle(av.):271
• Chaffy/panicle:23
• 1000 grain wt.:25 gm
• 25 sq. mtr grain:13.5 kg.
OVER 700 FARMERS FOLLOWED THIS METHOD
AND HARVESTED GOOD RETURN IN THE DELTA
in-spite of submergence loss

17. UNADDRESSED ISSUE OF SALINITY,SWEET
WATER AND MIGRATION…..
PROBLEMS
• SUMMER SALINITY
• NO DRAINAGE
• NON AVAILABLE SWEET
WATER IN SUMMER
• LESS RETURN FROM NRM
LEADING TO MIGRATION
SOLUTION
• FAO OF UN RECOMENDS
SUNDARBANS WATER HARVESTING
STRUCTURES (EX-SITU)
AS A SOLUTION

18. PRASARI HAS BEEN NEGOTIATING
WITH 3 GPs on FIVE SQUARE MODEL…
18

19. Investment and expected return from the 'five square model’
Rate
Cft. (Rs.)/cft Amount(rs.)
Length (ft.) 55
width (ft) 55
Layer-1 depth (ft) 3 9075 1.56 14144.51
Layer-2 depth (ft) 3 6627 1.67 11080.20
Layer-3 depth (ft) 3 5043 1.76 8860.52
Leaching trench 300 1.56 467.59
available water 23770
total (Rs.) 34552.81
Rounded off (Rs.) 35000
Loss 30% 7131
Net available-
WATER 16639
RETURN
WATER AVAILABLE
1RAIN-SEASON AREA(SQ.FT) REQD. RETURN(RS.) WATER
A RICE -SRI(SQ.FT) 5724 0 2759.504 16639
B BUND-VEG (OKHRA) 1452 0 9600 16639
HIGH-LAND VEG
C (OKHRA) 2800 0 19200 16639
2FISH (MIX CULTURE) 3025 5043 5000 11596
3POST-KHARIF 11596
A MUSTARD-SRI 5724 5724 6181.92 5872
BUND-VEG (bitter
B gourd) 1452 1452 5120 4420
HIGH-LAND VEG (cue-
C cumber) 2800 2800 4977.778 1620
4SUMMER 1620
BUND-VEG (RIDGE
A GOURD) 1452 1452 3840 168
TOTAL RETURN 19
(Rs.) 56679.2

20. WE ARE OPTIMISTIC, THIS MODEL
WOULD ADDRESS THE STATED ISSUES…..

21. KHARIF WATER STAGNATION & RESOURCE
MAP PREPARED BY VILLAGERS…
BACK

22. RESEARCH WITH BCKV
ON STATION &ON FARM
1.NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT
2. WEED MANAGEMENT
3. WATER MANAGEMENT
ON FARM PARTNERS WITH BCKV
PRASARI
AMBUJA CEMENT FOUNDATION

23. !!!