FARMER IMPLEMENTATION OF ALTERNATE WET-DRY AND NON-FLOODED IRRIGATION PRACTICES IN THE SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION (SRI)

Competition for limited water resources and low rice yields in developing countries has renewed the interest in finding better ways to grow more rice with less water. In recent years alternate wet-dry (AWDI) and non-flooded (NF) irrigation have shown promise for reducing water consumption without significant effect on rice grain yield. In 2001, a survey of 109 farmers was conducted in four rice producing areas in Madagascar to investigate farmer implementation of AWDI and NF irrigation as part of the recently introduced System of Rice Intensification (SRI). SRI recommends aerating the soil during the vegetative development period and transplanting young seedlings (8-12 days old) at low plant hill density (25 hills per m or fewer) and with one plant per hill. The survey showed that farmers have adapted their AWDI practices to fit the soil type and their availability of water and labor. The primary drawbacks reported by farmers with implementing AWDI and NF were the lack of a reliable water source, little water control, and water use conflicts. SRI was associated with a significantly higher grain yield of 6.4 t-ha compared with 3.4 t-ha from traditional practices. On SRI plots, the grain yields were 6.7 t-ha for AWDI, 5.9 t-ha with NF, and 5.9