SRI International Network and Resources Center

CHINA ACTIVITY ARCHIVES (1999-2011)

SRI Activity Archives (1999-2011)

2011 Archives

• Agricultural Water Savings with Modified SRI Practices in Sichuan, China

  SRI has become Sichuan Province's preferred rice production method since 2005, with reports of the provincial yield record for rice being broken year after year. By 2010, the SRI area in Sichuan Province had reached over 301,067 ha, starting from 1,133 ha in 2004. SRI methods are currently used in 123 of its 130 rice-growing counties. According to researchers at the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the average SRI yield has been 9.5 t/ha, representing an average increase of 1.8 t/ha over conventional rice cultivation in the province. The value of additional paddy yield per hectare using SRI methods in 2010 was worth USD 185 at current exchange rates, achieved with lower costs of production. For Sichuan province as a whole, the value of the additional paddy produced was over USD 100 million. For the period 2004-10, the total additional benefit of using SRI methods in Sichuan was almost USD 320 million at the current rate of exchange, accompanied by reduced costs and less requirement of water.

  Agriculture consumes 80% of the total water resources in Sichuan Province, which has a population of 88.6 million. A recent article by Zheng Jia-guo and his colleagues the the Crop Research Institute, SAAS, Chengdu, details how they are adapting SRI to conserve water in that province as well as how this may change in the future. With modified SRI practices, both WUE (Water Use Efficiency) and IWUE (Irrigation Water Use Efficiency) were shown to be higher than with the traditional practices, by 54.2% and 90.0%, respectively, significantly reducing water consumption.

  In addition to reducing irrigation water by 25.6% and seed requirements by 50-90%, the modified SRI practiced in Sichuan has shown a number of other benefits, such as increased leaf area index (LAI), larger plants, and fewer insect and disease problems. Over the years, SRI methods in Sichuan have been adapted in several ways: 1) a triangular planting pattern (15-18 plants/m2), which is more effective with the lower solar radiation in that area of China, 2) a combination of mulching and herbicides that replaces hand and mechanical weeding (due to labor considerations), 3) slightly older seedlings (greater than the usual 2-leaf stage) that fit better into the seasonal planting pattern and 4) inorganic fertilizers mixed organic fertilizers due to low availability of biomass. The mulching also assists in water retention, making fields more drought-resistant. The changing structure of the rural labor force may lead to additional changes in the future, particularly with regards to mechanization.

2010 Archives

• Report on SRI Modifications in Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems in China

  Dr. Weijian Zhang in the Institute of Crop Science in the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences has reported on 2010 results from making adaptations, according to SRI principles, in the rice-wheat rotational cropping system that is practiced widely in China and in parts of South Asia.  

  Trials in three locations in Jiangsu Province have showed increases in yield averaging 25%, comparing the Institute's innovative dry-seeding method on permanent raised beds, with the results from standard wet-seeding methods used in the region. The production methods are mechanized to save labor, and there are significant water savings from the modified practices. These are intended to reduce methane emissions and thus to lower greenhouse gas buildup. Dr. Zhang hopes that this methodology can be evaluated and used more widely in Asia for the combined benefits for agriculture and environmental protection. (See report.)

• Review of SRI Status and Experience at Hangzhou Workshop

  The China National Rice Research Institute hosted an international SRI workshop (right) in Hangzhou, February 28-March 2, with support from The Asia Foundation, which was participated in by researchers from different parts of China, by rice specialists from the DPRK, and by Norman Uphoff, representing the international SRI community. Representatives of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), two NGOs working with cooperatives in the DPRK, also attended and discussed their activities for introducing SRI in that country in collaboration with farming cooperatives and government agencies. A report prepared by Uphoff focuses mostly on the Chinese reports as these were the main body of experience reviewed.

  Dr. Zhu Defeng, deputy director of CNRRI and host for the workshop, gave an overview of SRI in China, noting which practices were most widely or easily adopted, some of which were in line with directions in which rice crop management was already moving in China. He presented data showing how N fertilizer is being overused, with low marginal productivity. One evaluation showed SRI methods adding 1.73 t/ha to already high yields.

  Dr. Ma Guohui, deputy director of the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center based in Hunan Province, in south central China, reported on the use of SRI methods with hybrid rice varieties. Researchers at the Center have made several adaptations of the original SRI recommendations for Chinese conditions, and Center staff have recommended most of the SRI practices when introducing hybrid varieties in African countries. (see Guinea page).  In China, hybrid rice yields with SRI methods have often been over 12 t/ha.

  Experience with SRI in Sichuan Province in the western part of China was reported by Dr. Zheng Jiaguo in the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Dr. Ma Jun at Sichuan Agricultural University, who have given leadership for SRI since 2001. Both spoke about the 'triangular' method of seedling transplanting which was developed in Sichuan, maintaining the effects of 'wide spacing' but also increasing plant population by 50% over what it would be with a square transplanting of single seedlings per hill. Both Zheng and Ma presented extensive data from previous evaluations of SRI methods, summarized in Uphoff's report. Since extension of SRI was begun in 2004 by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture (PDA), with 1,120 ha, the PDA reports that 657,000 ha have been cultivated in the province with an average yield increase of 1.64 t/ha, which has added 1.04 million tons of paddy to Sichuan farmers' production, with less cost and less water.

  Experience in Zhejiang Province in the eastern part of China was reported by Dr. Lin Xianqing from the China National Rice Research Institute. Like Zheng and Ma, Lin presented results from a considerable number of CNRRI evaluations of SRI methods, looking at effects like impact on light interception, resistance to sheath blight infection, and impact of organic fertilization on populations of actinomycetes. The Zhejiang PDA, Lin reported, has recorded 688,000 hectares of paddy land cultivated with SRI methods since 2005. The average yield increment of 1.25 t/ha that the PDA has calculated has added 862,000 tons to the province's production, all with a reduction in costs and water as in Sichuan.

  There were two reports also from Heilongjiong Province in the North. The climate there is fairly similar to that in DPRK, so this interested the delegation from the neighboring country. A system of rice cultivation very similar to SRI, known as 3-S, developed at Northeast Agricultural University in the 1990s for Heilongjiong conditions, was mentioned but more attention was given to mechanization of rice production, which is the big push in that province now. The presentation on Heilongjiong rice production (in English) is posted along with the others from the workshop.

  SRI evaluations are just getting started in DPRK, but after some initial trials in 2008, four cooperatives collaborating with the AFSC used many of the SRI practices on a total area of 250 hectares, so it has been seen that the methods can be productive under North Korean conditions.

• Presentation on SRI at International Workshop on Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Beijing

  An international workshop convened at Renmin University March 12-15, 2010, addressing problems and opportunities for sustainable food and agricultural development included two presentations on SRI under the heading of "water-saving technologies."

  Uwe Hoering from Germany reported on experiences with the implementation of SRI in Cambodia (see article), followed by a presentation by Lu Shihua from China, who presented results from SRI applications in Sichuan Province. Rice production there is marked by seasonality in rainfall, a shortage of cultivable land, and periodic droughts. The low productivity of rice farming and high costs of fertilizer have led many farmers into poverty.

  In Sichuan, many farmers now often utilize a 'triangular method' of transplanting young rice seedlings in their SRI practice, reducing by half the number of hills per unit area (with 35x40 cm spacing) compared to usual SRI (25x25 cm), <8 vs. 16 plants per m2 - but plant three plants per hill instead of just one, the plants spaced 10-12 cm apart in a triangular relationship. Lu has himself combined this modification with the use of plastic sheets as mulch to restrict weeds and enhance soil humidity. This results in considerable water saving.

  According to Lu Shihua, the spread of this successful adaptation to local conditions is hampered by lack of cooperation between different agricultural experts and limited support from agricultural extension services. But farmers too are reluctant, because they mistrust experts, being risk averse, and also because overall net income from grain is not very favorable, making them reluctant to take up extra efforts. These adaptations have contributed to a rice crop that is quite profitable even under drought conditions (see Sichuan drought resistance section below).

• Review of SRI Progress in Sichuan Province

  A seminar convened January 18, 2010, at the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Chengdu, considered the impact that introducing SRI methods has had on rice production and productivity in this large rice-producing province. The session was organized and chaired by Dr. Zheng Jiaguo, Director of the Crop Cultivation Department of the SAAS Crop Research Institute.

  Liu Daiyin, head of SRI extension efforts in the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture, reported that these efforts -- started in 2004 with 1,120 ha -have led to 637,000 ha being cultivated with SRI methods over the past five years. In 2009, there were 251,000 ha under SRI management in Sichuan, with SRI methods used in 103 of its 130 rice-growing counties.The PDA calculates that:

  • the average SRI yield over the five-year period on this total areas has been 9.2 t/ha, representing an average increase of 1.63 t/ha over rice cultivation in the province with current methods,
  • SRI methods have added 1.04 million tons of rice production over the five years, without additional costs of production and with substantial water savings, and
  • the average increase in farmer net income/ha when using SRI methods is calculated at RMB 1,903 ($280 at current exchange rates).

  Prof. Ma Jun from Sichuan Agricultural University reported on the introduction of SRI methods into the widely-used cropping system of wheat-rice rotation, where reducing seedling age makes for less time between crops and is more convenient for farmers. (see CAAS evaluations of SWRI).

  One SRI innovation in Sichuan Province is combining SRI practices (young single seedlings, wide spacing in a square pattern, reduced water applications) with the use of plastic mulch on permanent raised beds. This methodology, which conserves soil moisture as it suppresses weeds, is giving very good results in hill and mountain areas where water is a limiting factor and where small farmers have the labor needed to manage the mulching.

  The innovation is less suitable for the lower-lying, better-watered Sichuan Basin with larger holdings and more labor scarcity. It is reported that this combination of practices can give farmers even higher yield and net income in a drought year than in a year with more normal rainfall (see summary of drought-related articles). As fertility of raised beds should raise over time, future results could be even better.

  Another innovation being developed in Sichuan is the ratooning of SRI rice. Given the growth of larger and deeper root systems on SRI rice plants, that they would ratoon (grow a second crop without replanting, from the same root stock as was harvested for a first crop) better than conventionally-grown rice. The range for this practice is limited by climate, but in southern Sichuan, SRI ratoon yields of 50% to 70% are now reported.

2009 Archives

• Drought-Resistance of Adapted SRI Practices Reported in Sichuan Province

  Two Chinese language newspaper articles and an article in the Journal of Sichuan Agricultural Science and Technology, have reported that SRI practices, worked into a production system called "integrated technologies with paddy land cover," adding mulch to the usual SRI methods, is conferring a desirable degree of drought resistance and enhanced economic returns under drought conditions. The SRI practices used include using less water, wider spacing, and planting younger seedlings (see English language summary of the articles).

  These practices, being further developed and promoted by the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Science and Technology and the China Agriculture University, aim to tackle the problem of water-shortage in the Sichuan Bowl region, saving water and producing high yield and high profits. According to the article by Lu Shihua et al in the Journal of Sichuan Agricultural Science and Technology (2009, 2: 23), the new set of practices perform well in both normal years and drought years, but relatively better in the latter. (In a normal year: 150-200 kg per mu increased yield compared to usual practices. In drought year: 200 kg per mu, and even more, increased yield compared to usual methods of cultivation.)

2008 Archives

• SRI is Spreading in Sichuan Province for "Rice High-Yield Creation"

  Dr. Zheng Jiaguo from the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences has provided data from Sichuan Province, which has become the leading province in China for SRI utilization. There was almost a doubling of SRI area in 2008 compared with 2007, with also a higher average yield increment from SRI methods (1.7 tons/ha) and an increase in net financial returns from SRI use.
  
  
  
  

  	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
  SRI area (ha)	1,120	7,290	57,500	116,667	204,000
  SRI yield (t/ha)	9.10	9.44	8.82**	8.99	9.41
  Conv. yield (t/ha)	NA	NA	NA	7.5	7.71
  SRI increment (t/ha)*	NA	NA	NA	1,489	1,698
  SRI % increase in yield*				19.85	22.03
  SRI additional net income (RMB/ha)*				1,574	1,956

• * Compared with the Sichuan provincial average for paddy yield and profitability
  ** Drought year: SRI yields were relatively better than with conventional methods
  Source: Data from Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture.
  
  

• System of Wheat-Rice Intensification

  Dr. Zhang Weijian, director of the Institute for Agroecology and Farming Systems in the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), has reported on the results for three years of his Institute's experimentation in Jiangsu province to adapt SRI concepts and methods to use in the wheat-rice rotational farming system, that is important in China and also South Asia (with 22 million hectares overall). Given national wheat and rice yields, a year's cycle would produce about 10 t/ha of grain, but with "SWRI" methods applied in three different locations in Jiangsu, the totals were 13, 15 and 17 t/ha. This opens up new opportunities for SRI use because its shortening the crop cycle for rice is advantageous also for the accompanying wheat crop.

2007 ARCHIVES

• SRI in Zhejiang and Sichuan Provinces Adopted on Over 200,000 ha.

  Through the efforts of colleagues in the National China Rice Research Institute and the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences working with other research, university and government institutions in their respective provinces, the area under SRI methods in Zhejiang and Sichuan Provinces has reached, according to extension programs, 110,000 and 120,000 hectares, respectively. See trip report by Norman Uphoff for details on the SRI activities in both provinces. There is additional SRI in other provinces such as Jiangsu, Hunan and Guizhou that we do not have information about, and also the 'sister' innovation known as 3-S, developed independently of SRI but similar in most respects, is spreading in Heilungjiong Province in the far north of China (see 3-S presentation as well as 2004 description).

  In Zhejiang, one of the most technically 'advanced' townships has 80% SRI already. Two 'stereotypes' about SRI -- that is only good for small farmers, and that it is too labor-intensive for widespread adoption -- are challenged by the Zhejiang experience where large farmers are the quickest to adopt SRI methods -- in part because they are able to make them labor-saving. (See trip report for more details).

2005 ARCHIVES

• SRI Withstands Typhoons in Zhejiang Province

  2005 was a very bad season climatically for rice farmers in Eastern China, as three typhoons hit Zhejiang and other provinces in August-September,considerably damaging the summer rice crop. Fortunately, the SRI fields of Nie Fu-qiu (pictured in center of photo at left and below, right; click on photos to enlarge), farmer leader in Bu Tou village, Tian Tai township, withstood the effects of the strong winds and rain whileneighboring fields succumbed. His harvested yield was 11.38 t/ha despite the adverse climate, with a grain-set ratio of 93.4%,according to Dr. Lin Xianqing, senior researcher at the China National Rice Research Institute in Hangzhou, who has been monitoring SRI experience in Nie Fu Qu’s village for the past three years.

  Nie Fu-qiu (left) has been experimenting with variations of SRI concepts, and with direct-seeding (using a drill of his own design and making) and no-till cultivation methods (see trip report from Uphoff visit to Bu Tou in summer 2005). In two nearby villages, 438 households decided to follow Nie Fu-qiu's example by planting 65 ha of paddy with SRI methods this season. We do not have information on their results yet. (Click on photo to enlarge).

1999-2004 ARCHIVES

• SRI Evaluations Begin in China in 1999

  A number of concurrent SRI evaluations began in 1999-2000 after Chinese researchers learned about SRI from 1999 article by Justin Rabenandrasana (Association Tefy Saina, ATS) in the ILEIA magazine and from seminars by N. Uphoff at China Agricultural University and Nanjing Agricultural University in December 1998 and at IRRI (Los Baños) in March 1999.

  The first SRI trials were undertaken at Nanjing Agricultural University by Dr. Cao Weixing and colleagues there, followed by evaluations at the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center at Sanya under the direction of Prof. Yuan Longping; at the China National Rice Research Institute (CNRRI) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, undertaken by Dr. Zhu Defeng and others; and in Sichuan province by researchers at the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Science, the Sichuan Agricultural University and other institutions at the suggestion of Prof. Yuan.

  For more details, see reports and articles, SRI evaluations, and SRI workshops.

• International SRI Conference held in Hangzhou, China, in 2002

  An international SRI conference was hosted by Prof. Yuan Longping in April 2002, at Sanya, Hainan, co-sponsored by the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center and the China National Rice Research Institute together with CIIFAD and Association Tefy Saina. Many research results on SRI were reported from China and are available in the conference proceedings (Ang et al; Tao et al; Wang et al; Yan; Zhu et al).

• Three Variations of SRI Described

  A Chinese variant of SRI, known as "3-S," has been developed by Prof. Jin Xueyong, in the northern province of Heilungjiong, near Manchuria. This shows that SRI methods can be adapted to very cold environments. Average 3-S yields are 8.5 t/ha, 40% more than the usual yield of 6 t/ha in the area while using less costly inputs. By 2004, 3-S methods, using single, young seedlings, widely spaced, with unflooded soil and compost, were being applied on over 40,000 ha.

  A triangular planting method is proving to be a productive adaptation of SRI concepts. It was developed by Z. B. Liu, manager of the Meishan Seed Farm in Sichuan Province. This adaptation increases plant density by 50% while maintaining the beneficial effects of wide spacing. In 2002, Liu had a yield of 16 t/ha using SRI methods with Super-1 hybrid rice developed by Prof. Yuan. This was certified by the Provincial Department of Agriculture as the highest yield in Sichuan Province. This staggered spacing promotes 'the edge effect' for the whole field.

  Another SRI adaptation in Sichuan is as part of a rice-mushroom cropping system. Mushrooms grown for export have become an important cash crop. However, they require that no agrochemicals are used on the rice crop as these affect the growth of the mushrooms. It turns out that the raised beds used for mushrooms work well for SRI rice, and vice versa, with rice spacing at 40x45 cm. Yields of 9-10 t/ha of SRI summer rice (May-September) alternating with a good mushroom crop from November to April give a good farm income. Also, since straw is needed as organic matter for the mushroom beds, the greater amount of straw produced with SRI methods permits farmers to grow one ha of mushrooms for every 5 ha of rice, instead of one for every 10 ha with usual rice methods.

• National SRI Workshop and Results: 2003-2004

  A first national SRI workshop was held in March 2003 with a second workshop planned for August 2003, being hosted by the Northeast Agricultural University. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has supported ongoing SRI evaluations by the China National Rice Research Institute, the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center, and the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Nanjing Agricultural University has also continued doing evaluations since 1999. There are also various Chinese SRI reports available on the web.

• Expansion of SRI Results in Sichuan Province during 2004

  At the end of the 2004 main season, the Center for Integrated Agricultural Development (CIAD) at China Agricultural University in Beijing sent a three-person team to evaluate the socio-economic impact of SRI uptake in a village in Sichuan Province where use of the new methods had gone from 7 farmers in 2003 to 398 farmers in 2004, thinking that this rate and kind of adoption of an agricultural innovation warranted investigation and explanation. The evaluation is available in both English and Chinese.

(2011-2013)

• For 2011-2013 SRI activities, see main SRI China page