Technical)Manual)for)SRI)in)West)Africa Improving and Scaling up of the System of Rice Intensification in West Africa
The System of Rice Intensification, or SRI, is an agro-ecological and climate-smart rice
production methodology that allows farmers to produce more grain using less seed and water,
and fewer purchased inputs. Unlike other agriculture strategies, SRI does not rely on
infrastructural projects, new varieties or fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides to raise yields.
Instead, SRI is a knowledge-based crop management approach that leads to the improvement
of plant growth and productivity. This is achieved by advancing the expression of rice plants’
genetic potential for increased productivity.
As part of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program’s1
(WAAPPP) project Improving and
Scaling up the System of Rice Intensification in West Africa,
2
this technical manual is designed
to assist technical trainers in the 13 participating countries as they develop their farmer training
programs. This is a living document, and will change and be adapted according to feedback
from trainings, trials and field results. For those using this, we welcome your feedback to make
this document as useful as possible to as broad an audience as possible across West Africa.