MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Location: file:///C:/EA4356D5/Abstract55.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Performance of SRI in semi-arid areas of Andhra Pradesh

Performance of SRI= in semi-arid areas of Andhra Pradesh

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P. Lakshmi Reddy= and K. Ankaiah Kumar

DAATT Centre, AMC compou= nd, Gooty Road= , Anantapur, AP

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Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important= and major staple food crop of Andhra Pradesh.&= nbsp; Rice straw is a major fodder for the cattle in semi-arid areas.  Normally rice is grown in AP under assured irrigated situations. Rice is also grown in An= antapur district where rainfall and ground water are very scarce. In the existing method of rice cultivation rice crop requires very high seed rate (40 kg/ha) and huge quantities of water. The productivity levels are low at present (2= -3 tons/ha).

 

System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a new method of rice cultivation, introduc= ed from Sri Lanka into Andhra Pradesh by the Directorate of Extension of Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University. SRI involves planting of young seedlings (8-10days= ) in rows of 25cm apart, without standing water and inter cultivation with cono weed= er 3-4 times at 10 days interval.  A seed rate of 5-7 kg per ha is recommended with only one seedling per hill. = All the other field operations are similar to that of existing method of rice cultivation.

 

On-farm trials were conducted with SRI method of rice cultivation on 10 farmers fields during rabi, 2005.  The results were compared with the existing method of rice cultivation.  The varieties used were NLR-34449 (a pre released rice cultivar), BPT-5204, RNR-1446 and JGL-1798 (Jagatyal sannalu). The results revealed that the average no. of panicles/hill, length of panicle, no. of grains/panicle, grain yield, straw yield and C-B ratio were higher in SRI method compared to the existing meth= od of rice cultivation.

 

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