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Summary

Willem Stoop began investigating the advantages of introducing SRI into Mali and other West African countries in 1999 while working at West African Rice Development Association (now the African Rice Center), which temporarily relocated to Mali when conditions in the Ivory Coast became unproductive. Although Norman Uphoff had discussions with World Vision/Mali and the government's Institute for Economic Research (IER) on setting up SRI trials in Mali in 2003, substantial progress with SRI began only in 2007 when Africare, an NGO working on agricultural and rural development, initiated SRI demonstration trials in the Timbuktu region. The experiments were managed by farmers in the Goundam district with technical assistance from Erika Styger, who learned about SRI while doing her PhD thesis research in Madagascar with CIIFAD.

During the 2007/2008 cropping season, Africare undertook a first demonstration of SRI in two villages. The yield increase using SRI was remarkable: 8.98 tons/hectare, 34% more than the best use of farmers’ rice planting methods (see report). The evaluation was expanded during the 2008/2009 season with support from the Better U Foundation. Average SRI yield of 53 farmers in 12 villages reached 9.1 t/ha. On average SRI yields were 66% higher compared to the control plots with 5.49 t/ha and 87% higher compared to the surrounding rice fields with 4.86 t/ha (see report). During 2010, participation of volunteer farmers in Africare's SRI projects increased to 270 farmers in 28 villages. During the 2009/2010 cropping season, average SRI paddy yield for 130 randomly selected farmers (out of the 270 farmers) was 7.71 t/ha compared to 4.48 t/ha in farmers’ usual practice fields, which represents a 72% yield increase. An irrigation test showed that under SRI practices, water savings can be expected to be at least 32%.

Africare also began working to adapt SRI principles to wheat during 2009. The "system of wheat intensification" (SWI) showed potential for significantly increasing yields levels, by developing better direct-seeding techniques, reduce the spacing between plants, and by targeting the optimal planting time (see report).

During the 2009/2010 season, USAID’s Integrated Initiatives for Economic Growth in Mali (IICEM) project introduced SRI methods into irrigated areas of Gao, Mopti, and Timbuktu (not already reached by Africare) as well as rainfed rice systems in the Sikasso region, with consistent yield increases and reduction in chemical fertilizer use by farmers (see report). in 2011, Kokou Zotoglo, the rice value chain leader for USAID/West Africa’s Expanded Agribusiness and Trade Promotion (USAID E-ATP) program, and Djiguiba Koyaté, his counterpart at USAID/Mali’s Integrated Initiatives for Economic Growth in Mali (USAID IICEM), were given the “Tiwara” (“Lion of Work” in Bambara) award from government and civil society leaders in the Circle of San in the Ségou region for their work promoting SRI.

Progress and Activities

2010-2011
  • Regional and Bilateral USAID Team Leaders Receive Award for SRI Promotion

    According to an article on the USAID West Africa website, USAID efforts in promoting SRI in one of Mali’s rice-growing regions have been recognized with the presentation of awards to a regional and a bilateral team leader. Kokou Zotoglo, the rice value chain leader for USAID/West Africa’s Expanded Agribusiness and Trade Promotion (USAID E-ATP) program, and Djiguiba Koyaté, his counterpart at USAID/Mali’s Integrated Initiatives for Economic Growth in Mali (USAID IICEM), were given the “Tiwara” (“Lion of Work” in Bambara) award from government and civil society leaders in the Circle of San in the Ségou region for their collaboration in introducing SRI techniques into the region. USAID learned about SRI from Africare's work with SRI Tombouctou in 2007. At a February 2010 national workshop on the findings of the experimental use of SRI, Kokou recommended to IICEM that the process be taken out of the experimental arena and into the experiential setting of Mali’s natural rice-growing fields.

    The results were presented at an August joint USAID E-ATP and USAID/Mali IICEM workshop, attended by rice stakeholders from across West Africa who were taken into the fields to see for themselves the effects of SRI. Farmers were so pleased that they claimed they didn’t need any more agricultural advisors.

  • Two Journal Articles and a Poster Highlight SRI Experiences in Timbuktu

    Erika Styger and her colleagues in Mali recently published an article in the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. "The system of rice intensification as a sustainable agricultural innovation: introducing, adapting and scaling up a system of rice intensification practices in the Timbuktu region of Mali" was published online in Februrary in an issue on sustainability in Africa. A second article, " Application of system of rice intensification practices in the arid environment of the Timbuktu region in Mali" is now available in an online version of the journal Paddy and Water Environment. A related poster, Impact of SRI practices in cropping system resilience to fluctuating climate conditions in Timbuktu Region, Mali, was presented at the 3rd International Rice Congress, held in Hanoi, Vietnam during November 2010 (see poster).

  • USAID Project Shows Success with SRI in Gao, Mopti, Timbuktu and Sikasso

  • Following up on the promising results obtained with SRI by Africare in the Timbuktu region, USAID’sIntegrated Initiatives for Economic Growth in Mali (IICEM) project introduced SRI concepts and practices to farmers into the regions of Gao and Mopti, and several locations not already covered by Africare in Timbuktu as well as testing adaptations of SRI principles to the rainfed rice cropping systems in the Sikasso region (see report). Transplanting in Mopti, Mali - IICEM projectTogether with the national agriculture research institution (IER), the Regional Agriculture Service (DRA) and local NGOs, a team of 25 field technicians worked with 118 farmers in 21 villages across the four regions.SRI nursery in Mopti, Mali, IICEM project 2010

    For the irrigated systems, SRI yield performance was superior to the control plots and the yield average of the irrigation perimeters (PIV) was increased by 40% to 68% in all three regions despite a one-month delay in the onset of the rainy season. Planting in the irrigated systems in Gao, Mopti, Timbuktu and rainfed systems in Sikasso - 2009/2010 was monitored by Erika Styger for Abt. Associates Inc. Average SRI yields for all farmers were 7.0 t/ha in Timbuktu and 7.84t/ha and 7.85t/ha in Gao and Mopti, respectively, with yields on the PIVs somewhat lower. All yield parameters were superior for the SRI plots compared to the control plots. The best yielding longer cycle varieties produced 8-10t/ha of rice grain in all three regions. Farmers began to adopt certain SRI practices for their control plots as well and also reduced their fertilizer application by 50% in Gao, 63% in Mopti and 72% in Timbuktu. The report, which concludes that SRI practices present an economic and environmentally friendly alternative to current rice cultivation practices in northern Mali, is confirmed by farmers’ enthusiasm in all three regions regarding field performance of the rice crop and associated economic and food security benefits for the farmers themselves.

    In Sikasso, which has several variations of rainfed rice cultivation, tests were run on two research stations and in three villages. Direct-seeded rice was thinned to one plant/hill (planted in rows) with 25cm x 25cm spacing, application of organic matter and use of a cono-weeder used if the soil conditions permitted. Water could not be controlled in these non-irrigated plots. Adapted SRI plots showed consistently improved performance along the landscape gradient with the lowest response in the uplands and highest response in lowland zone. SRI plots in the lowland low zone obtained yields of over 5 t/ha compared to the uplands, which was 3t/ha. The best-performing variety produced 6.6 t/ha with SRI, which is more than double the 3t/ha often cited as a high yield in the Sikasso region. The next step should be to test SRI techniques using wide range of varieties in each of the four systems.

  • Africare's Extends SRI Methods to 28 Villages in Timbuktu during 2009/2010 Season

    Participation of volunteer farmers in Africare's Timbuktu SRI projects, which began in 2007, more than quadrupled from 60 farmers in 2008 to 270 farmers in 2010, and extended from 12 villages to 28 villages. During 2009-2010, Africare collaborated with the Government Agriculture Technical Service at the local and regional level, and with the private firm CAFON. Village communities developed a farmer-to-farmer approach to assist the new farmers in correctly implementing the various SRI practices. Average SRI paddy yield for 130 randomly selected farmers (out of the 270 farmers) was 7.71 t/ha compared to 4.48 t/ha in farmers’ usual practice fields, which represents a 72% yield increase. Congruent with previous results, all measured yield parameters were superior in SRI plots compared to farmers’ fields. Even under sub-optimal conditions caused by delayed rains, SRI farmers were still able to produce acceptably high yields (6-8 tons), being less vulnerable to climate variability. An irrigation test showed that under SRI practices, water savings can be expected to be at least 32%.

    Trials with 15 varieties, long- and short-cycle improved varieties as well as seven indigenous O. glaberrima varieties, showed which performed best with SRI, though all had better yields with SRI than conventional methods. Though less productive, farmers maintain their traditional varieties, as they are highly important for food security, have a preferred taste, and are hardy under adverse environmental conditions. These traditional varieties will be included in future trials (See report for details).

  • Mali Participation in SRI Knowledge Sharing Videoconference

    The World Bank Institute, in collaboration with several World Bank entities in Africa and the Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) organized a series of knowledge exchange events related to coping with climate change in agriculture water management, in general, and applications of innovative agriculture practices with potential for climate adaptation, in particular (see flyer). The conference, Climate Adaptation: Producing More Crops per Drop of Water and with Less Input - Knowledge Sharing on System of Rice Intensification (SRI), took place on February 9, 2010. The event consisted of a 3-hour local workshop in Bamako, Mali, and 3-hour videoconferencing session linking participants from Bamako, Mali; Antananarivo, Madagascar; Chennai, India; and Washington, DC . More information and slide presentations from the videoconference are available on the World Bank Institute's site on South-South Knowledge sharing on SRI (event 2).

1999-2009 -see Mali activity archives

Reports and Evaluations

Blog and News Articles

Practical Information

Slide and Poster Presentations

Videos

  • Harouna, Ibrahim. 2011 (August 8). SRI Timbuktu Song. sricornell channel, YouTube. 10.01 min. [French language song about SRI performed in Goundam, Timbuktu, Mali, by Oumar Malle, Harouna Ibrahim (Africare SRI technician), and Allassane.]
  • Hauser, Kelly. 2010 (October 22). Mali Rice Farmer Moussa Ag Demba's Speech on SRI. TheOneCampaign channel, YouTube. 3:00 min. [ONE allies Africare, Oxfam, and World Wildlife Foundation brought three farmers from Mali, Vietnam and India to Washington, DC to speak at the House of Representatives and at the International Trade Center about a style of rice farming that is little-known but rapidly spreading.]

Photo Archive

  • Photo collections by Erika Styger are available on the SRI Timbuktu Website and the SRI Timbuktu Blog
  • Additional photos by Erika Styger and her colleagues in Mali are available in the SRI International Resources Center photo collection can be seen in the slideshow running in the summary section at the top of the page. If you do not have Flash installed, click here to see individual photos which are made available on Picasaweb. (Also note slideshow feature).
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