Introducing the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) to irrigated systems in Gao, Mopti, Timbuktu and to rainfed systems in Sikasso 2009/2010

USAID’s Integrated Initiatives for Economic Growth in Mali project (known as IICEM) works to stimulate economic growth by increasing agricultural productivity, improving linkages to markets, and facilitating rural finance. Among five selected value chains, IICEM works with rice in the northern regions of Mopti, Timbuktu and Gao in irrigated systems, and in the southern region of Sikasso in rainfed systems. Increased rice production has been put on top of the agenda for agricultural development by the Malian Government since 2008, given the steadily increase in rice consumption and the still high potential for Mali to increase its rice production given its extensive land and water resources. Following up on the promising results obtained with the System of Rice Intensification, or SRI by Africare in the 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 cropping season in the Timbuktu region (Africare Mali, 2008; Styger, 2009), IICEM introduced SRI concept and practices to interested farmers into the regions of Gao and Mopti, to certain locations not already covered by Africare in Timbuktu, and tested adaptations of SRI principles to the rainfed rice cropping systems in the Sikasso region. SRI is a methodology, developed in the 1980s in Madagascar, to increase the productivity of irrigated rice cultivation by changing the management of plants, soil, water and nutrients while reducing external inputs. It is based on six principles: i) transplanting young seedlings, ii) transplanting single seedlings, while iii) maintaining a wider spacing between the plants, iv) application of organic matter for fertilization (in preference to chemical fertilizer), v) frequent weeding with a simple mechanical weeder and vi) a reduction in application of irrigation water, keeping soils moist but not flooded. Objectives for the 2009/2010 season were to i) introduce SRI into new zones where farmers were previously unfamiliar with SRI in the three northern regions of Mali, ii) evaluate rice crop performance under SRI practices in different agro-ecological conditions and compare it to the farmers’ usual practices, and iii) test adapted SRI practices in the rainfed rice cropping systems in the southern region of Sikasso. IICEM entered into agreements with the national agriculture research institution (IER) for the design, oversight and analysis of this SRI evaluation, and with the Regional Agriculture Service (DRA) and local NGOs, which implemented field activities as a team. 25 field technicians worked with 118 farmers in 21 villages across the four regions. Farmers participated as volunteers carrying out the technical recommendations for SRI on a test plot, which they compared side by side to a control plot. For the irrigated systems, SRI yield performance was superior to the control plots and the yield average of the irrigation perimeters (PIV) by 40% to 68% in all three regions. A one-month delay in the onset of the rainy season across Mali had a negative impact on rice productivity, as rice yields decline rapidly when planting is delayed. Planting in the region of Gao was able to begin earliest (in June), followed by Mopti (July/August) and Introducing the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) to irrigated systems in Gao, Mopti, Timbuktu and to rainfed systems in Sikasso – 2009/2010, by Erika Styger, PhD (estyger@yahoo.com) for Abt. Assciates Inc. vi Timbuktu (July-September). Average SRI yields for all farmers were 7.0 t/ha in Timbuktu and 7.84t/ha and 7.85t/ha in Gao and Mopti, respectively. Average yields on the PIVs were at the same time 4.19t/ha in Timbuktu, 4.78t/ha in Mopti, and 5.59t/ha in Gao. All yield parameters were superior for the SRI plots compared to the control plots. Best yielding varieties were the longer cycle BG90-2, Kogoni, and Nerica L2, each producing between 8 and10t/ha of rice grain in all three regions. Farmers began to adopt certain SRI practices for their control plots, primarily application of organic matter, planting of younger seedlings, and planting a reduced number of seedlings per hill. Under SRI, farmers applied additional chemical fertilizer to the SRI plots only to correct observed nutrient deficiencies. Thus, farmers reduced fertilizer application by 50% in Gao, 63% in Mopti and 72% in Timbuktu. As regards to the control plots, it seemed that farmers there tried to compensate for the delay in planting by increased application of fertilizer in order to still obtain an acceptable yield. Based on the evidence of SRI performance in irrigated systems across the many agroecological zones, it can be concluded that SRI practices present an economic and environmentally friendly alternative to current rice cultivation practices in northern Mali. This is confirmed by farmers’ enthusiasm in all three regions regarding field performance of the rice crop when cultivated under SRI and about the associated economic and food security benefits for the farmers themselves. In Sikasso, four rice-producing systems can be distinguished. An upland system– purely rainfed, mostly planted with the Nercia 4 variety- and three lowland systems, located in large natural landscape depressions occupying different zones along the relief. The latter three are: lowland system – high zone (usually not flooded), lowland system – medium zone (flooded between 25-50cm), and lowland system low zone (flooded > 50 cm). SRI principles were adapted to these systems. The tests were run on two research stations and in three villages. Rice was direct seeded in hills at 2-3 grains/hill, and later thinned to 1 plant/hill. The distance between hills was 25cmx25cm, planted in lines. Organic matter was applied and the cono-weeder used if the soil conditions permitted. Water could not be controlled in these non-irrigated plots. Adapted SRI plots showed consistently improved performance along the landscape gradient from the upland (lowest response) through the lowland high zone, lowland medium zone, to lowland low zone (highest response). This gradient response could not be detected in the control. SRI plots in the lowland low zone obtained yields of over 5 t/ha, in the uplands it was 3t/ha. The best-performing variety (unfortunately not identified) produced 6.6 t/ha with SRI, which is more than double the 3t/ha often cited as a high yield in the Sikasso region. Nerica 4 yields were 3.1 t/ha, for both SRI and the control. Because Nerica 4 is a low tillering variety, reduced SRI spacing from 25cm x25cm to 20cm x 20 should result in a yield increase.

 

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