System of Rice Intensification Principles on Growth Parameters, Yield Attributes and Yields of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate System of Rice Intensification (SRI) principles on the growth parameters, yield attributes and yield of rice. System of Rice Intensification (SRI), a method of rice cultivation developed in Madagascar has been found to reduce the water use besides increasing the yield. Four crop management factors viz., seedling age, number of seedlings/hill, weed control and irrigation under SRI (14 days old younger seedlings, one seedling/hill, mechanical weeding with a rotary weeder and shallow irrigation (2.5 cm) were compared with conventional (recommended) cultivation practices viz., 21 days old seedlings, 3 seedlings/hill, weed management with herbicide plus hand weeding and recommended 5 cm irrigation in all possible combinations. Adoption of younger seedling, 3 seedlings/hill, shallow irrigation and weeder use (T14: P2S1I2W2) recorded the highest number of tillers (425 m-2) at tillering stage. Inclusion of one of the SRI factors along with the other conventional factors registered an increase in tiller density. The effect was conspicuous with the use of weeder. The management practices followed in SRI method of cultivation produced significantly more number of panicles m-2 and number of grains panicle-1. Inclusion of all the SRI components (T16: P2S2I2W2) was found to increase the yield significantly by 18.6% when compared to conventional practice (T1: P1S1I1W1).