Farmer Evaluations Of The System Of Rice Intensification (SRI) Compared With Conventional Rice Production In Benin

This article summarizes the evaluation of a new method for rice
cultivation, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), by a group of 90 rice
farmers in Benin. Between August 2009 and June 2012, a series of tests were
conducted in two rice ecosystems on 32 plots. This farmer-conducted
research focused on the new methodology’s agronomic performance and its
labor and seed requirements, also considering what would be the constraints
on adoption. The trials showed that SRI methods could increase average
yields under farmer conditions by 54 %, while reducing seed requirements
by 87 % and shortening the growing season by 14 days. To achieve these
benefits required an increase in the amount of labor, by 36 %. Producers
participating in this evaluation concluded that SRI offers significant
opportunities to increase their rice production, provided its methods are
adapted to local conditions.. read more: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/236411905.pdf