SRI method of paddy sowing may be answer to depleting groundwater

The SRI method was initially developed in Madagascar by a Jesuit agriculturist,Fr Henri de Laulanie. In India,so far,its use has been limited to experiments by the agriculture department and to a few scientists.

Agriculture Development Officer Dr Amrik Singh has been one of the first to promote this technique in Punjab. Currently posted in Gurdaspur,he has been sowing paddy through the SRI method and educating the farmers to do so for the past five years. “I have been able to save 10 lakh liters of water per acre by using SRI,” he said.

With the help of this method,Singh has sown paddy in a one hectare area in Gurdaspur and in four demonstration plots in Hoshiarpur district. “Under this method,10 to 12-days- old seedlings are transplanted against 35-days older seedlings in the traditional method and puddling (converting the field into a pool of water) is not required,as only moist soil is needed for this,” he said. Singh pointed out that SRI can also increase the yield on a farm. Farmers are used to planting crops at distances of 10 to 15 cm,but SRI planting distances start at 25 cm. “Owing to proper spacing,the plants produce much more tillers — 20 upwards,instead of the usual 5-10 tillers. The more tillers,the more grain,the greater the harvest,” he said.

Agriculture Director Dr Mangal Singh Sandhu agrees. “Under SRI system,2-kg seed is required per acre against 8 kg in traditional method. One can witness an increase in yield by 15 to 20 per cent against traditional method,” he said. “It is wonderful for small and marginal farmers,as it will give them self sufficiency,” he added.

The government is yet to adopt the SRI method,but Sandhu said that farmers can avail of financial assistance under MNREGA,or small farmers could pool in to avail of labour cost,as the method is quite labour-intensive.

The process also will help the environment as in the prevalent method,farmers are used to chemical fertilizers,but under SRI,the use of organic matter is encouraged,” said Dr Amrik Singh.