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System of Rice Intensification (SRI) increases high-altitude rice yields in Madagascar

03.02.2012

The SRI method was developed in the 1980s by the French Jesuit priest Henri de Laulanié. Challenging traditional rice production, SRI farmers transplant young seedlings with greater spacing on soil that is moist but not flooded. Proponents of SRI claim this system uses 25-50 percent less water, requires 80-90 percent fewer seeds, and can sometimes double or even triple the yields. The Better U Foundation, funded by the Canadian actor Jim Carrey, has assisted in SRI’s implementation and dissemination at grassroots, institutional and policy levels. According to a report citing results from the Vakinankaratra highland region of Madagascar, the average yields with SRI were 3.28 tons per hectare, compared to 2.87 tons per hectare prior to the project’s implementation. With increased yields and improved incomes, there is less pressure for farmers to cut down forests for agriculture purposes. SRI also contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gases, especially methane, because the rice fields are not continuously flooded as in traditional rice cultivation.

Photo (c) IrriImages / Flickr