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

Agronomic Practices

Adaptative

Technological-Organizational-Institutional

Climate change

Strategy 1. Resilient farms

2014

inactive

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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

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

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.