BJ Pandian , T. Sampathkumar and R. Chandrasekaran
System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a holistic agro-ecological crop management technique seeking alternatives to the high-input oriented agriculture and one among the scientific management tool of allocating irrigation water based on soil and climatic condition to achieve maximum crop production per unit of water applied over a unit area in unit time. System of rice intensification was the main focus technology demonstrated by Water Technology Centre (WTC), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) under Irrigated Agriculture Modernization and Water Bodies Restoration and Management (TN-IAMWARM) Project. In general, an increase in rice productivity under SRI over the conventional system of rice cultivation was observed in all the demonstrations. The widespread adoption of SRI showed increasing trend in yield (from 28.3% in 2007-08 to 32.4% in 2010-11). The results of beneficiary wise analysis indicated that more beneficiaries reaped 40-50% yield increase followed by 20-30% yield increase over conventional. The data obtained from large scale demonstrations clearly indicated that the water requirement was less under SRI (885 mm) as compared to conventional (1180 mm). The demonstration of SRI technologies registered higher grain yield and Water Use Efficiency (WUE) of 6,406 kg ha-1 and 7.31 kg ha-1 mm-1, respectively as compared to conventional (5,284 kg ha-1 and 4.51 kg ha-1 mm-1). The water productivity in SRI was found to be 1,398 as against 2,274 lit. kg-1 in conventional irrigation.
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