SRI in Orissa - Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture ...

Seed beds were prepared with soil and manure in equal
proportions. Impure and unhealthy seeds were discarded
with the help of salt and egg culture. Then those were
treated with a mixture of fresh cow dung, moulded soil
(locally known as Uie hunka mati), pond silt and neem oil.
The treated seed were then sown half inch below the seed
bed surface. The farmers were advised to sow at the rate of
two kilograms of seed per acre. After that the nursery bed
were covered with paddy straw. Two farmers transplanted
the seedling in 10 days of sowing, two in 12 days and the
other two farmers transplanted seedlings in 13 days.
Seed transplantation too was very different from normal
practice as the farmers were advised not to wash off soil
from root and transplant just one seedling per hill at
10 inches apart. No fertiliser or chemical was applied
in the main land. The main land was puddled four times
after one cart load of dung manure, one cart load of
green manure, one cart load of paddy straw and five
kilograms of neem cake was applied. Drainage/irrigation
lines (channels) were drawn at eight feet intervals.
Transplantation was done in straight lines to ease
weeding. Farmers were advised not to keep standing
water in the fields. No other special implements were
used. Weeding was manually done as no farmers had
mechanical or hands driven weed outers.
Many doubts still crept into the mind of the adopting
farmers. They could not believe that only two kilograms of
seed will be sufficient for a one acre main field. One farmer
sowed more than the recommended dose. Nobody could
believe that seed nursery can be raised without puddling
with once a day of showering of water only. Farmers’ morale
received continuous beatings as onlookers laughed off the
technique and taunted the farmers for adopting such an
‘impracticable and laughable’ advice. As a result one farmer
sowed more than the prescribed seeds and two other farmers
flood irrigated their main field twice each. One farmer did
not cover his seed bed with paddy straw.
No Laughing Stuff: One Month Later, All
Sceptics were Proved Wrong
All through this period volunteers and agriculture expert
from MASS continuously kept persuading and following
up with the farmers. Ten days after seed sowing, many a
‘laugher’ stopped laughing as not only the seedlings were
ready for transplantation by then but also half kilograms of
Box 12.1: Scaling doubts: The case of Madan Bariha
The last one and half month for Madan Bariha – a poor tribal - was
very hard and chaotic. Not because he tirelessly worked in his fields
for hours but because people had shown negative perceptions and
comments to his style of paddy cultivation procedure. He is a marginal
farmer and the 20 decimals of land in which he has gone for the new
type of cultivation practice means a lot to him and his family. Any
crop loss will give his family a substantial economic blow and food
in-security. Yet, Madan took up the challenge, triumphantly weathered
the past few weeks and is now a proud farmer.
Madan has gone for a new method of rice cultivation which is better
known as System of Rice Intensification (SRI). He had attended
a farmers training organised by MASS, where they were oriented
about the possibilities of the new system of rice cultivation. He saw
tremendous scope in the system as most of his lands are drought
prone rain-fed land.
Like many others he did not believe that rice can be grown without
keeping standing water in the fields. He also was not too convinced
that only two to three kilograms of seeds will be adequate for
transplanting an acre. He had doubts if only one seedling per hill will
be optimum.
But he saw no harm in going for experimentation with the new
system as even if it fails the loss will be still bearable and a new crop
can be taken soon. He was told that transplantation should be
done in 10-12 days and growth can be noticed within a month of
transplantation. He trusted that and went for the challenge.
Now after about a month of transplantation his farmland has a
distinct greenery and growth than the neighbouring fields. The single
seedlings that he so reluctantly transplanted a month ago have
grown into bushes of tillers, more than 30 on an average per hill.
“Look at my field. Never ever this field had so much growth,”
exuberates Madan. His neighbouring farmers agree with him.
“The way the crop is growing yield should be more than normal.
There is definite merit in this system. We too will go for this kind of
cultivation next year,” they say.
Madan is very happy and confident now. He is patiently explaining
the technique to amazed farmers and passers-by, whose numbers
are swelling with each passing day. The persons who so unkindly
booed his methods of practice now thank Madan for his courage and
success.
Madan is one of six farmers, in Paikmal block of Bargarh district,
who are experimenting with SRI this year. The initiative and followups
have come from MASS, a Sambalpur based NGO. MASS has also
initiated people to go for SRI demonstration and experiments in its
other field areas this year that is completely organic.
Profuse Possibilities in Bargarh: Growing Confidence in SRI 69