Experience on System of Root Intensification in the Sundarbans

PRASARI

RAINFALL+

WATERLO

GG

ING

SALINITY

CROP LO

SS

RIVER-BANK FAILURE+SEA

WATER

DRY SOIL+SALINE SURFACE

SUNDARBANS

1.91t/ha

SUBMERGENCE LOSS OF ONLY GROP

(as high 70%)

NOMINAL SECOND

CROP

SINGLECROP-RICE+1 acre av. land

HIGH RAINFALL IN JULY(753mm)

WATER SCARCITY+HIGH SALINITY INSUMMER (50% MORE)

FOOD INSECURITY+60% DISTRESSED MIGRATION

Factors contributing …

PROBLEM STATEMENT…

• WATER LOGGING AND NO DRAINAGE• MONO-CROPPED (LOW YIELD-RICE)• HIGHER SALINITY AND LESS SWEET WATER IN

SUMMER• SMALL LANDHOLDING• LACK OF FODDER & ORGANIC MANURE

(LIVESTOCK DECREASING)• LACK OF FAITH ON NRM-AGRIL.• MIGRATION

PRESENTATION SUMMARY….

• SRI EVOLUTIONS0th YearYear-1Year-2Year-3• LEARNINGS• WAY-FORWARD…….

SRI EVOLUTION (0TH YR)…

• PARESH DAS• LAND-LESS• LEASED-IN 10

dcml. LAND• SUMMER-07-08• USED MOC+FYM

CAKE• 240 KGS. OF RICE

OVER TRADITIONAL 115 KGS.

QUESTIONED ANSWERED(UN)(0TH YR)…..

SRI CAN BE DONE IN THE SUNDARBANS!CAN IT BE CALLED AS SRI?HIGHER WATER DEPTH AND STAGNATION VS. ALTERNATE DRY/WETYOUNG AND SINGLE SEEDLING CAN SURVIVE WATER PRESSURE?WHAT WOULD BE THE NUTRIENT DOSES?THE TRADITIONAL VARIETIES WOULD ALSO RESPOND UNDER SRI?IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE SOIL UNDER WATER-WHERE TO USE WEEDER?WOULD PEOPLE REALY BE READY TO PUT THEIR LAND AT STAKE?

?

SRI EVOLUTION (YEAR-1)…..

• RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM SDTT

• KHARIF-152 FARMERS IN 49 ACRE (+80 FARMERS IN SUMMER)

• GREEN MANURE+DE-OIL CAKE BASED POP

• 11 FARMERS TRIED LOCAL VARIETIES

• 15 FARMERS LOST CROP IN SUMMER

QUESTIONED ANSWERED(UN)(1ST YR)…..

SRI IS ONLY FEASIBLE FOR THE UPLANDS?WHAT TO DO WHERE WATER STAGNATION IS VERY HIGH?WEEDER OPERATION CONTRIBUTES POSITIVELY TO THE YIELD EVEN IF YOU CAN’T SEE THE SOIL!ARE THE FARMERS TAKING UP SRI AS THEY ARE PROVIDED WITH THE INPUTS COST? SOURCE OF ORGANICS?LOCAL VARIETIES ARE DOING BETTER THAN THAT OF TRADITIONAL PRACTICES-AROMATIC/MORISHSHAL VARIETY WOULD ASSURE MORE RETURN UNDER SRI?DE-OIL CAKES REMAINED ‘CAKES’ EVEN AFTER THE SUMMER HARVEST!ALTERNATE DRYING IN SUMMER RISES SALINITY AND CROP LOSSES IN SUMMER!

?

SRI EVOLUTION (YEAR-2)….• SRI WITH 1010 FARMERS ON

OVER 470 ACRES (EVEN-AYLA)• REGISTRATION FEES VS. 8% DROP

OUT• ALLOWED ORG+CHEMICAL IN

SUMMER• USE OF EM-TECHNOLOGY• LOW LAND SRI ENHANCED 50%

YIELD:EARLY TRANSPLANTATION• 30 TO 40% CROP LOSS IN

SUMMER• 118 FARMERS PRACTICED LOCAL

VARIETIES (28% in low land,22% aromatic)

QUESTIONS ANSWERED(UN)(2ND YR)…..WOULD THE DROP OUT RATE INCREASES IF THE INPUTS SUPPORT IS MINIMUM?WOULD THE FARMERS GO BACK TO PREVIOUS CHEMICAL N-P-K ONLY AS THERE IS NO FYM/ORG. SUPPORT?HOW TO PLAN FOR HIGH WATER ZONES IN ADVANCE?HOW LONG TO EXPERIMENT WITH THE SUMMER RICE LOSSES?IS THERE ANY ALTERNATIVE CROP FOR THE SALINE DELTA IN SUMMER?IS THIS ENOUGH TO ‘SEE’ THE FAMILIES ONLY IN THE KHARIF AND FORGETING FOR 6 MONTHS?HOW TO RESTRICT MIGRATION AND GETTING PEOPLE’S NRM FAITH BACK WHEN HIGH SALINITY & NO SWEET WATER?

?

SRI EVOLUTION (YEAR-3)…..• MAPPING THE WATER LEVELS FOR ALL

VILLAGES• SRI WITH 1430 FARMERS• 221 FARMERS WITH LOCAL VARIETY

(54% IN THE LOW LAND, 17% AROMATIC)

• SRI IN MUSTARD WITH THREE VARIETIES (B9,RP-09,RAIJATA) AS SUMMER ALTERNATIVE

• NOMINAL DROP OUT DUE TO MIGRATION THOUGH MAJOR INPUTS CONTRIBUTION FROM FARMERS

• SRI POCKETS HAVE BEEN DEVELOVED• THREE LOCAL SHOPS WITH CLEANED

GODOWN OF DE-OIL CAKES AT THE END OF KHARIF…

QUESTIONS ANSWERED(UN)(3RD YR)….. WOULD VILLAGERS TAKE UP THE MUSTARD CROP TO REPLACE SUMMER RICE?CAN SRI BE ALIGNED AS THE YEAR THE ROUND ACTIVITY?LET’S EXPLORE HOW THE OVERALL SUPPORT COST VARRIES OVER TIME!WHAT IS THE “SRI INTERNALIZATION” LEVEL OF THE COMMUNITY?

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SRI EVOLUTION-4….

•RICE WITH (929+1211)•FAMILIES•LIVELIHOODS PLAN WITH 50 SHGS-600 FAM•RICE-FISH-MUSTARDAS YEAR THE ROUND ACTIVITY•MUSTARD WITH-230 FAMILES,RAIJATA VARIETY

GLANCING THROUGH THE EXTERNAL INVESTMENTS…..

SRI INTERNALIZATION-A CASE STUDY• Transplanting:5/7/11• Un-interrupted rain: 03/08/11 to 20/8/11• Complete submergence:9/8/11• Drained out:27/8/11• Lost: 90% of hills• Fertilization to survived hills: 29/08/11• Re-transplanting the panicles: 04/09/11• Weeding: 11/09 and 18/09/11• Date of harvest: 13/12/12• Average Ht.: 122.2 cm• Panicle length: 27.5 cm• Effective tillers: 16• Grain/panicle(av.):271• Chaffy/panicle:23• 1000 grain wt.:25 gm• 25 sq. mtr grain:13.5 kg. OVER 700 FARMERS FOLLOWED THIS METHOD AND

HARVESTED GOOD RETURN IN THE DELTA in-spite of submergence loss

UNADDRESSED ISSUE OF SALINITY,SWEET WATER AND MIGRATION…..

PROBLEMS• SUMMER SALINITY• NO DRAINAGE• NON AVAILABLE SWEET WATER

IN SUMMER• LESS RETURN FROM NRM

LEADING TO MIGRATION

SOLUTION• FAO OF UN RECOMENDS

WATER HARVESTING STRUCTURES (EX-SITU) AS A SOLUTION

SUNDARBANS

18

PRASARI HAS BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH 3 GPs on FIVE SQUARE MODEL…

19

Investment and expected return from the 'five square model’

Cft.Rate (Rs.)/cft Amount(rs.)

Length (ft.) 55 width (ft) 55 Layer-1 depth (ft) 3 9075 1.56 14144.51 Layer-2 depth (ft) 3 6627 1.67 11080.20 Layer-3 depth (ft) 3 5043 1.76 8860.52

Leaching trench 300 1.56 467.59 available water 23770

total (Rs.) 34552.81 Rounded off (Rs.) 35000

Loss 30% 7131 Net available-

WATER 16639 RETURN

1RAIN-SEASON AREA(SQ.FT)WATER REQD. RETURN(RS.)

AVAILABLE WATER

A RICE -SRI(SQ.FT) 5724 0 2759.504 16639B BUND-VEG (OKHRA) 1452 0 9600 16639

CHIGH-LAND VEG (OKHRA) 2800 0 19200 16639

2FISH (MIX CULTURE) 3025 5043 5000 115963POST-KHARIF 11596

A MUSTARD-SRI 5724 5724 6181.92 5872

BBUND-VEG (bitter gourd) 1452 1452 5120 4420

CHIGH-LAND VEG (cue-cumber) 2800 2800 4977.778 1620

4SUMMER 1620

ABUND-VEG (RIDGE GOURD) 1452 1452 3840 168

TOTAL RETURN (Rs.) 56679.2

WE ARE OPTIMISTIC, THIS MODEL WOULD ADDRESS THE STATED ISSUES…..

KHARIF WATER STAGNATION & RESOURCE MAP PREPARED BY VILLAGERS…

BACK

ON STATION &ON FARM

1.NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT2. WEED MANAGEMENT3. WATER MANAGEMENT

ON FARM PARTNERS WITH BCKVPRASARIAMBUJA CEMENT FOUNDATION

RESEARCH WITH BCKV

धन्यवा�द...!!!