This document describes experiences with the System of Root Intensification (SRI) method of crop cultivation in Gaya and Nalanda districts of Bihar, India. It finds that SRI methods lead to higher productivity and yields compared to traditional methods for a variety of crops including rice, wheat, rapeseed, sugarcane, and vegetables. Key aspects of SRI that contribute to higher yields include reduced seed rates, wider spacing of plants, increased root growth and tiller formation, and improved soil and plant management. SRI methods are also found to reduce costs of cultivation and increase incomes of small and marginal farmers. Various stakeholders are involved in promoting SRI in the region.

1. Experiences of SRI method of
Crop cultivation
PRADAN,Gaya

2. PRADAN,Gaya

3. Gaya

4. Nalanda

5. Context
• Poor rainfall
• Low productivity of food grains
• High Migration
• High percentage of poor people(Dalit and
Backward community)
• Dry area(facing draught at regular interval)
• High caste Conflicts/tensions

6. Context
• Annual Rainfall more than 900mm but erraticity
• High percentage of Mahadalit particularly
Bhuiyan
• Average holding of poor community 0.5 acres
• Since 1956, 151000 acres land distributed
among small and marginal communities.
• It did not change socioeconomic condition of
people,no investment on these lands from
mainstreams.

7. Gaya at Glance
• 1. Geographical Area-4.71lac hectare
• a. No of blocks-24
• b. No of villages-2925
• 2. Annual Rainfall-944mm
• 3. Net sown area -2.86 lac hec
• 4. Fallow land-27654hec
• 5. Forest land -77836 hec

8. Soils
S.No Type of soil Characteristics
Admixture of sand & clay, predominantly sandy, found alongside the
1 Sandy Loam
river beds
2 Loamy Soil Found near the hills and formed by rain washings from higher areas.
3 Sandy Soil Locally known as balui found near the bank of the river
4 Kewal Soil (Black) It is a mixture of clay and loam and is very productive, neutral in nature.
5 Foothill Balthar Soil (Red) It is in between the plain and dissected plateau. It is acidic in nature.

9. soils
• As we go from north to south the
soil becomes
coarsers/Sandy/light.Mostly alluvial
but grains of alluvium get coarser
as we move towards south.

10. Gaya
• The northern blocks of Gaya are more plain and
productive .Less infiltration of extremist.
• The southern portion of the district is extension
of Jharkhand and land is undulating(Nearly 40-
45% area undulating).
• 11 of the 24 blocks are infiltrated with extremists.

11. Nalanda
• Western portion adjoining Gaya is similar to
Gaya
• The Eastern portion faces flood like situation
• The rest portion are comparatively better
off/developed agriculture with heavy clay soils
• Community is politically active with priorities
often misplaced,

12. Problems of people
• Food security for 3-5 months only among small
and marginal community due to very low
productivity of major crops
• Absence of extension services in villages
• Forced migration

13. Interventions
• Mainly in SRI method of crop cultivation
Paddy and Wheat(Food-grain crops) to secure
food-grains
Rapeseed(Oilseed crops) and vegetables for
cash and household consumption
Sugar crops for cash and Sugarcane growers
• Strengthening the existing ahar/outlets/drainage
channels to combat erraticity of rainfall in order
to strengthen SRI movement

14. Strategies of scaling up SRI
Technical Resource Team
SEW SEW SEW
VO backed by VO backed by
FC/VO backed by
Gp of VRPs Gp of VRPs
Gp of VRPs
SHG families/
Marginal SHG families/
SHG families/
farmers Marginal
Marginal
farmers
farmers

15. System of Root Intensification method of Wheat
cultivation

16. Important steps
• Hot-water treatment of wheat seeds
• Treatment of seeds with Cow
urine,Jaggery,Vermicompost
• Germinated seed sowing
• Wider spacing of 20cmx20cm
• 2 seeds/hill
• Weeding at 20,30 and 40 Days After Sowing

17. Items of seed treatment

18. Initial Operations

19. Initial tillerings in SRI
Karimpur,Nalanda Ghantadih,Gaya

20. SRI-Wheat and Normal wheat

21. Intensification of Root in Wheat

22. Matured wheat crop
64 panicles from 2 seeds of
wheat A farmer harvesting her plot

23. Reproductive growth Phases

24. Final stage of SRI-Wheat crop

25. Learnings from SRI-Wheat
• The average length of panicle under SRI is 15
cms as compared to 11 cms in normal wheat.
• The average number of grains per panicle varies
between 60-110 as compared to 18-48 under
normal wheat.
• The average number of effective tillers per hill
varies between 15-25 as compared to 2-4.
• Timely sowing and 4-5 irrigations are essential
for high productivity.

26. Learnings--------
• The seed rate under SRI-Wheat is 25 kg per
hec as compared to 200kg/hec(traditional) and
100 kg/hec (recommended by universities)
under standard POP of wheat.
• The yield is 25-50% more even under stress
condition.
• The sowing of wheat under SRI-wheat manually
requires more labours per kathha as compared
to 1 under normal condition.

27. Cost of cultivation per quintal
Particulars Quantity Rat Expenses(Rs)
e
Traditional SRI Rate Traditional SRI-
seed 54-81Kg(68Kg) 10 Rs 20/Kg 1360 200
Priming&treat 0 150
DAP 27Kg 27Kg Rs 15/Kg 405 405
Potash 27Kg 27Kg Rs 7/Kg 189 189
Urea 55Kg 55Kg Rs 7/Kg 385 385
Vermicompost 400kg Rs 5/kg 0 2000
Irrigation 5 5 Rs 200/irrign 1000 1000
weeding 0 mandays 8 mandays with 1 Rs 100/mandays 0 1900
weeder
Cash expenditure per acre 3339 6229
Production(Quintal) 8 18

28. SRI Vidhi -dry-Weeder
(Useful for SRI method of crop cultivation in rabi and summer seasons)

29. Other crops

30. SRI in Rapeseed
The commissioner Magadh divison,Gaya and other
officials assesing SRI method of rapeseed
SRI-Rapeseed cultivation

31. One plant of Rapeseed under SRI

32. Learnings
• 50 gms to 250 gms of seeds is sufficient for 1
hectare of rapeseed-mustard cultivation.
• The spacing between plants is directly
proportional to duration of crop varieties.
• One kg of Rapeseed-Mustard has 270000-
290000 seeds.

33. Cost of cultivation per quintal
Particulars Quantity Ra Expenses(Rs)
te
Traditional SRI Rate Traditional SRI-
seed 5.5Kg 0.25Kg Rs 80/Kg 440 20
Priming&treat 0 5
DAP 27Kg 27Kg Rs 15/Kg 405 405
Potash 27Kg 27Kg Rs 7/Kg 189 189
Urea 55Kg 55Kg Rs 7/Kg 385 385
Vermicompo 400kg Rs 5/kg 0 2000
st
Irrigation 3 5 Rs 200/irrign 600 1000
Weeding 0 3 Rs 100/mandays 0 3000

34. Piloting of SRI-Sugarcane
A farmer couple in Matihani village in Gaya
Sugarcane eye extractor district holding seedlings of SRI-Sugarcane

35. Seedlings of SRI-Sugarcane raised in plastic trays

36. Tillering from Single node/single seedlings
A small single plant of Plant after 50-60 days of
Sugarcane at 15 days transplanting under SRI method

37. Crop stage after 4 months of
transplanting SRI-Sugarcane

38. Learnings(ongoing)
• Seedlings of 8-12 days old perform better
• In dry season transplanting after rainfall starts
has better gowth
• When canesetting starts dry leaves should be
removed regularly.
• Cocopit/Neopit alongwith vermicompost
facilitates root growth
• Planting material is reduced by 80%

39. Learnings
• Shallow transplanting of seedlings(settlings)
should be followed with light irrigation.
• It facilitates inter cropping.The intercrops should
not be of more than 100 days.

40. Difference between SRI and Traditional method
S.No Particulars SRI traditional
1 seed Sprouted eye of Cane set of 12-18
sugarcane inches having 3 eyes
2 Seed rate 5000-5950 sprouted 16000 eyes(32 qt)
eyes(4qt)
3 Nursery Plastic Tray NA
4 Transplanting Yes NO
5 Spacing 4-5 ft row to row and 1.5-2 ftX1.5-2 ft
2 ft plant to plant
6 Tillering 15-25 4-8
7 Matured caneset 10-15 4-5
8 Availability of air and light sufficient low
9 Opportunity for intercropping high negligible
10 yield high low

41. Cost of Production per quintal
particulars Quantity Rate Expenses(Rs)
Traditional SRI Rate Traditional SRI-
seed 32qt 4qt 500/qn 16000 2000
Priming&treat+Tray 0 3600
DAP 54Kg 54Kg Rs 15/Kg 810 810
Potash 27Kg 81 Kg Rs 7/Kg 189 567
Urea 270Kg 270Kg Rs 7/Kg 1890 1890
Vermicompost 400kg Rs 5/kg 0 2000
Irrigation 13+precipitation 37(including Rs 200/irrign 2600 7400
precipitation)
weeding 30 mandays 30 mandays with 1 Rs 100/mandays 3000 4100
weeder
Cash expenditure per acre 24479 22367
Production(Quintal) 200 600
Total Income after reducing expenditure 15521 97633
Cost Per quintal of caneset Production 122.40 37.30
Additional income under SRI method is Rs 82,112 / per acre

42. Learnings from SRI-Vegetables
• The increase in branching in tomato,Chill and
brinjal is significantly higher than that of normal
practices.
• The spacing for building of rhizosphere depends
upon nature of vegetables.
• The yields have been found higher since three
years.

43. Major stakeholders behind SRI method
• Village Resource Persons
• BRLPS,patna
• SDTT, Mumbai
• Agriculture Technology Management Agency(ATMA)
• Department of Agriculture
• District Administration
• Landless share croppers/Marginal farmers
• DRD, Patna
• Project workers and other partner organisations

44. Thanks