The system of rice intensification (SRI) for super-high yields of rice in Sichuan Basin

The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a new technique for rice culture. The main features of this
system are: transplanting of young seedlings singly in a square pattern with wide spacing, using organic
fertilizers and hand weeding, and keeping the paddy soil moist during the vegetative growth phase.
Significant phenotypic changes occur in plant structure and function and in yield and yield components
under SRI cultivation. The production increases can be notable. However, there are some constraints to
adoption of the presently recommended set of practices, e.g., a small number of plants may not be
suitable for the low solar radiation condition. Experiments over 2 years are reported in which SRI is
modified according to the agro-ecological conditions in Sichuan, with variations in the transplanting
pattern, plant leaf-age and density, etc. The following modifications were tested: transplanting 3
separated seedlings in one hill in a triangular pattern with the leaf age extended to 3-4; application of
herbicide before transplanting; mulching the spaces between plants with straw; adding chemical fertilizers
to promote plant growth vigorously when needed; making shallow furrows before transplanting in the
zero-till fields, and applying the alternate-wetting-and-drying method for water management with midseason drainage to inhibit tillering. With these modifications, grain yield exceeded 12 t/ha, 46% greater
than in control using field comparison

Article Sourced from: https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/20193228233