"System of Rice Intensification" of cultivation, in which alternate wetting and drying of rice fields is practised, results in :

1. Reduced seed requirement

2. Reduced methane production

3. Reduced electricity consumption

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

The correct answer is 1, 2, and 3.

Key Points

• System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
  • It was first developed in Madagascar in the 1980s and since then several countries in the world have been practicing it, including India.
  • It promises to save 15 to 20% groundwater and improves rice productivity, which is almost at a stagnant point now. 
  • As SRI reduces water requirements, electricity consumption for irrigation also reduces. Hence, Statement 3 is correct
  • It gives equal to or more productivity than conventional rice cultivation, with less water, less seed, and fewer chemicals. The net effect is a substantial reduction in the investments in external inputs.

Important Points

• Benefits and Impacts of System of Rice Intensification  
  • To increase paddy yields usually by 20-50% and sometimes 100% or more; 
  • To reduce the required seeds for transplanting by 60-80%; Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
  • To reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and agrichemicals; 
  • To reduce irrigation water by 25-50%; 
  • To reduce production costs usually by 10-20%; and
  •  With increased output and reduced costs, farmers’ net income is increased.
  • The management methods of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), by creating aerobic soil conditions through shallow and intermittent irrigation or alternate wetting and drying (AWD), bring about mostly aerobic soil conditions that sharply reduce methane emissions. Hence, Statement 2 is correct.
  • Research has shown that intermittent paddy irrigation by SRI or AWD reduced methane emissions by between 22% and 64%.