MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Location: file:///C:/EA435693/Abstract33.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" SRI for enhancing the land productivity in rainfed rice based farming systems

SRI for enhancing the land productivity in rainfed rice based farming systems =

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G. Ravindra Chary1, K.P.R.Vittal1, C.Sai Reddy2, R.Vasantha2, R.Mahendra Kumar3, G.R.Maruthi Sankar1, G.Pratibha1, K.V.Rao1, J..N.S.Prasa= d1, Y.S.Ramakrishna1, L.Sreeramulu1 T.Srijaya1 and Udaya Bhanu1<= /p>

1 Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad

 2 DATTCC (ANGRAU),Ranga = Reddy Dist, A.P and

3 Directorate of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-30 AP<= o:p>

 

Under NATP- MMLUP (Rainfed Agroecosystem), SRI was introduced with cv.Tella Hamsa= to the farming community at Nallavelli village, Yacharam Mandal, Ranga Reddy distr= ict, A.P., with technical support  = by CRIDA, DATTCC, Ranga Reddy district and DRR. The data, from three farmers fields (Typic Haplustepts), were: 31 effective tillers/32 total tillers,146 grains/panicle, and yield was 6.5 t/ha under SRI while under conventional method it was 12 effective tillers/13 total tillers,92 grains/panicle and y= ield was 2.5t/ha. The cost of cultivation was Rs 15578 (includes costs of weeder & marker) under SRI while it was Rs 16500 under conventional practice. = The feedback was that   there= could be saving of at least 30 to 40 per cent of water, 50 per cent of labour and electrical energy, 50 to 60 per cent of production cost. Further, the farme= rs felt that long duration rice varieties would yield more with more opportune time (longer vegetative period) for yield realization. The constraints identified were: operational difficulties with the cono weeder to cover the unit area and making and maintaining drainage channels, particularly in Inceptisols. Farmers also suggested developing a cost effective motor opera= ted cono  weeder   and establishing techniques without drainage channels or a more of a flat bed system. SRI adoption enab= led one of the three farmers to bring 1.5 acre of chickpea under cultivation in rabi by giving critical life saving irrigation with saved water due to SRI adoption, which otherwise would have been kept fallow. In a long run, the w= ater saved is water potential created, thus utilizing the water for rabi chickpe= a or any other crop in rabi at farming system unit level to achieve maximum land productivity per unit area. This learning experience indicates to develop rainfed version of SRI in India where rainfed rice constitutes up to 55 per cent of total rice area , of wh= ich 15 per cent is upland and 33 per cent is low land contributing 5 per cent a= nd 30 per cent to the total rice production. Upland area is around 5.5 M ha and mainly grown in acid soils, red and lateritic soils, alluvial plains under varying physiographic situations and nutrient limiting and socio- economic situations. Here is the big opportunity for the researchers to make a dent = with SRI in rainfed rice situations to enhance over all land productivity, furth= er, developing and sustaining the rainfed farming systems.

 

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