The document discusses the System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) as a resource-conserving method for wheat cultivation, focusing on practices that improve soil conditions and plant management. It highlights techniques such as wide plant spacing, use of organic matter, and specific seed treatment methods that lead to higher yields compared to conventional practices. Results from trials in Nepal indicate significant yield increases and more efficient water and resource usage in SWI compared to traditional farming methods.

1. SYSTEM OF WHEAT INTENSIFICATION:
A RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND
AGRO-ECOLOGICAL METHOD OF
WHEAT CULTIVATION
Ram B. Khadka
Scientist
Regional Agricultural Research Station,
Khajura, Banke, Nepal

2. WHAT IS SWI ?
New concept and practice of
wheat cultivation manipulating
the soil environment favorably
for better root and shoot
growth using principles of SRI
 Wide spacing of plants for
better light and air utilization
 Increased use of compost and
organic matter for the soil
 Quality seed to be selected and
treated using appropriate
biotic and abiotic agents
 Better soil aeration by use of
mechanical weeder.

3. THE SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION (SRI)
 SRI is a “set of insights and practices that
change the management of plants, soil,
water and nutrients used in growing
irrigated rice.” SRI methods promote the
growth of more productive and robust
plants.
 Put simply; SRI is a package of practices
developed to improve the productivity of
rice, especially for smallholders.
 SRI involves intermittent wetting and
drying of paddies as well as specific soil
and agronomic management practices.
 It is civil society innovation…..
 Increases rice yield per drop of water, per kg of
seed and fertilizers
 More tolerable of water stress, drought, flooding,
and lodging, due to better roots, stronger tillers
 Very suitable for organic production
 Resource-conserving technology

4. Source: Dash & Pal,

5. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SWI
 Principle of root development:
proper nourishment and providing
sufficient space around the plant
 Principle of intensive care:
careful management of the soil
Outputs / Results
 Higher tillering
 Increased number of effective
tillers / hill
 Enhanced panicle length & bolder
grains
 Enhanced yield

6. METHODOLOGY
 Improved seed
 Seed treatment
 Land preparation
and application of
organic manure
 Seed rate
 Line sowing
 Gap filling
 Irrigation
 Weeding

7. WEEDING

8. SEED TREATMENT:
Take 10 liters of hot water (60 degrees
Celsius) in an earthen pot.
Dip 5 kg of improved graded seeds in it.
Remove the seeds which float on the top
of water.
Mix 2 kg of well-decomposed compost,
3 liters cow urine, and 2 kg of jaggery.
After mixing it properly, keep the mixed
material as such for 6-8 hours.
After this, filter it so that solid materials
along with seeds and liquids get
separated.
After that, mix 10 gm of fungicide
properly and keep in shade for 10-12
hrs.
Then wheat gets germinated. The
germinated seeds are used for sowing
in the tilled field.
Cow urine, well-decomposed compost
and jaggery in separate vessels

9. SWI EXPERIENCE IN NEPAL
Participatory Action Research (PAR) by
Mercy Corps
 Location: Dadeldhura, Doti and Baitadi.
 Variety: WK-1204
 Seed treatment: Soaking in lukewarm water
overnight followed by mixing with cow urine,
jaggery and well-decomposed compost. Then
the seeds were left to dry under shade for 4
hours.
 T1: seed priming + line sowing),
 T2 : seed priming + broadcast method,
 T3: without priming + local practice of
sowing, and
 T4: control (local variety + local practices).
 Area : 150 m2 was allocated for each trial
providing 50 m2 for each plot/treatment.
 Fertilizer application: @15 Mt/Ha
 Seed rate: @30 Kg/Ha for T1, 80 Kg/Ha for T2
and T3, and 120 Kg/ha for T4. Courtesy : Raut (2011).
Mercycorps, Dadeldhura

10. RESULTS
Treatments Plant
height
(cm)
# of
tillers per
plant
Length
of
spikes
(cm)
# of
grains/
spike
1000
grain
weight
(gm)
Grain
yield
(kg
ha-1)
T1(seed priming
+ line sowing)
88.5 14.35 9.21 74.95 62 6,516
T2 (seed priming
+ broadcast
method)
88.1 11.25 8.91 69.6 58 4,524.7
T3 (without
priming + local
practice of sowing)
79.8 3.05 6.90 53.2 52 3,738
T4 (local variety
+ local practices)
89.2 2.01 5.80 44.3 48 3,405.5
Source : Raut (2011). Mercycorps, Dadeldhura

11. FARMERS FIELD SCHOOL IN
KAILALI
 Location: Ramsikharjhala, Lalbojhi and Fulbari.
 Number of farmers: 25 farmers per FFS
 Area: 300 m2 for SWI and 300 m2 for conventional
 Seed Treatment: Seeds were selected by mild hot
water for 10 minutes. All floating seeds were removed
and only those that sank were used for sowing. Seed
were allowed to germinate for 12 hours.
 Sowing: 20×20 spacing at a depth of 3-4 cm .
Two germinated seed were placed at each location by
hand dibbling.
 Fertilizer application: Recommended fertilizer was
100:50:50 Kg NPK/ha @ 10 Mt/ha
 Gap filling:. After 10 days of sowing, gap filling was
done by dibbling the seed. First (light) irrigation was
provided 20 days after sowing (DAS)
 Weeding: @ 25 DAS, 45 DAS and 65 DAS weeding
were done with the help of a cono weeder.
 Irrigation: 20, 40, 60 100 DAS

12. Parameters
(average of 10 plants)
Fulbari Lalbojhi Ramsikharjhala
Conv. SWI Conv. SWI Conv. SWI
Tiller number 5
25
(18-36) 4
34
(22-54) 3
25
(19-42)
Number of spike per
hill 5 22.5 4 33 2.4 23.5
Number of grains per
spike 22.5 45.4 50.1 72.4 60 80
Number of spike per
m2 310 400 414 446 210 256
Spike length (cm) 9 16 9.3 12.3 13 18
TGW (gm) 50 75 40 45 45 50
Productivity (Mt/ha) 4 8 5.8 7.95 4.8 6.95
Difference in
productivity
100% 37% 44%
Results

13. DIFFERENCE IN YIELD COMPONENT IN SWI &CONVENTIONAL

14. Parameters SWI Conventional
Seed
requirement
25-30 kg/ha 100-120 Kg/ha
Seed
treatment
Required Not necessary
Methods of
sowing
Dibbling in
line
Broadcasting
Spacing 20 x20 cm No proper spacing
Weeding 2-3 weedings Not done
Length of
panicle (cm)
18 12
No. of grains
per panicle
60-75 40-50
No. of
panicles per
hill
53-40 2-5
TGW (gm) 70-75 45-50
Stem, roots
& leaves
Thick stem,
long root, wide
and green flag
leaves
Thin stem, short and
superficial roots,
and narrow and pale
green flag leaves
DIFFERENT BETWEEN SWI & TRADITIONAL METHODS

15. FARMER FIELD SCHOOL
(FSS) IN SINDHULI
 Location: Bhimasthan–3, Kadame,
397 masl in altitude
 Duration: December 2011 to 2012
 Soil type: Sandy loam soil, (pH 5.1);
0.061% total N; medium P2O5; 79.23
kg ha-1 K2O; and 1.22 % organic
matter
 Plot size: 4×1 m.
 Fertilizer dose: 10 ton/ha of NPK
(100:50:25)
 Variety: Bhirkuti (germinated seed)
 Spacing: 20x20 cm.
 Irrigation was provided during CRI
and tillering stage.
 Weeding was done manually.
Courtesy : Adhikari, 2012. DADO, Sindhuli

16. RESULTS
Methods of
cultivation
Production
(kg)
Production
(mt / ha)
Broadcast 1.5 3.7
Line-sown 2.0 5.0
SWI
practices
2.6 6.5
Courtesy : Adhikari, 2012. DADO, Sindhuli

17. COMPARATIVE EXPERIENCE IN SWI
State/
province/
district
No. of
farmers
Conventio
nal yield
(t/ha)
SWI ave.
yield (t/ha)
SWI
increase
(%)
Remarks
India
Uttara-
khand
state
151
Irrigated
2.77 5.04 82 Evaluation done by People's Science Institute
in 2008-09 season
317
Unirrig.
1.74 3.32 91
India
Bihar
state
415
(2008-09)
1.6 3.6 125 Initial on-farm trials done in Gaya district by
NGO PRADAN; Bihar state govt. started
supporting SWI in 2010; SWI methods used on
183,063 ha in 2011-12, average yield of 5.1 t/ha
15,808
(2009-10)
1.8 4.6 150
Mali
Timbuktu
region
21
(2010-11)
1.96 5.45 178 On-farm trials in response to initiatives of
Africare
142
(2011-12)
0.94 3.2 240 Drought year; results from 13 villages
Nepal
Kailali
district
(2010-11)
3.4
Broadcasti
ng
6.5
Line sowing
90 Farmer field school trials at 4 sites; all with
improved variety
Nepal
Sindhuli
district
(2011-12)
3.7
Broadcasti
ng
6.5
Transplantin
g
74 FFS trials, all with improved variety; line sowing
gave yield of 5.0 t/ha
Range and
average
0.94-3.7 3.2-6.5 130 Source : Styger et. al. 2013 (ms. in draft)

18. BED PLANTING SYSTEMS IN
WHEAT
Photo courtesy : Kamboj et al. 2008

19. ADVANTAGES OF BED PLANTING SYSTEM
 Irrigation is improved, is simpler, and
more efficient (use 30% less water
than flat bed methods and improve
crop yields by more than 20%)
 Saves 30% to 50% of wheat seed
compared to flat planting
 Better upland crop production is
possible in the wet monsoon because
of better drainage.
 Fertilizer efficiency can be increased
because of better placement,
including top dress applications
 Better tillering, increased panicle/ear
length, and bolder grains, more
resistant to lodging.
 Weeds management is easier
 Opportunities for intericropping
Photo courtesy : Kamboj et al. 2008

20. 1. On 5 ropani of land, SWI can increase yield
as much as 100%, which can enable attaining
food security for more than 6 months for a
6- member household, assuming their
consumption rate is 4 kg/day.
2. Tediousness of line sowing can be minimized
by introducing simple, manually-operated,
women-friendly seed-drill machines.
3. SWI maximizes the labor factor productivity
when utilized in the marginal lands.
4. Seed treatment with mixture of jaggery, cow
urine and vermi-compost increases the soil
fertility by the action of non-symbiotic
biological nitrogen-fixing agents in soils.
CONCLUSIONS

21. THANK YOU
THANK
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