introducing kenyan participation - producing more with less input with sri
DESCRIPTION
PowerPoint by Bancy Mati presented at the video conference "South-South Knowledge Sharing on Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices" at KDLC, Nairobi, on August 24, 2011.TRANSCRIPT
INTRODUCING KENYAN PARTICIPATION
KDLC, Nairobi, 24th August 2011
South-South Knowledge Sharing on Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices
Producing More with Less Input through SRI – the System of Rice Intensification
Prof. Bancy M. MatiSRI Projects Coordinator
Kenyan Participants
40 participants are here:• Farmers from Mwea, Ahero, Bunyala &
West Kano• Researchers from JKUAT• Government officials from the Ministry of
Water & Irrigation, and the Ministry of Agriculture
• Regional/international organizations from World Bank
Majority are adopters and practitioners of SRI
Rice Production in Kenya
• Huge demand for rice – partly due to urbanization
• National consumption - 300,000 tons /year - increasing at 12% (4% for wheat, 1% for maize)
• Rice production - 45,000-80,000 tons /year
• Deficit is imported - Ksh.7 billion /year
• Rice - the most expensive grain in Kenya (retailing at Ksh.150-200 per kg)
• Rice to become main cereal food in Kenya
Background to SRI efforts in Kenya
• SRI was introduced in Kenya at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme in July 2009
• Initial partners - JKUAT, NIB, AICAD, WB, WBI, MoA, MWI, KARI, Cornell University (of USA), Mwea Irrigation Scheme/MIAD, private sector, and farmers
• The first six months (July-Dec 2009) were funded by AICAD to test if SRI works in Mwea.
• Good results were obtained from two pioneer farmer trials,
• In Sept. 2009 and Jan. 2010, WBI organized two South-South knowledge sharing on SRI between India, Rwanda, Madagascar, Japan, and Kenya.
• Since April 2010, JKUAT Innovation Fund has been supporting a 3-year SRI research & capacity-building project in Mwea.
• From June 2011, NIB is supporting a six-month project to upscale SRI in 4 schemes, i.e. Ahero, West Kano, Bunyala & Mwea.
Institutions and individuals supported SRI efforts
Participants at 2nd SRI planning meeting on 18 August 2009
Participants in 1st National SRI workshop 7 May 2010
Activities Implemented• Awareness-creation
• Scientific research on SRI (1 PhD, 3 MSc)
• Quantifying yields, economic returns, and water savings from SRI
• Assessing mosquito survival under SRI
• Capacity-building through workshops, field days, and invited trainers from India & Japan
• 1,800 individuals trained on SRI so far
• Dissemination of SRI brochures, training notes, video conferences
04/13/2023
SRI research & farmer trials
Measuring water input in a research plot
Mosquito trap in research plot
Farmer SRI trials
8 04/13/20238
Field days & open days for SRI training
SRI field day in Mwea - 5 August 2010
SRI Open Day - 4 November 2010
SRI field day (transplanting) -21 July 2011
SRI field day in Mwea - 7 December 2010
Up-scaling SRI in Ahero, West Kano & Bunyala
Launching SRI in Ahero Scheme Launching SRI in West Kano Scheme
Launching SRI in Bunyala Scheme
Key findings – based on SRI farmer crop of Dec 2010
Results show that SRI works in Mwea• SRI yields 6.0 - 8.5 t/ha, compared to 5.0-6.0 t/ha under
conventional local practice• Net increase averaged 4.36 bags/acre (0.98 t/ha) - some
farmers got 7 bags/acre more from SRI• SRI rice is heavier, weighing 100-110 kg compared to the
85-90 kg using conventional method• Net average incomes for SRI was KSh.98,605/acre
(KSh.246,513/ha) compared to KSh.75,526/acre (KSh.188,815/ha) - 28% increase.
• Farmers use 5 kg/acre of seed for SRI compared to 25 kg conventional paddy
• Water savings were 25% less under SRI compared to conventional flooded paddy
SRI Results have been good
SRI fields in Mwea Harvesting SRI rice
Training of Trainers for SRI Up-scaling in Kenya
SRI ToT in class - combined for Ahero, Bunyala, West Kano and Mwea
SRI ToT in the field combined with farmer exchange visit
Challenges
• Mindset, skepticism, resistance• Young, newly-transplanted SRI seedlings are
vulnerable to bird damage• A higher incidence of weeds with no flooding• Crops not weeded with rotary weeders due to lack
of proper weeders to date• Rice blast (a disease) affected crop in 2010• Some farmers are applying partial SRI principles• Planting calendar at Mwea affected rice yields• Shortage of extension workers to reach out to
farmers
Sharing Experiences on SRI
SRI Field day in Mwea
SRI ToT &
Video Conference
Lessons
• Scientific basis for adoption of SRI has been proven
• Aggressive awareness-creation and hands-on training has resulted in good adoption rates
• SRI message is now accepted in all 4 schemes
• There are many spin-off innovations, e.g., 3 local people have begun fabricating rotary weeders
• Farmer behaviour has changed – most use less water
• Private sector - interest by Numerical Machining Complex to support development of rotary weeders
• Government support – extending of SRI to Ahero, West Kano & Bunyala by NIB
16 04/13/2023
“Rice is nice….it is eaten with a spoon…” A nursery ryme
I say, SRI rice is better… it is eaten with a smile……B. Mati
THANK YOU