Andhra Pradesh - Ongole   

Promote SRI paddy: Collector

ONGOLE: The district administration is leaving no stone unturned to popularise the SRI (System of Rice Intensification) paddy cultivation, which requires less water and less expenditure, but gives more yield.

Ambitious target

District Collector Kantilal Dande held a meeting with officials concerned and asked them to adopt the carrot and stick approach to promote SRI, first developed in Madagaskar during the 1980's.

“An ambitious target of 7,380 hectares has been fixed for SRI during this kharif in the district,” official sources said. It was also decided to step up cultivation of redgram in 7,000 hectares, greengram in 7,380 hectares.

“SRI, which is a bit more labour-intensive, will be more beneficial to small and marginal farmers,” he said, and directed the officers concerned to popularise SRI and arrange for training to peasants.

Each of the 1,995 Adarsha Ryuthus (progressive farmers) were asked to promote SRI in at least 31.50 acres. If they failed to do this, their continuance would be in jeopardy.

SRI was first experimented in the district during the 2003 khariff.

In SRI paddy cultivation, less seed (2kg/ac) is required whereas in general paddy cultivation 20 kg seed is required per acre.

SRI requires less expenditure on fertilizers and plant protection chemicals. In SRI system, rice crop grows healthy in natural conditions and its root growth can be massive to receive nutrients from deeper layers of the soil.

SRI encourages rice plant to grow healthy with large root volume, big panicle, more and well filled spikelets and higher grain weight and help plant resist insects.

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