After conducting the research on the technique in six different soil conditions across the state for the past six years, the AAU has released the new technique called “System of Rice Intensification (SRI).” The technique will be implemented in this Kharif season for the first time in Gujarat.

The experiments using SRI technique have shown a 25 to 30 per cent rise in rice production with 40 per cent decreased use of water for irrigation. While conventional method requires 1,250 mm water per hector, SRI works on 800 mm water. The method works well in wet and dry methods of irrigation.

“The rice saplings do not need to be submerged in water. Instead, the soil is simply made wet and the field is irrigated again only when the soil has hairline cracks on the surface. A lot of water can be conserved in this method,” said Atul Mehta, research scientist and head of the Main Rice Research Station, AAU, Nawagaon.

Instead of sowing 25 to 30-day old sapling in the field, in SRI method, 10 to 14-day old saplings are sown. Besides, better space-planting method is used in an organically treated soil.

“Farmers generally plant saplings in 20X15 cm area which gives less space for the roots and the shoots to grow. In SRI, we give a space of 25X25 cm for the sapling to spread out and grow. This also aerates the soil. The green weeds that grow in the field are not uprooted but instead are used for enriching the soil. Moreover, chemical fertilisers and pesticides are not used in SRI method,” said Mehta.