• Go to Fontagro's X profile
  • Go to Fontagro's Instagram profile
  • Go to Fontagro's Linkedin profile
  • Go to Fontagro's Youtube profile
  • About Us
  • Governance
  • Documents
  • News
    • News
    • Events
  • Library
  • Toolkit
Fontagro
  • Menu iconImpact
    • Projects
    • Success Cases
    • Impact Stories
    • Project platform
  • Menu iconInitiatives
  • Menu iconDashboard
  • Menu iconAlliances
  • X icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Linkedin icon
  • Youtube icon
Fontagro
Fontagro
  • About Us
  • Governance
  • Documents
  • News
    • News
    • Events
  • Library
  • Toolkit
  • Menu iconImpact
    • Projects
    • Success Cases
    • Impact Stories
    • Project platform
  • Menu iconInitiatives
  • Menu iconDashboard
  • Menu iconAlliances
Fontagro

Innovation ecosystem for the agri-food sector in Latin America and the Caribbean

Newsletter
  • Impact
  • Initiatives
  • Dashboard
  • Alliances
  • About Us
  • Governance
  • Documents
  • News
  • Library
  • Toolkit

Contact Us

  • E-mailfontagro@fontagro.org
  • LocationIICA USA - 1889 F Street, N.W., Suite 360 Washington, D.C. 20006
  • Terms, conditions and privacy policy

© 2025 Fontagro. All Rights Reserved

  • Go to Fontagro's X profile
  • Go to Fontagro's Instagram profile
  • Go to Fontagro's Linkedin profile
  • Go to Fontagro's Youtube profile
project image

Grow More with Less: Adaptation, Validation and Promotion of Intensive Rice Farming System (SICA) in the Americas as a Response to Climate Change

X iconFacebook iconLinkedin icon
Agronomic PracticesAgronomic PracticesAdaptativeAdaptativeTechnological-Organizational-InstitutionalTechnological-Organizational-InstitutionalClimate changeClimate changeStrategy 1. Resilient farms Strategy 1. Resilient farms 20142014inactiveinactive
CodeATN/CX-14837-RG#79
InitiativeExtraordinary Call
Total AmountUSD 440,600
Counterpart AmountUSD 240,600
Other AgenciesUSD 200,000
Execution Time42 Months
CodeATN/CX-14837-RG#79
InitiativeExtraordinary Call
Total AmountUSD 440,600
Counterpart AmountUSD 240,600
Other AgenciesUSD 200,000
Execution Time42 Months
Loading map...
Summary icon

Executive Summary

Rice is a staple food in LAC where per capita consumption is 30 kg / year and demand exceeds production. The yields, costs and profitability depend on agro-climatic and technological factors, innovation in the crop is a must. This System of Rice Intensification (SRI) project, executed by IICA in the Dominican Republic and Colombia, analyzed the productive efficiency, use of resources and the impact of SRI on GHG emissions. The project worked on 13 validation plots where SRI, which includes less use of seed and other inputs and rational water management, produced a better phenotypic development of plants in terms of number of spikes, panicles, tillers and length and root weight, achieving higher yields (up to 25%) and savings in the use of seeds (up to 96%) and water (up to 45%), in addition to an average saving of 10% in costs which caused greater profits of 43% in the Dominican Republic and 68% in Colombia. With the cost of labor being one of the greatest challenges of SRI, mechanized filling of trays, transplantation and weeding was evaluated, resulting in 36% savings in total costs in Colombia and 10% in the Dominican Republic. Twenty-seven training events were held for 1,013 participants and two technical manuals were produced, as well as a primer for producers and tools for recording and analyzing data. IICA is promoting the scaling-up of SRI in the region to foster the adaptation of rice cropping to climate change.
Results icon

Results

It was shown that SRI reduces costs and is more productive and profitable than the traditional cultivation system, a consequence of phenotypic changes and less investment in fertilizers and seeds. A greater number of spikes, panicles, tillers and root length and weight increased yields (up to 25%) along with savings in seed quantity (up to 96%) and water (up to 45%). On average, in Colombia SRI yielded 12% more and profit was 83% higher. In the Dominican Republic the yield and profits were 9.5% and 73% higher and the use of water was reduced by 11%. The lower investment in fertilizers and seeds with SRI caused an average cost savings of 10% with 43% more profits in the Dominican Republic and 68% in Colombia. The mechanization (filling of trays, transplantation and weeding) of the crop generated a 36% saving in total costs in Colombia and 10% in the Dominican Republic. Training benefited 1013 people, including 139 women. Several countries are interested in consolidating a SRI Network. IICA is supporting SRI actions in Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Guatemala and Suriname and requests have been received from Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Argentina.
Beneficiaries icon

Beneficiaries

The direct beneficiaries, collaborators of the project, were four producers in Colombia and six in the Dominican Republic, in whose plots the validation of SRI was conducted. Also, twenty-seven training events organized by the project benefited 1,013 farmers and technicians, including 139 women. The project also supported field researchers from Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. An undetermined number of actors have received information through social media such as the Facebook page created by the project and by radio interviews and participation in technical meetings. The impact and subsequent number of potential beneficiaries is much greater and depends on the scaling-up of SRI and the adoption of technology fostered by enabling factors.

Sustainable Development Goals

This project actively contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting more equitable, resilient, and sustainable regional development.

No povertyZero HungerResponsible consumption and productionClimate action
No poverty
Zero Hunger
Responsible consumption and production
Climate action

Main Donors

FONTAGRO
GEF
Organizations icon

Participating Organizations

Cargando mapa...
Publication icon

Publications and Resources

Download document

Informe Técnico Final

Download document

Poster 2018

Download document

Poster 2017

Download document

Presentación WITKOWSKI 2017

Publication icon

Dissemination products

Poster

Rice cultivation less vulnerable and more adapted to climate change

Fontagro TECH

Less vulnerable and more adapted to climate change rice cropping.

Fontagro TECH

Intensive Rice Cultivation System (SICA) in the Americas

Researchers icon

Participating Researchers

Diddier Moreira Mendoza
Costa RicaProject Leader

Diddier Moreira Mendoza

Henry Guerrero
República DominicanaResearcher

Henry Guerrero

Pedro Antonio Nuñez Ramos
República DominicanaResearcher

Pedro Antonio Nuñez Ramos

Aridio Pérez
República DominicanaResearcher

Aridio Pérez

Myriam Patricia  Guzmán García
ColombiaResearcher

Myriam Patricia Guzmán García

Iván Camilo Ávila Cortes
ColombiaResearcher

Iván Camilo Ávila Cortes

Gabriel Alberto Garces Varón
ColombiaResearcher

Gabriel Alberto Garces Varón

Kelly Witkowski
Costa RicaResearcher

Kelly Witkowski

Diddier Moreira Mendoza
Costa RicaProject Leader

Diddier Moreira Mendoza

Henry Guerrero
República DominicanaResearcher

Henry Guerrero

Pedro Antonio Nuñez Ramos
República DominicanaResearcher

Pedro Antonio Nuñez Ramos

Aridio Pérez
República DominicanaResearcher

Aridio Pérez

Myriam Patricia  Guzmán García
ColombiaResearcher

Myriam Patricia Guzmán García

Iván Camilo Ávila Cortes
ColombiaResearcher

Iván Camilo Ávila Cortes

Gabriel Alberto Garces Varón
ColombiaResearcher

Gabriel Alberto Garces Varón

Kelly Witkowski
Costa RicaResearcher

Kelly Witkowski

Project news

Adopting the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for adapting to climate change and producing more with less resources
Adopting the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for adapting to climate change and producing more ...
Read more
Project Story Image

Learn more about this story

Project Webstory

Go to webstory

Executor

  • IICA Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura

Co-Executor

  • IICA Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura
  • IICA Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura
  • CONIAF
  • IDIAF Instituto Dominicano de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales
  • FEDEARROZ

Other projects

The tangible impact of science and technology in the field

Project image

Resilient native potatoes

Call for Proposals 2005 FTG/RF-0511-RG

The project considered technological options to improve economic, social, and environmental indicators on farms with coffee and livestock systems, as well as to strengthe...

Project image

Tropical Agriculture 4.0: efficient water management

Extraordinary Call 2007 CGIAR#7052

The ancestral Amazonian communities have selected numerous plants for their palatability and nutritional properties. The members of the research consortium of this projec...

Project image

Digital innovations for smarter pasture management

Call for Proposals 2013 FTG/RF-1330-RG

The volume of world fruit production has grown around 3% annually in the last decade. Colombia is the fifth fruit producer in Latin America, with more than 95 types of fr...

Sponsors

BID logoIICA logo

With the support of

KPK logo